The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.  — James Madison

My Take – When we elect a person to a position of great power, what do we trust them to do? When I place my vote for a candidate, I want to be able to say “I trust this person to do what is right and to not betray their duties”.  That’s really all I want.  The problem is that we are electing flawed human beings into power, and their flaws and weaknesses keep them from fulfilling that ideal. So what do we really trust them to do without us watching their every move?

I think our smartest move is to trust them in no matter that we cannot see in the light of day.  We should assume that every action taken by someone who craves power of that magnitude is not worthy of our trust.  That’s not saying that they may prove us pleasantly wrong, but a healthy distrust of those who would like to hold power is a good thing.