Politicians on parade — to schmooze or not to schmooze?

Watching professional and wannabe politicians schmooze with the powers that be — that is local municipal councils, business owners, sponsor prospects, and potential voters — is indeed an entertaining pastime but also somewhat of a sickening display.
Shaking hands, telling little white lies, kissing babies (mothers get out the disinfectants and/or anti-bacterial creams — you don’t know where that mouth has been) and selling one’s strong points is what it’s all about prior to a candidate nomination or an election. Here in Alberta it’s ripe with anticipation of a spring election.
Art of seduction techniques are used. Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is used to almost hypnotize the electorate. Local politicians in student phase are eager to learn from their masters of how to win elections and/or at the very least, know how to swindle their way into an MLA or MP seat.
Conservatives, Wildrose, Liberals, NDP, Green Party and the rest all have a cast of characters ready to pounce on the unsure voter — stroking egos and petting one’s head, as if to say, “Stick with me kid. Everything’s going to be alright.”
Sure, there are some good politicians out in the trenches of northern and southern Alberta but the “cream of the crop” representing the major political parties are but a misfit collection of past crowned Prom Kings and Queens of delusional.
We, the masses, are consumed by fast and easy. Social media has taught us nothing but willingly expose our faults, while those wanting to sway us in one way or another have learned how to manipulate our emotions (subdued by fast food and our lazy ways).
Our questions have become fodder and the answers have become bite-sized morsels of half-truths, which we swallow down with a lack of pride.
Today, politicians know the buttons to push and the levers to lightly maneuver to orchestrate their most wanted outcomes. Puppets on strings, we’ve become, or have we always been? But, then again, politicians are also led by leaders with hands on the strings. Actors, on the stage of life. How does one wade through all the garbage we are drowning in? We don’t, we just consider it the way it is and how it will always be.
Back in the day, P.T. Barnum said it best, “There is a sucker born every minute.” Too bad, it’s we the voters who are the suckers, it seems.
Prior to Election Day, politicians unveil their elite arsenal of fake smiles, cheap cologne/perfume (Brut or a nice musk for the boys), head-nod expertise while gritting teeth and lip puckering for select derrières.
Politicians know whole-heartedly all of the schmoozing pays off.
Everyone loves a good ego stroke from time to time. Getting in bed with a politician, so to speak, is good for all parties (in theory). It can also backfire exponentially with catastrophic results.