Choosing a President - new candidates please!
It’s always easy to criticize and very much harder to put oneself forward to the front line; to roll up our sleeves and come up with solutions. That said, as far as electing an optimal President is concerned, what chance do we have when the candidates in front of us are almost always, utterly unsuitable.
Just in fairly recent US history, in 2008 we had to choose between Obama or McCain. Obama was offered up as the right candidate, even though his resume would only have got him an interview for a middle-management job, but it was ‘time for change’ and time for a black President. McCain on the other hand, and I certainly don’t want to be 'speaking ill of the departed', was portrayed as a war hero primarily because he was captured at the beginning of the Vietnam war and survived in captivity. Besides, for a job so stressful, he was too old. Being a Governor or Senator of a smallish or larger demographic, is one thing, being President of the free World, entirely another.
As we know, Obama was elected and reelected and was certainly dealt the worst economic ‘hand’ any modern-day President was ever dealt. But how will history reflect on those eight years. You’d think that having inherited such a lousy economic hand, the only way was up, but many commentators think history will reflect a very ‘Presidential’ President, who certainly looked the part, spoke eloquently and impressively but really only presided over an eight year coma and achieved nothing of note domestically or diplomatically.
In 2016, we were offered Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton. Trump had no prior career or experience in government and politics whereas Clinton had thirty plus years. Every time she stood at a podium and extolled her experience, she lost voters who didn’t want the status quo and it played into Trump’s hands. But we were told it was ‘time for a woman President’. He offered the opposite - sexism, bullying and no qualifications for the job.
As we know, Trump was elected and in November 2020, he will stand again. Before the domestic and global meltdown, Trump had presided over tremendous US economic growth, soaring equity markets and record unemployment figures. But at what cost? He bludgeons and bumbles his way through every task; hires and then fires experts who dare to disagree with him and who’s virtues he had previously extolled; embarrasses this great nation at home and abroad and has acted in an entirely ‘un-presidential’ manner.
So, the last two Presidents offered either dignified incompetence or bombastic efficiency.
In the current Democratic race for Presidential candidate, we have been offered up alleged ‘liberals’ who’s views in reality are closer to Marxism let alone Socialism and certainly not Liberalism, or more middle of the road politicians. One of those more moderates, whom seemed an excellent candidate as a self-made entrepreneur with a net worth of approximately $60 billion; excellent Mayor of one of the World’s greatest cities for 11 years and employer to twenty thousand staff. He invested around three-quarters of a billion dollars of his own money on his campaign and it was over quicker than my husband’s attempt at love-making! Now we are likely left with Joe Biden. In the opinion of many, a man who makes a fool of himself every time he opens his mouth. No wonder he is AWOL as opposition contender during the country’s meltdown - his advisors are hiding him to avoid him tripping himself up. Besides, he has nowhere near the stamina required for the job - in fact he could be the worst candidate offered up by any party, ever.
So instead of it being time for a black President or time for a woman President, how about time for a good candidate regardless of sex, color or religion?