Posted on 12/25/2015 7:53:32 AM PST by SeekAndFind
This incessant clamoring by voters and punditry for better "leaders" and more "leadership" is one of the most unsavory, dangerous, and un-American tendencies in political discourse.
When Donald Trump was asked last week by Joe Scarborough what he made of an endorsement from Vladimir Putin -- a thug who's probably murdered journalists and political opponents and more -- the GOP presidential front-runner responded, "He's running his country, and at least he's a leader, unlike what we have in this country." Then he offered an incredibly dumb moral equivalency about how the United States also does "plenty of killing."
There was plenty of well-earned criticism directed at Trump's comments. Most commenters were offended not because the Russians are being aggressively "led," mind you, but because Putin does things we don't approve of. Perhaps if the Russian strongman used his muscle to tackle global warming as the Chinese Communists are pretending to do, the New York Times' editorial page would praise him for his forethought and willingness to act. If Putin banned protests aimed at abortion clinics instead of Pussy Riot, how many progressives would cheer him?
In contemporary American parlance -- and maybe it's always been this way -- a "leader" typically describes someone who will aggressively push your preferred policies. How much do Americans really care about what this aggressiveness entails?
Trump's entire case, for instance, is propelled by the notion that a single (self-identified) competent, a strong-willed president, without any perceptible deference to the foundational ideals of the nation, will be able to smash any cultural or political obstacles standing in the way of making America Great Again.
But this is certainly not the first time we've seen voters adopt a cultish reverence for a strong-willed presidential candidate without any perceptible deference to the foundational ideals of the country whose personal charisma was supposed to shatter obstacles standing in the way of making America great again. Many of the same people anxious about the authoritarian overtones of Trump's appeal were unconcerned about the intense adulation that adoring crowds showered on Barack Obama in 2008, though the spectacle featured similarly troubling signs -- the iconography, the messianic messaging, and the implausible promises of government-produced comfort and safety. Just as President Trump fans will judge every person on how nice or mean he or she is to Trump, so, too, those rooting against Obama were immediately branded unpatriotic or racist.
Obama's inevitable failure to live up to the hype has had many repercussions -- and none of them healthy.
One: Liberal hypocrites, who only a few years ago were lamenting how W.'s abuses had destroyed the republic, now justify Obama's numerous executive overreaches because they correspond with liberal political aims. Obama's argument -- and, thus, the contention of his fans -- seems to pivot on the notion that the president has a moral imperative to act on his favored policies because the lawmaking branch of government refuses to do so. That is weird. This reasoning will almost certainly be the modus operandi for presidents unable to push through their own agendas -- which, considering where the country is headed, will be every president.
Two: Other liberals (and maybe many of the same ones) argue that Obama hasn't done enough with his power -- that the president is unwilling to lead -- even if there are procedural or constitutional barriers for him to achieve what they demand. Too many Americans seem to believe that presidents can make laws if they fight hard enough, and these people now view checks and balances as antiquated and unnecessary impediments to progress.
Three: Many onetime small-government conservatives, frustrated with the president's success and the impotence and corruption of their party (often a legitimate complaint but often an overestimation of what politicians can accomplish), are interested in finding their own Obama -- or what they imagine Obama is, which is to say, a dictator.
Not that this fetishizing of leadership is confined to the progressive Left or the conservative Right. In fact, more than anyone in American discourse, the self-styled moderate pundit loves to talk about leadership. It would be a full-time job cataloguing how often a person will read about the nation's dearth of genuine leadership -- which is, in essence, a call to ignore the democratic forces that make truly free governing messy and uncomfortable. There are entire conferences teeming with D.C. technocrats trying to figure out how proles can be led to preferred outcomes and decisions. The moderates seem to believe that organic disagreements can be smoothed over by a smart speech or two, and they always mythologize about the political leadership of the past.
For many, it's always the worst of times and we're always in need of the greatest of leaders. It's worth mentioning that Putin was democratically elected, with polls showing his approval rating usually somewhere in the 80s. Unity! Regrettably, sometimes I think that's how unity would look here, as well. We, on the other hand, have disparate forces with an array of concerns, outlooks, and conflicting worldviews. This is why we might be thankful that federalism and individual freedom, often scoffed at, are at the heart of the American Founding.
"There is danger from all men," wrote John Adams in what may be the most genuinely conservative of all positions. Now, obviously, you have to have a certain skill set to bring people to some consensus, to make decisions about war, and to administrate such a massive body as our government. But the president is not your savior. A person empowered to make everything great also has the power to make everything horrible. If a president alone can transform America, then something has gone terribly wrong with the system.
-- David Harsanyi is a senior editor at the Federalist and the author of The People Have Spoken (and They Are Wrong): The Case Against Democracy.
So, you're one of "them"!
Trump is not a politician
He's been a politician his whole career and the kind that would cozy up to and contribute large sums of money to whoever he needed to if it advanced his personal goals. But regardless of how you want to spin it, he is definitely a politician now.
Electing another member of the political class is just doing the same thing and expecting different results.
It ain't the people; its the system. That's why voting is a waste of time. Even 0bama hasn't been able to 'transform' the country into his 'communist utopia' because of the system. The only solution is revolution. As Jefferson famously wrote: "whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it"
BTW, why is it ok for Trump to become a politician to 'save the country' but it wasn't ok for Cruz to become a politician to try to restore constitutional limitations and defend the Bill of Rights?
