A Campaign Code of Ethics

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Very few people ever say: "Thanks for talking to me." But they do say: "Thank you for listening." Leadership is, to a large degree, listenership. A side benefit, of course, is that voters who feel a candidate truly hears what they're saying tend to vote for that candidate.

6. Don't make promises you can't keep. Candidates usually promise the world to get elected and then quickly abandon those promises once in office. But it doesn't have to be like this, and in our information-saturated era, where every utterance is recorded and preserved forever, it is not in a candidate's own political interests—or the country's—to make a pledge that will eventually become fodder for Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. From now until November, candidates should avoid making promises they aren't likely to keep.

7. Spend fairly. There is a saying: "How you do anything is how you do everything." Spending campaign cash judiciously is both fair to donors and indicative of how a candidate will treat the federal budget. Besides, most of the campaign cash isn't even the candidate's to begin with, but other people's money. The way a candidate regards his or her campaign purse speaks volumes about what voters can expect for the economy if that candidate becomes President. The allocation of scarce resources is a matter of fairness and thus ultimately an ethical issue, not merely a legal or political one.

8. Remember what the campaign is about. The race is not about acquiring power for its own sake, or becoming famous, or being ensured of a lasting place in history. It is about making a difference in the lives of others. I can't recall another time in my life when so many people in this country have been in so much pain, and it behooves all of the candidates to avoid what former Senator J. William Fulbright called "the arrogance of power." The Latin roots of the word "compassion" mean "to suffer with," so the successful candidate should keep in mind that the highest purpose of the Presidency is to serve the people, and part of that is easing their suffering.

9. Take a break. Ethics isn't just about how we treat other people, but about how we treat ourselves, too. Going for months without a single day off shows a profound lack of respect for oneself and is not something to be worn as a badge of honor. How can we trust that a candidate will look after the country properly if he or she doesn't look after him or herself?

10. Lose well. Only one person will become the Democratic nominee for President, and only one of the two remaining candidates will be elected. This means that two of the three current contenders will lose. How they lose will say much more about their character than winning. Will they accept defeat graciously? Will they be generous of spirit to the victor? Will they continue to devote their time, energy, and considerable resources to making a difference in the lives of others, as they have pledged to do if elected? Anyone can win well. It takes a person of great moral character to lose well.

As the campaign grinds on, it will become ever more tempting for candidates to narrow their focus on what it takes to win the election. Winning, of course, is the objective. But what is the goal? If it is to turn this economy around, to help people afford homes of their own, to improve the quality of education, and to ensure that everyone who needs health care will be able to afford it, then campaign ethics must be a primary concern, not an afterthought.

Weinstein is the corporate consultant, author, and public speaker known as The Ethics Guy. He has appeared on numerous national TV shows and is the author of several books on ethics. His Ask the Ethics Guy! column appears every other week on BusinessWeek.com's Managing channel.