Posted on 02/18/2010 9:42:10 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
In the latter days of the Carter presidency, it became fashionable to say that the office had become unmanageable and was simply too big for one man. Some suggested a single, six-year presidential term. The president's own White House counsel suggested abolishing the separation of powers and going to a more parliamentary system of unitary executive control. America had become ungovernable.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Then came Ronald Reagan, and all that chatter disappeared.
The tyranny of entitlements? Reagan collaborated with Tip O'Neill, the legendary Democratic House speaker, to establish the Alan Greenspan commission that kept Social Security solvent for a quarter-century.
A corrupted system of taxation? Reagan worked with liberal Democrat Bill Bradley to craft a legislative miracle: tax reform that eliminated dozens of loopholes and slashed rates across the board -- and fueled two decades of economic growth.
Later, a highly skilled Democratic president, Bill Clinton, successfully tackled another supposedly intractable problem: the culture of intergenerational dependency. He collaborated with another House speaker, Newt Gingrich, to produce the single most successful social reform of our time, the abolition of welfare as an entitlement.
It turned out that the country's problems were not problems of structure but of leadership. Reagan and Clinton had it. Carter didn't. Under a president with extensive executive experience, good political skills and an ideological compass in tune with the public, the country was indeed governable.
It's 2010, and the first-year agenda of a popular and promising young president has gone down in flames. Barack Obama's two signature initiatives -- cap-and-trade and health-care reform -- lie in ruins.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Cowboy up Bummer and get with the program. You might have a fighting chance of not going down in history as a worse president than Jimmy Carter, but ya gotta work hard. Heffalumps Rule.
It’s not that the US in ungovernable, it’s that the progressives are unable to govern.
Charles lost me with his pro stance on eliminating DADT military policy.....Never saw that coming...
seems like the fix is in. I am guessing the top military brass is sucking up to the lib bosses, and thought leaders that normally would be against are going to say ‘let the generals decide’. From the perspective of 2010 elections, they may be hoping to focus on the size of govt issues and avoid the social ones.
I believe the “ungovernable” whining comes from those that wish to have their way in making us do what they want.
Charles Krauthammer explains it well here in few words. You gotta sell it first.
Sales is the No. 1 ingredient in business. What business experience does this President have?
Look at his cabinet. See post 6.
Well, I take issue. We are ungovernable. We are the land of the free. That is the whole point.
Very interesting point from the chart, is that the next three with the least experience are (in order): Kennedy, Carter, Clinton.
Krauthammer needs to spend a week watching TV, which I bet he hasn’t watched in decades, and another week working at Wal-mart. Once he is in touch with the endless harassment of private citizens by various government and media elites, maybe he’ll get a clue.
With what parts of his column do you disagree?
some of these people are helpless to argue with.. they find a single thing they disagree with someone about and they spit on them the rest of their lives.
These people are a real joy at social gatherings. /sarcasm.
His points of correction (Carter, Reagan, etc) are actually points of government expansion that Bob Dole, for example, would be so proud of!
It proves to me that Krauthammer is living the elite life of a gated community - you know, where illegal immigration is a good thing.
Thanx for posting the graph. I’m familiar with that graph and wish I had the ambition to learn how to stick those things in my posts.
I’m among the last to say “There ought to be a law...” but there ought to be a law that some business experience is required to hold public office so elected officials (and I guess their czars?) have at least a small grasp of true economics and other realities.
Sad thing is. Obama doesn’t meet with his cabinet. He is advised by his csars.
They are murky in background and not subject to Senate confirmation.
I cannot cite this, but from what I have read, Obama has only met with his “official cabinet” three times since taking office.
Hmm. Lumping Reagan with Carter and Dole? When did Krauthammer do that? Actually, even lumping Dole with Carter would be offbase. Dole was underwhelming, but he wasn't a total ass.
It proves to me that Krauthammer is living the elite life of a gated community
Actually he lives the life of a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair. Personally, I'd prefer a life in the projects. Krauthammer's an interesting dude. Check out his bio.
you know, where illegal immigration is a good thing.
Here is Dr K on immigration (four years ago):
Forget employer sanctions. Build a barrier. It is simply ridiculous to say it cannot be done. If one fence won't do it, then build a second 100 yards behind it. And then build a road for patrols in between. Put in cameras. Put in sensors. Put out lots of patrols.Can't be done? Israel's border fence has been extraordinarily successful in keeping out potential infiltrators who are far more determined than mere immigrants. Nor have very many North Koreans crossed into South Korea in the past 50 years.
Sounds like a libtard to me. Not!
"This is full amnesty (earned with back taxes and learning English and the like) with full border control. If we do it right, not only will we solve the problem, we will get it done as one nation."
-Charles Krauthammer-
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.