So, precisely what do you think a self promoting New York City loud mouth is going to be able to do about that? Huh?
you know you an't keep a water barrel outside you home to collect rain water that falls on your home?
I can and I do.
He and the other fawning believers are from Trumptopia. It's a planet that was formed when Paulanus exploded. Trumptopia sits on the outer edges of the universe and its inhabitants, like their king, believe that the universe revolves around them.
Kabar has paid more dues than any of us when it comes to understanding how government works.He’s from a far better planet that you,earth.
Than you are one of the stay at home clowns who gave us obama,thanks a lot.
So who is your perfect candidate?
It's long gone.
1 Saumuel 8
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
2012: My vote didn't help Romney any more than yours did. Do you really think that the ones pulling the strings were going to allow the first black president to lose reelection?
2014: My vote didn't stop Boner and, now Ryan, from giving it all away any more than yours did.
Conclusion: voting, in the age of e-ballots, big money donors and the military-industrial complex, is a waste of time. When you vote, you do next to nothing and enjoy the illusion of having done something big and important. When you vote, you give your consent to the winner, regardless of which way you vote. If I decide to stay home on election day in November 2016 I will not be giving my consent to whoever is elected and therefore will not be obligated to consent to their unconstitutional laws, decrees, acts, etc.
You want to send shockwaves through Washington DC and the world? Everybody stay home. Then it would be a bunch of crooked, corrupt politicians voting for themselves and they would have absolutely no credible reason to remain in or take office.
The truth hurts but the sooner you embrace it the sooner the healing can begin.
"The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting."---Charles Bukowski
"In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant."---Charles de Gaulle
"The government is mainly an expensive organization to regulate evildoers and tax those who behave; government does little for fairly respectable people except annoy them."---E.W. Howe
Your answer seems to be staying at home. Mine is to keep primarying the bad reps both in the House and Senate and hope we get a potus that will one day back us up.Is it easy?hell no. Is it a straight a up process? Never. But I don’t quit. Just keep plodding on.I have a guilty conscience for leaving my kids with such a mess.
For me Trump offers the best chance to do just that we need in some time.Of course opinons vary.
I have absolutely zero trust in anybody. I like Cruz better than the rest of the current field but, like all the others, he is a politician, so, by default, he's a liar and a cheat.
Voting is a waste of time. We're not going to be able to vote our way out of this mess. And since I'm in a very small minority of citizens that subscribe to an alternative solution to this unmitigated mess, I'm just going to continue to stock up on provisions and ordinance at my little farm and wait for the crash.
But you run on out there and get your "I Voted" sticker and feel all big and important.
Probably unless the following happens:
1) The use of signed paper ballots recorded and stored at the courthouse.
2) Strict observance to only legal citizens being eligible to vote; voter ID cards.
3) If you don't know who the candidates are or what the issues are then you don't get to vote.
4) If you're collecting "entitlements" then you don't get to vote.
5) Clinton is put on trial for her crimes.
For me Trump offers the best chance
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."---The Who
And you are breaking the law. Demonstrating how well the Constitution is protecting you because it is impossible to not break the law.
Once you become a problem you will be prosecuted for something. The fact that they have not brought any charges against you points out your insignificance but don't feel too bad though they have left me alone as well, but I am aware of my insignificance.
Don’t worry ace i will and unfortunately I’ll have to carry you along in the process....more dead weight to lift.
That would be easier to do than to try and right all the wrongs the system has produced. But, I have kids and don’t want to leave them any bigger a mess than there is already.
So for me the very least I can do is try and set things right even if I fail.
One thing I have had a hard time figuring out is that there are no 100% candidates.They all have flaws and many of us can site them one after the other.
Problem is I dont want to help hillary in any way shape or form. So I will vote for what I consider to be the best of the bunch in the primary and then any opposition to hillary in the general.Its never perfect.
You don't have to carry me anywhere, ace. I've carried my own weight my entire adult life and I'm free to draw my own conclusions and make my own decisions. So you can go to hell with your 'I'll carry your weight' bull$shit, ace.
Your vote for Trump will be e-hacked to a Hillary vote and on November 9, 2016 you'll be scratching your noggin wondering how that old hag got elected president.
Then you better be prepared to do more than just vote. It's too late to work within the system; the system is broken beyond repair.
Even if Trump is elected, putting all your 'hope' in The Donald being able to perform miracles is setting yourself up for a big disappointment.
It doesn't matter about the candidate!!!!! It's the system, stupid!! Geez, you people are thick.
I dont want to help hillary in any way shape or form
You won't have to help her, but you can't hurt her, either. The fix is in. Your e-vote for Trump or Cruz or whoever will be e-directed to Hillary or e-liminated. The final tally will be The Hag with 51% and Republican Stooge with 49%. The closeness of the vote will not raise suspicions amongst the voting public and she'll sweep into the White House in January of 2017 and continue the 0bonga transformation of a once great republic.
If you think Trump is a Conservative, I'm not convinced you know what the word means.
Trump will certainly be a better President than Obama or Hillary, but he will grow the government at a phenomenal pace because he believes in the power of government to solve problems. He is not a conservative in any way, by his own words and actions.
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