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The Classless Presidency
The Presidency of the United States is one of the world’s toughest jobs and the individuals who have managed this responsibility have either risen to the task or been crushed by the weight of it all. Those who have served are members of an exclusive club that transcends party or ideology, knowing that events have as much to do with molding one’s legacy as the actions taken while occupying the Oval Office. History, not political spin meisters, will be the ultimate judge and the daily polls become so irrelevant in long term performance assessment.
How a President treats his predecessors gives us a glimpse into the soul and character that is brought to the job. Those who blame their present day challenges on their predecessors rather than confront them head on reveal an almost adolescent penchant for finger pointing, dodging responsibility, and covering one’s derrier. This is becoming more and more apparent as it related to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The path of a true coward is to take no responsibility and it is no wonder that Washington journalists, the majority of whom agree with a more liberal philosophy toward governance, have begun snickering as President Obama continually points fingers at that portion of the deficit he inherited from the previous administration as he aggressively pursued spending that will double and even triple it during the next decade. He makes no mention of the role he himself played as a prominent Senator from the majority party in Congress in contributing to the success or failure of various government policies. It’s almost as if he prefers the role of Chance the Gardiner from the movie Being There to account for the years he spent in preparation to lead this country.
Many Americans now question whether proper due diligence was performed on this man before entrusting him to manage the entire apparatus of our federal government, now controlled totally by one party – his. Having a President with no executive experience and minimal legislative accomplishments is certainly a change. Hopefully he can rise to the occasion through hard work, humility, and a willingness to listen and respect those who do not see things as he does. Permanent campaigning will perpetuate the divide that exists in the country, which put Obama in charge by a split 52 to 48 margin.
It is classless to whine that the deficit was inherited and an utter lie to imply that economic opportunity fostered by private businesses, large and small, has failed and our economy is broken as a result of it. The free market cleanses itself, no matter how painfully, and our economy will rebound, despite Obama and his government. That is if he doesn’t mess things up with policies that will entrap Americans in a cycle of high inflation and exhorbitant interest rates that will only prolong the agony and delay private sector job creation.
This administration might want to consider emulating how Bush helped unite the country following 9-11. Bush said nothing about inheriting the terrorist problem from his predecessors or about the Clinton administration’s bungling an opportunity to capture Osama Bin Laden. Bush focused on the future and the task at hand. To do otherwise would have been classless and American deserves a President with some class who is focused on going forward.
America needs a President who respects us all and can work, through his words and pronouncements to bring us together. On January 20th Obama took the baton in the long relay race known as the history of the United States of America. His habit of making excuses by blaming the prior Republican administration (who couldn’t do anything without the Democratic Congress of which he was a part) is indicative that he may not truly believe in or expect his policies to succeed. Perhaps he seeks absolution for losing before the game is over. If this is the kind of President we now have, we certainly have made a change, a terrible change that we will all pay a price for. |
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© 2009 edmartinonline.com |
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October Surprise?
Who triggered the electronic run on the banks that tripped the economic crises?
This is a MUST WATCH.
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