L. Mencken I t used to be a conventional wisdom among conservatives that cynicism was to the political advantage of conservatives. As the public becomes more and more cynical, their distrust of government grows and the public becomes more and more reluctant to entrust power and authority with the government.
Cynicism helps curtail the growth of government.
While the cultivation of cynicism may have had tactical benefits, it is strategically unwise, particularly for conservatives. During the health care debate, it was cynicism and skepticism about the government's ability to run efficiently and fairly one-seventh of the US economy that killed President Clinton's proposal to essentially nationalize health care. The suggestion that government run health care would have the efficiency of the Post Office and the ruthlessness of the Internal Revenue Service soured the public to government-run health care. Typically, the Liberal approach attempts to convince the public that someone else will be paying for their services. They appeal to and encourage the hope of getting something for nothing.