A panderer is someone who caters to the base desires of others or the weaknesses of others for personal gain. The origin of the word pander originates from the Greek mythology character Panderus, and in the works of Chaucer and Shakespeare. These were who we would describe as pimps but the current meaning of the word panderer is someone who caters to the desires of others. The term pander has also been associated with politics. In pandering, the views one is expressing are merely for the purpose of drawing support up to and including votes and do not necessarily reflect one’s personal values.
What happens to personal values when the lust for the spotlight or power blurs the ethical line? The vast costs of getting there often lead to a puppet master who is never seen but is always pulling the strings. There are many who have the characteristics necessary to be a panderer, all too willing to discard their faint moral code for the promises of achieving some stage upon which to be seen, and agreeing to speak the lines and make the moves for those who are the real power. And if the puppet gets tangled in the strings, the puppeteer can easily groom a replacement having never risked a public appearance of their own.
We, in Canada, are at an important crossroad as we go to the polls. We can chose a career politician who lusts for the position but has no working experience, no real policies, and no history of having handled a crisis, or we can chose someone of intelligence, education and real credentials, someone with dignity, who speaks thoughtfully and has not resorted to slogans. We should heed the words of American businessman Victor Mitchell who said, “ The voters of (Colorado) deserve honest, straight-talking elected officials. We’ve got to stop pandering and start leading.” Bluster won’t cut it. It’s time for the adults to be heard.
And more especially . . . from the adults who have a moral compass and a deeply-ingrained sense of what it is "to serve the public good".