Presidency

Troubles For Presidents Who Face Credibility And Legitimacy Gaps! :(

Ronald Leave a comment

The office of the Presidency is an office of power, and also, at the same time, a thankless office! 🙁

The President has great power and stature, but also faces severe opposition and a sense of not being appreciated!

He will be both loved and hated, and have his fans and his detractors!

Many Presidents will have problems being accepted as legitimate, and therefore be considered as “imposters”!

Many Presidents will leave the Presidency, and feel a sense of relief that the public spotlight is no longer on them!

The point of stating all of the above is to make it clear that Barack Obama is NOT the first President to face severe opposition and claims that he is illegitimate! It is astounding that so many Americans think he is foreign born and a Muslim, but again it is not unique to him!

Presidents who have won by close margins or in controversial times always engender conspiracy theories that they had “stolen” the election, which may or may not be true in fact! This would include Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama!

Also, those who have been “revolutionary” in the sense of their religion or ethnicity have had people question their election–specifically John F. Kennedy for his Catholicism and Barack Obama for his mixed race heritage!

Additionally, Presidents who have succeeded upon the death or resignation of the President have faced controversy–specifically John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Chester Alan Arthur! By the time that Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson succeeded by death of the incumbent, that issue of legitimacy was no longer an issue, and they all won the next term as President!

But it again came up when Gerald Ford, an appointed Vice President, succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974! Many wondered if Ford had made a deal to pardon Nixon, based on his appointment as Vice President!

So it could be said that at least 16 Presidents, out of the 43 we have had so far in office, have had to deal with credibility and legitimacy issues that have tormented their time in office!

This is the best reason why every President leaves office looking much older–not just because of the responsibilities of the office and the burdens, but also for all, but more for some, the grief of patty political disputes caused by an opposition that will not let up in its attacks, with or without credibility and legitimacy gaps!

The 65th Anniversary Of FDR’s Death: Its Meaning!

Ronald Leave a comment

Today, April 12, marks the 65th anniversary of the death of our greatest 20th century President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In most polls of scholars and experts, FDR ranks only second to Abraham Lincoln among all 43 Presidents of the United States!

The effects of FDR and his “New Deal”, and his World War II efforts, still reverberate on our lives two thirds of a century after he left the scene!

A lot of the same rhetoric being used against President Barack Obama today was employed against FDR in the 1930s and early 1940s. He was called a “Communist”, “Fascist”, “Socialist”, “radical”, “Nazi”, “Marxist”, and as against capitalism and democracy.

We are hearing ridiculous accusations such as this from talk radio, Fox News Channel, Republican party leaders, and even from people in the entertainment industry, who have shown that sometimes aging makes the mind go awry, and makes these individuals look foolish and nutty!

I am referring to such former luminaries in entertainment as actor Jon Voight, and singers Andy Williams and Pat Boone, who have made former fans alienated by their outrageous statements that make one wonder about their mental stability! 🙁

The fact is that FDR and the New Deal saved capitalism, saved democracy, gave hope and faith and confidence in the future, and became an important lifeline to many millions of desperate Americans. The New Deal created a large national government, became involved in deficit spending out of necessity, and the Presidency grew in authority and responsibility as the only way to sustain the country through difficult times.

FDR also had to deal, not only with extremists on his left and right, many of whom were indeed scary and threatening, but also with a very conservative Supreme Court, which stood often in the way of necessary actions and progress.

So FDR faced very similar circumstances as Barack Obama has to deal with every day!

Let us hope that as we recognize the long range impact of FDR, that we will eventually see the New Deal traditions that he pursued, and that are being followed and updated by the man who, in many ways, represents the modern manifestation of FDR, Barack Obama, be accepted as following the proper instincts!

Also, it is hoped that we will come to appreciate Barack Obama, and not see him as the enemy, the devil, or anti-American, as Michele Bachmann has labeled him! What a disgrace that anyone would call an American President as unpatriotic and unAmerican! Shame on Michele Bachmann and all of Obama’s other critics who employ such character assassination! 🙁

The Crisis In The Governorships Nationwide

Ronald Leave a comment

It used to be that the office of governor of any state was a prestigious position sought by many ambitious politicians, who saw it as a place to serve, make a difference, and possibly seek higher office, including the Presidency, after years of devoted service.

The governorship has been the primary background for the American Presidency, and many governors have also served in the US Senate or as cabinet officers, and some, like Earl Warren of California, on the Supreme Court.

But the glorious days of being governor have passed, as it has become, in these difficult economic times, a thankless job, so much so that one wonders why anyone seeks the position.

And on top of that, we have seen scandal in the governorship on a level unseen before. Think of the list of disgraced governors of recent times, including, among others, Jim McGreevey of New Jersey, Eliot Spitzer of New York, Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Jim Gibbons of Nevada, John Rowland of Connecticut, and Bob Taft of Ohio.

While we have had four governors in recent times in the White House (Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush), it is hard to see any governor of recent times being able to make that leap to the Presidency.

Difficult economic times have made life difficult for Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, both born outside the United States, so not eligible for the Presidency, in any case.

Rick Perry of Texas is in a struggle for another term, but even if he were to win, his statements about secession would seemingly eliminate him from a serious quest for the Presidency, and there have been ethical questions about his long ten year tenure in the governorship.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is also in the battle for his life in the Senate race against Marco Rubio, and at this point seems unlikely to be in office beyond the end of his term as governor.

The fact that past governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas failed in their quest for the Presidency in 2008, and the controversies around former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, make it seem unlikely they have a future beyond their former offices.

Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota are worth watching, but it is hard to imagine them accomplishing their immediate or long range goals of living in the White House.

Finally, the new revelations about New York Governor David Paterson, who succeeded to the governorship due to the scandal surrounding Eliot Spitzer, is only the latest blow to the stature of the governorship office, not only in New York, but nationwide.

This is very disappointing, as to many, being governor is the position that best prepares someone for the challenges of the Presidency. This is part of the general disillusionment that so many Americans have about their government at all levels, and will not be overcome any time soon! 🙁