Day: September 23, 2012

Presidents Taken By Surprise By Foreign Events From Franklin D. Roosevelt To Barack Obama

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It has often been said that American Presidents have much greater power in foreign affairs, than in domestic affairs, since they have to work with Congress to accomplish domestic goals.

But in actuality, Presidents are subject to the actions of other nations and their leaders, and are often taken aback by stunning, surprising events that transform the course of history.

Examples from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama abound:

FDR and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941
Harry Truman and the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950
Dwight D. Eisenhower and the U-2 Spy Plane Incident 1960
John F. Kennedy and the Berlin Wall 1961
John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Lyndon B. Johnson and the Six Day Middle East War 1967
Richard Nixon and the Yom Kippur Middle East War 1973
Gerald Ford and the Mayaguez Affair with Cambodia 1975
Jimmy Carter and the Iranian Hostage Seizure 1979
Ronald Reagan and the Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks Bombing 1983
George H. W. Bush and the Iraq Invasion of Kuwait 1990
Bill Clinton and the World Trade Center Bombing 1993
George W. Bush and the World Trade Center and Pentagon Attacks 2001
Barack Obama and the Libyan Consulate Attack 2012

Sadly, politics come into play, and the opposition party always blames the President for the shocking event, as if he has control over factors outside his control.

But that is part of the reality of American politics and history!

Five Major Targets Of Democrats In House Races: Allen West, Joe Walsh, Michele Bachmann, Steve King, And Paul Ryan!

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The battle for control of the next House of Representatives is in full swing, with the Democrats needing to win at least 25 seats to gain control, and therefore remove Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor from their positions of power.

Among the Republicans who are on the hit list of most important to remove, are:

Allen West of Florida
Joe Walsh of Illinois
Michele Bachmann of Minnesota
Steve King of Iowa
Paul Ryan of Wisconsin

These five, all Tea Party supporters, and extremist in their views and voting patterns, are facing strong opposition, and it would be a contribution if some, or all, were removed from the halls of Congress!

They have all “distinguished” themselves in their outrageous statements and actions, and have embarrassed themselves and the institution of Congress by their behavior!

And of course, Paul Ryan is trying to become Vice President under Mitt Romney, and it would be great if he could be defeated for both that office and his Congressional seat, since he has done nothing for his district in Wisconsin, and instead gained infamy and financial support from billionaires and millionaires for his plan to gut Medicare and Medicaid, while promoting more tax cuts for the wealthy!

This election year would be a great opportunity to clean up some of the damage done by the election of new House members West and Walsh, and rid the House of longer term members Bachmann, King, and Ryan!

Similarities Between Mitt Romney And Thomas Dewey—2012 And 1948

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In 1948, the Republican Party had as its Presidential candidate a man from Michigan, who had become Governor of New York, had been the nominee against Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, and was able to defeat more conservative choices within the GOP.

Dewey was a stiff, awkward, uninspiring candidate for President, who came across as distant, and not caring about the average American. He ran a relaxed campaign for President, due to the fact that polls showed him far ahead of incumbent Democratic President Harry Truman, who had been lambasted as ineffective and a poor successor to FDR.

Dewey, with his aloofness and refusal to be specific on any policies in domestic and foreign affairs, ended up the loser, as Truman came across as genuine and caring about the average American.

Now we have a Republican nominee from Michigan, who was a one term Governor of Massachusetts, lost his first attempt at the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008, but was able to overcome more conservative rivals in 2012, but had many doubting his credentials as a true conservative. He had the advantage in the fact that the economy, while improved from what it was four years ago, still was in recovery mode, a situation that should have favored him.

But instead his aloofness, his stiffness, his awkwardness, his inability to inspire, his image of being far less than genuine, his lack of specifics on domestic and foreign policy, and his image of seeming lack of concern for ordinary people, put him in a defensive position.

And in the midst of all these disadvantages, the candidate spent weeks with very few public events and rallies, what could be called a relaxed campaign, instead out raising money, trying to use the fact of more money to win the election, but at this point, seems ready to lose, and possibly in a landslide.

Harry Truman won in 1948 without being particularly popular, while Barack Obama is well liked, but his policies have made him vulnerable. In both cases, however, they came across as genuine and caring, and Thomas Dewey and Mitt Romney did not!

These comparisons are fascinating, as they promote the reality that showing real concern for others, and being genuine in your personality, are key factors in both the election of Truman, despite great odds in 1948, and will do the same for Barack Obama in 2012!