Honesty in Politics

I attended a talk given by Professor Dr. Boediono, Vice President Designate of Indonesia arranged by the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

One Singapore minister asked the question to Dr. Boediono, "What is your experience during the election campaign? How much of your success is due to hard politics and how much do to soft politics?" He used an Indonesian term to describe soft politics, which appealled to human emotions.

Dr. Boediono replied, "I do not know what is hard politics and what is soft politics. I only know what is correct politics, and that is being honest."

I like this answer. It confirms that politics does not have to be manipulating public opinion or the election process. It is possible to be honest and sincere and win over the trust of the people.