Of Pride & Power in Politics

Now this may surprise you, but politicians aren't above a bit of revenge. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been on a punishment spree recently, throwing mountains of cash at candidates running against the eight Congresspeople who ousted him from the Speakership. And he's making no bones about it.

Revenge isn't the main character here, though. I think it's pride. It takes a thick dollop of it to run for elected office. Few get into it by being modest mice. Pity the fool - or rather primary the fool - who undermines that pride by voting against it.

And pride is rarely a solo operator in most political plot lines. Those eight politicians the former Speaker is hounding cost him the most significant currency in politics: power.

Elections confer a power that's as relevant in legislatures as it is in middle schools: the power of being liked. And when you're liked, who wouldn't want to keep on being liked? Hence Kevin McCarthy not being particularly fond of the folks who publicly aired their dislike of him by booting him out of the Speakership, surely wounding his pride in the process.

When politicians are making decisions, power and pride are often central players in the calculus: will this decision build power, erode it, or be neutral (in which case you're playing with house money and can go wild)?

If a politician is waffling on an issue, hasn't yet taken a stance, there's a solid chance she's wondering how this will play in the ultimate power test: re-election.

The truly foot loose and fancy free politician, the one who is most authentically themselves is the one who has announced they're retiring from elected office.

Perhaps you've read about how anonymous politicians are "concerned" about an issue behind closed doors. It's a safe bet they aren't voicing that in front of open doors because they're also concerned that being honest could impact their re-election. Or their standing in their political party

Now here's where pride and power don't dance well together: A politician's pride can muddy up the power needed to stay in office.

All too often, a politician takes a politically expedient or kneejerk stance. Maybe constituents blanched at it, the situation evolved, or new information was made clear. And rather than thoughtfully reconsider, the politician doubles down – a high risk "I'll show you" approach to elected office.

To be fair, ours is not a kind world to politicians who change their minds. The 2004 Bush campaign made John Kerry Flip Flop sandals after accusing the Senator of switching positions on the Iraq War, among other issues.

Or in the case of former Speaker McCarthy, his pride could muddy the waters for a GOP majority. He is a Republican spending against other Republicans when they have a slimmer than slim hold on the House majority. As one outlet noted, "All that money and energy going into primaries could instead be spent defending vulnerable Republicans and flipping Democratic seats to expand the GOP majority."

So if you want a read on how a politician will come down on an issue, it can be useful to think about what will increase their power, and how their pride might get in the way.