Does the former Bush and Obama Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’s description of the “president we need” sound anything like the incumbent or any of the candidates out there to you? Me, neither. This in particular sounds like a slam on the whole bunch:
We need a president who understands the system of government bequeathed to us by the Founders — and grasps the reality that with power divided among three branches of government, building coalitions and making compromises are the only ways anything lasting can get done. Primal screaming may be good therapy, but it is a poor substitute for practical politics. Arch-conservatives may want little government and arch-liberals may want a lot, but many functions of government are critical to our well-being, and they can be carried out effectively only if Congress and the president work together. Those who believe that compromise is synonymous with selling out or giving up one’s principles need to retake eighth-grade American history. The next president needs to have a core philosophy and set of principles, but he or she also needs to be a pragmatic and skilled political leader — like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.
And this:
The next president must be resolute. He or she must be very cautious about drawing red lines in foreign policy, but other leaders must know that crossing a red line drawn by the president of the United States will have serious — even fatal — consequences.
sounds quite a bit like a direct criticism of President Obama to me. I hate to be the one to break it to Sec. Gates but whomever is elected will not greatly resemble the picture he’s painting.
“but whomever is elected will not greatly resemble the picture he’s painting.”
It’s time we nipped “whomever is” in the bud.
It’s hard to say how a person will act once they become a seasoned president.
Campaigning is full of colorful theatrics and cloying moves to attract voters — a grueling but superficial odyssey to assume a seat of importance. However, once such a goal is attained the serious reality of what they have undertaken sets in, with the realization that every decision made, judgment call delivered creates powerful good/bad consequences. Such responsibility, if coupled with the oversight of a conscience and sense of accountability, can modify the temperament of a seated president, creating a maturity exhibiting far greater wisdom than when a person assumed office.
IOW, people often pleasantly surprise others by evolving into the job. Anyway, we can always hope there is someone out there capable of fulfilling the description of awaiting leadership, as painted by Mr. Gates.