Warranty Not Included

Warranty Not Included

Imagine if politicians had to back their campaign promises the way companies back a product. If the car doesn’t run, you get a refund. If the fridge dies, you get a replacement. But in politics? Once the votes are counted, the warranty disappears.

The reality is that campaign promises aren’t legally binding — they’re more like advertising slogans. Courts protect them as free speech, not contracts. That’s why we hear sweeping pledges about fixing healthcare, cutting taxes, or “draining the swamp,” but see little accountability when those promises vanish.

We’ll never pass a law requiring politicians to deliver on every word. But we can demand accountability in other ways: watchdog groups tracking promises, media holding leaders to their own words, and voters refusing to reward empty hype.

Because in the end, democracy shouldn’t come with fine print. If you make a promise to the people, the least you can do is try to keep it.