Recently, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy refused to take the bait from CNN reporter Manu Raju when asked about Republican Senator Mitt Romney’s comments on Rep. George Santos of New York. In response, McCarthy hit both Romney and Democratic Rep. Sen Richard Blumenthal without hesitation. This exchange highlighted a key issue in politics: double standards of accountability that are applied unevenly depending on someone’s political affiliation. Unfortunately, this issue is becoming all too common in our current political climate—a sign of dangerous hypocrisy among politicians.
It has been clear that Romney holds Republicans more accountable than Democrats when it comes to issues such as embellishment of one’s record, as evidenced by his demand for Santos’ resignation but refusal to call out the likes of Sen Richard Blumenthal or Swalwell who have lied in their pasts. Whereas it would be understandable if he simply chose not to comment on these issues due to the divisive nature of partisan politics, his double standard reveals a worrying trend among politicians today: they prioritize protecting their own party and its members over holding them accountable for their words and actions.
This type of warped accountability can have serious implications for our political landscape, especially for those in positions of greater influence and power like Romney. For example, if politicians can get away with lying and false statements with impunity, how will this affect public trust and confidence in government institutions? The answer is simple: it won’t inspire trust or confidence at all. Without trust between citizens and elected officials, democracy itself becomes weakened due to a lack of legitimacy and faith in our electoral process.
Additionally, if politicians continue along this path of selective accountability it could lead to an environment where there are even fewer consequences for unethical behavior from those with public power; leading us further away from the ideal of “the rule of law” which is essential for a functioning democracy. This is why it is so worrisome that Senator Romney has seemingly chosen not to hold Democrats to the same standards he does Republicans—it sends an unhealthy message about what kind of behavior politicians should expect to be held accountable for going forward.
Accountability is an important part of any functioning democratic society; without rules governing both leaders and citizens alike, we cannot expect public trust or stability over time. Romney’s seeming hypocrisy towards holding different sides equally responsible has already revealed dangerous signs that could signify a coming shift toward selectivity rather than fairness—something no citizen should want nor tolerate in their government representatives regardless of political leaning or identity.
