Of all our presidents, which stand out and why? Is it character, accomplishments or both---or something else? How we judge a past president (or choose a new one) says a lot about who we are as a nation.
Most of us would agree that both Presidents Washington and Lincoln should be held in high regard. Both were patriotic, courageous and were men of high personal integrity. We admire their selflessness and dedication to performing their duties in trying times. Neither were petty or petulant. Both were generous in their relations with others including their adversaries. They each had the ability to inspire others with their calm, astute and principled leadership often at great sacrifice to themselves and the nation.
In modern times who would measure up? I would submit three: Presidents Truman, Eisenhower and Reagan. Like Presidents Washington and Lincoln, these men were patriotic, courageous and had the ability to inspire and lead the nation. Each of them had respect for the institutions of government and especially for the Office of the Presidency. In the performance of their duties, they acted accordingly and with dignity. On a personal level, we remember them as men of principle and personal character.
Each of these five Presidents, as well as others, have demonstrated character traits and abilities that define what it means to be "presidential". We should remember their examples in choosing our next president.
Most of us would agree that both Presidents Washington and Lincoln should be held in high regard. Both were patriotic, courageous and were men of high personal integrity. We admire their selflessness and dedication to performing their duties in trying times. Neither were petty or petulant. Both were generous in their relations with others including their adversaries. They each had the ability to inspire others with their calm, astute and principled leadership often at great sacrifice to themselves and the nation.
In modern times who would measure up? I would submit three: Presidents Truman, Eisenhower and Reagan. Like Presidents Washington and Lincoln, these men were patriotic, courageous and had the ability to inspire and lead the nation. Each of them had respect for the institutions of government and especially for the Office of the Presidency. In the performance of their duties, they acted accordingly and with dignity. On a personal level, we remember them as men of principle and personal character.
Each of these five Presidents, as well as others, have demonstrated character traits and abilities that define what it means to be "presidential". We should remember their examples in choosing our next president.
Good question. Well, doing pretty much the exact opposite of what President Obama has done lo these past 3+ years would be considered "Presidential". President Obama is conducting an all-out war on the Constitution and on our institutions, mores and customs. He's attacking the Congress, the Supreme Court (twice now), and the Catholic Church just to name a few. He's using race, gender and income to divide Americans. He apologizes to our enemies and offends our allies.
ReplyDeleteTake the latest affront to the Supreme Court. Of course the President has heard of Marbury v Madison. What he was counting on, in his arrogance, was that rest of us hadn't. Further, he doesn't give a rat's patootie about that or any other tenet of the Constitution that stands in his way of subsuming the individual into the State. He is the quintessential "statist", a true Imperial President. There was a time in America when liberals abhored such a thing - typically when a Republican was President.
To be Presidential is to embrace American Exceptionalism. Deneen Borelli, the author of "Blacklash" noted that Ronald Reagan called America a "Shining city on a hilltop" then went on to say that President Obama is turning America into a welfare nation - "government plantation".
To be Presidential is to never apologize for America.
To be Presidential is to have respect for its institutions and due process.
And, most importantly of all, to be Presidential is to respect the sanctity of life and the soveriegnty of every individual.
Mr. Obama respects none of these things. He is the "Un-President".
Personally, I think President's of previous generations/centuries get romanticized to some extent. With the existence of the internet, current day Presidents have been humanized with every mistake and misstep being recorded and shared across the world instantly. With only public records and biographies to judge President's of the past, its a tough comparison.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that previous presidents have been somewhat romanticized in our evaluation of them. But I also think it's safe to say that the ones I cited have stood the test of time and the vetting of reputable historians. The standards they established in the performance of their duties is beyond dispute and they all had one common thread: they all respected the institution of the presidency and never put themselves above the office or the constitution.
ReplyDelete