So too, Hillary Clinton has suffered in her candidacy from the perception that she is a wheeler and a dealer, that she will say whatever it takes to get into power. Her position on Iraq, for instance, is suspect because of her voting history. And yet on key issues -- education, health care, and relief for the working class -- her sincerity and her dedication shine through. She may not succeed, but I am convinced that if Hillary Clinton is elected our next president, she will do her damnedest to bring universal health care to our country. Without that confidence, I doubt she could have given Barack Obama the challenge she has.

One of Obama's greatest appeals to many is the sense that he is genuine, his idealism sincere and his integrity unimpeachable. While you might not agree with him on a variety of positions, at least you felt you knew what he really thought, and what he would work for. Perceptions of his honesty and integrity have been damaged by his handling of Pastor Wright's inflammatory comments. While his initial speech rang with sincerity, deep personal reflection, and candor, his later distancing from Wright smacked of backpedaling and threw into question his whole relationship with the Reverend, and his truthfulness about what he really thinks of a man he has called his spiritual mentor.

It is not without reason that the Qur'an commands us in chapter 9, verse 119 "O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and be among those who are true to their word!"
Or that The Prophet said, "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth and striving for truthfulness until he becomes an honest person. Falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies and striving in falsehood till he is written before Allah as a liar." (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).

Once a politician has headed down the slippery slope of saying the appropriate thing at the appropriate time, his or her integrity on every issue is called into question. If they manipulate truths, tailoring their messages to the occasion, leaving inconvenient things unsaid, the voter's trust will be lost, and along with it, one hopes, any chance at winning an election.

Indeed, much of the apathy of the American voter can be laid at the feet of dishonest politicking. Many a non-voter has said to me "Why bother? They say what they think you want to hear during the campaign, and do what they like when they get in office." It seems clear to me, one of the major factors in the revitalization of the American voting public this primary season has been the belief that there may actually be a candidate who will do what he says he will.

It is sad commentary on the state of American politics that Obama's promise for change includes not only domestic and foreign policy, but also the very fact that you can take a candidate at his word.