| .......... | "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
With those words, President Clinton didn't just dig himself a hole, he stole a backhoe, dug a really deep hole, drove the backhoe into the hole, wired the backhoe with explosives and blew it up. Strenuously denying his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky at a January press conference, Clinton was later impeached by the House of Representatives for lying about the matter under oath. |
Wanted: An Upright Achieving U.S. President
Don't Call Us - We'll Call You
In the mid 1960s, I worked at National Electric Coil, a Columbus, Ohio manufacturer. On the wall near my desk was a plaque with the inscription, "There is a way to do it better - find it" attributed to Thomas Edison.
That bit of advice is good advice for the people when selecting a person to preside over the United States. I would shift the hyphen to the left for even better advice. "There is a way to do it - better find it" is much more appropriate for selecting a leader for a country in dire economical straits as is the United States.
But how to do it is the question. My suggesting is a simple concept. However, implementation would be a bear for our inept members of the U.S. Congress to wade through. For one thing, just the attempt to do so would create constitutional chaos. Too, the childish elected Capitol Hill men and women would never get beyond their penchant for bickering.
And, let's not forget that with a presidential approval rating of about forty percent, we the people have a dismal forty percent success rating with respect to selecting presidents, strongly suggesting that changing the selection process is long overdue.
Further, I daresay - repeating actually for the umpteenth time - voters who cast ballots based on media reports, candidate promises, candidate charisma and appearance, celebrity endorsements, liberal college professor influences, peer influences, and family tradition are to blame for the unenviable situation we citizens of the USA experience today. We cannot place all blame on our presidents.
One would think a responsible and ethical person, a person with a record of real achievements outside the political arena would step up to the plate and not walk away from the plate when reality sets in. If such a person is around, then why doesn’t he or she tell us? Let’s hear from the unlucky one.
Unlucky? Yes. That is precisely why qualified people stay in the shadows. This United States of America is no longer a country where well meaning - key words: well meaning - parents proudly tell their children they can grow up to be president. Why should they? We no longer admire our presidents because we too often put only self-serving career politicians in the Oval Office. That we verbally kick them around ad nauseam would not be the case with the right president.
Our problem is that the right person will not step up. It is more satisfying making a pile of money by working hard day after day and relaxing at the end of the day. Why accept the hassle associated with becoming the most hated person in America at different times while serving as our president?
One right president is all it would take to turn around our current atrocity. One right president would show us it is better to send a no-nonsense and proven leader to the White House than sending a boy2 to do a man's job as we did in 2008.
I don’t know who the right person is but I will say it is a person with an attitude toward work in a way similar to that of General George S. Patton, the World War II controversial soldier. We have had enough presidents coming from the ranks of politicians. Sure, politicians should have the knowledge and other admirable attributes to work for the people in a no-nonsense and truthful matter but they pretty much give us the finger once in office. Instead of working full time for the people, many create the appearance of dedicating their efforts to the people but spend excessive time duping the public to cover the tracks of their mistakes and indiscretions.
Anyway, here is what I suggest we do to pick the president:
Have the people select their choice for our president from Fortune 500 chief executive officers who have volunteered for the job.
Award the presidency to the individual with the most votes regardless of the percentage of votes received.
Prohibit all forms of campaigning.
Prohibit all media interviews.
Obscure all candidate's facial images.
Alter all candidate's voices.
Require all candidates to forego compensation while serving as our president.
We will then have a president:
Who wants the job.
With no promises to keep.
Chosen based solely on achievements.
Further, voters will not be in a position to have their vote influenced by:
A candidate's charisma and appearance.
A candidate's promises.
Media reports.
Celebrity endorsements.
Liberal college professors.
Peers.
Family tradition.
Realistically, we will never see these points come to life primarily for the reasons cited above. Constitutional challenges and elected kids bickering on the congressional playground are high hurdles to overcome.
And, a large number of American citizens will, judging from history, stir the pot by showing their asses without having an iota of understanding or interest in the issue. To them, it is only important to be noticed.
But until the American people take ownership of their well being, parents will not have someone to whom they can point when wanting to proudly tell their children they can someday be president of the United States.
Worse, the American life in a quagmire will continue 'til the cows come home. Phew!
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1From Merriam-Webster: to cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right - CORRUPT
2Used herein as Merriam-Webster's definition 1c: boy as an immature male, not offensive as defined at 5a and 5b.