From my vantage point there’s a growing trend that bothers me, politicians taking cheap shots against their predecessor. This practice, to be clear, isn’t limited to one party (Democrat, Republican) against the other. It goes both ways. Both party office holders declare their predecessor inept or even worse, in cahoots with the perceived bad guys/gals to walk planet Earth.

Granted this practice isn’t new, as it likely goes back centuries and/or millenniums. What’s increasingly getting under my skin is that even after six months, a year, or years (plural) in office, politicians are still blaming their predecessor to make themselves look good (among their ‘constituency’). Please get over it politicians.

A good leader does just that, leads us down a path to a better future. The only purpose served by casting blame on the out-of-office person is to help re-election prospects. As a sample size of one, this practice backfires, as I’m less likely to vote for anyone, regardless of party, engaging in this compare and contrast routine with their predecessor.

Probably wishful thinking, but I’d like to see us collectively hold politicians feet to the fire as it relates to avoiding predecessor trashing. Instead require of them to use speeches and press conferences to make the case for their agenda, taking the high road and then another high road exclusively in what they say.