I was thinking this morning about the upcoming elections for president and the sort of person we need in the White House. It is not that hard of an exercise to do and it reveals a great deal about who should be chosen. Try it. Here are my conclusions:
1. We need someone who is honest and trustworthy. During the Obama years, we have had a president who will say anything and do anything to get his way. I am not going to list the lies in some sort of "Obama's Greatest Hits" effort. Suffice to say that if you like having a liar for president, you can keep a liar for president.
The lack of honesty in the presidency has worked as a major corrosive influence on the country. In order for the president to make use of the moral authority that comes with the office, the people have to believe what the president says. Obama has destroyed that and for the sake of our future, that trust must be repaired.
2. We need someone who (a) understands the economy and how it can be improved, and (b) thinks that economic growth is a priority not just something to mention on occasion. It is not enough to spout talking points or to speak in generalities. With the US economy as weak as it is, the president must necessarily focus his or her efforts on growing the economy. A growing economy will stop the decline of the middle income groups who have watched their annual incomes fall during the Obama years. A growing economy will bring people out of poverty as they find employment which is sufficient to provide them with a decent living. A growing economy will allow the US to pay the enormous debt that was built up by the Obama spending spree. A growing economy will let us afford the national defense that we need if America is to remain safe.
3. We need someone who can recognize reality and will base programs and actions on facts rather than on ideology. This may sound obvious, but currently it is not the case. For example, the federal government has determined after detailed study that there is no meaningful benefit from preschool education like the Head Start Program. This is not the result of some anti-government ideological group; it is the conclusion of the government study itself. Nevertheless, Obama has been and is still pushing for universal pre-K. He wants to take a costly program that achieves nothing and expand it to the entire country where it will still achieve nothing. Another example is Obamacare which promotes health insurance coverage for more Americans even though the insurance is costly and is structured with huge deductibles so that millions of the newly covered still cannot afford to see a doctor when needed. The key is better medical treatment not wider health insurance, but those invested in the fate of Obamacare choose not to see that.
4. We need someone who understands our adversaries in the world as they really are not as he or she wants them to be. In 2008, the Russians invaded their neighbor Georgia and conquered two provinces of that country. Sanctions were imposed on the Russians by much of the world. In 2009, Obama came into office and chose to ignore what the Russians had done to their neighbor. He (and Hillary Clinton) came up with the silly idea of the Russian reset button. The button was idiotic, but the policy it signified was one in which Russia's prior aggressive actions towards it neighbor were ignored and all sanctions were lifted. A few years later the Russians conquered Crimea and invaded other sections of Ukraine. There had been no price for the Georgia episode and they expected none in connection with Ukraine. This stemmed in part from the inability of the American leadership to recognize the reality of the Russians.
5. We need someone appreciates the greatness of this country and who can convey that understanding to the American people. If we don't believe that America is something worth preserving and improving, the chances of anything good getting done are slim. The president needs to make clear to the country that he or she understands that what is important is not the president but the needs of the American nation.
Put these traits together and it tells you a great deal about who would make a good president and who would not.
1. We need someone who is honest and trustworthy. During the Obama years, we have had a president who will say anything and do anything to get his way. I am not going to list the lies in some sort of "Obama's Greatest Hits" effort. Suffice to say that if you like having a liar for president, you can keep a liar for president.
The lack of honesty in the presidency has worked as a major corrosive influence on the country. In order for the president to make use of the moral authority that comes with the office, the people have to believe what the president says. Obama has destroyed that and for the sake of our future, that trust must be repaired.
2. We need someone who (a) understands the economy and how it can be improved, and (b) thinks that economic growth is a priority not just something to mention on occasion. It is not enough to spout talking points or to speak in generalities. With the US economy as weak as it is, the president must necessarily focus his or her efforts on growing the economy. A growing economy will stop the decline of the middle income groups who have watched their annual incomes fall during the Obama years. A growing economy will bring people out of poverty as they find employment which is sufficient to provide them with a decent living. A growing economy will allow the US to pay the enormous debt that was built up by the Obama spending spree. A growing economy will let us afford the national defense that we need if America is to remain safe.
3. We need someone who can recognize reality and will base programs and actions on facts rather than on ideology. This may sound obvious, but currently it is not the case. For example, the federal government has determined after detailed study that there is no meaningful benefit from preschool education like the Head Start Program. This is not the result of some anti-government ideological group; it is the conclusion of the government study itself. Nevertheless, Obama has been and is still pushing for universal pre-K. He wants to take a costly program that achieves nothing and expand it to the entire country where it will still achieve nothing. Another example is Obamacare which promotes health insurance coverage for more Americans even though the insurance is costly and is structured with huge deductibles so that millions of the newly covered still cannot afford to see a doctor when needed. The key is better medical treatment not wider health insurance, but those invested in the fate of Obamacare choose not to see that.
4. We need someone who understands our adversaries in the world as they really are not as he or she wants them to be. In 2008, the Russians invaded their neighbor Georgia and conquered two provinces of that country. Sanctions were imposed on the Russians by much of the world. In 2009, Obama came into office and chose to ignore what the Russians had done to their neighbor. He (and Hillary Clinton) came up with the silly idea of the Russian reset button. The button was idiotic, but the policy it signified was one in which Russia's prior aggressive actions towards it neighbor were ignored and all sanctions were lifted. A few years later the Russians conquered Crimea and invaded other sections of Ukraine. There had been no price for the Georgia episode and they expected none in connection with Ukraine. This stemmed in part from the inability of the American leadership to recognize the reality of the Russians.
5. We need someone appreciates the greatness of this country and who can convey that understanding to the American people. If we don't believe that America is something worth preserving and improving, the chances of anything good getting done are slim. The president needs to make clear to the country that he or she understands that what is important is not the president but the needs of the American nation.
Put these traits together and it tells you a great deal about who would make a good president and who would not.
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