Why "Lobbyist" Isn't A Bad Word

The Obama campaign, the media, and way too many regular people, are far too hung up on Washington Lobbyists. It's understandable from the Obama people, since they are trying to lie and deceive their way into the White House. The media is understandable, since they are in the tank for Obama, and have the distinct goal of helping him to lie and deceive his way into the White House. But why regular people? Oh yeah, they are getting a constant barrage of this garbage everywhere they turn.

First, I wonder how many people actually understand what a lobbyist does. I have a feeling that most people don't really understand what lobbying is all about. The term comes from a long time ago when people, representing the interest of their own company or organization, or the interest of someone who hired them, would wait for Congressmen in the lobbies of their buildings, and try to talk them around to their point of view. It has come a long way since then, but that's still the basic premise behind the practice. Meet with Congressmen (I mean that generically, men, women, Representatives or Senators) and try to talk them around to a certain position.

The main reason why many regular people feel animosity toward lobbyists stems from the fact that for the most part, we only hear about the ones who are corrupt. We tend to hear about the ones that have literally paid bribes for votes, or taken Congressmen off on corporate jets for long weekends of schmoozing. But that's not how everyone does it, nor to I believe it's really all that common, certainly not anymore. Of course, the politicians expect us to miss the fact that a bribe cannot simply be paid, it must also be accepted, meaning that, without corrupt politicians, it would be impossible to have corrupt lobbyists!

Something else to understand about lobbyists, sometimes they are already and expert in the field that they are lobbying about, and sometimes over the course of years of lobbying for the same industry, they become experts, meaning that they very well could be good go to people to learn the truth about something, as long as they are not currently being paid to lobby one position or another.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the fact that John McCain employs some former Lobbyists on his campaign staff (the same as Barack Obama by the way) is pretty much meaningless. The fact that these people were once employed to push a certain agenda, but are now simply giving honest advice, should not be held against them. As long as they are not currently employed by an industry or lobbying firm, and were not corrupt as a lobbyist, why should they be excluded from employment in a campaign?

I, for one, am kinda sick of "lobbyist" being treated as a dirty word, or a profession somewhat less desirable than prostitution. It simply isn't true.