Choosing a President, Part 2
Mon., January 12, 03:39 PM
The Sunday comics section carries something called the Mini-Page, news items geared to kids. This week’s Mini-Page discussed some candidates in the upcoming presidential campaigns. I looked it over because I haven’t been following the candidates that closely myself, seeing a lot of the same old stuff. Consider what I wrote last year about choosing a president. Nine candidates declared for the Democratic nomination but, no matter which one is elected, I see only four with the potential to become successful presidents.
Those whose greatest experience is administrative at the state level will find that experience and knowledge are not the key to running the nation successfully. All the good intentions and sincerity in the world are ineffectual against the entrenched opinions of the Congress. (Never forget, “con” is the opposite of “pro”; that’s why congress seems to be the opposite of progress.) It seems to me as if the best Howard Dean can do is spend a few years as vice president, become a personage in Washington, and find out how the system works. Oh, and has anyone figured out why Al Sharpton thinks he’s a viable candidate?
The radio news, all weekend, has been about the revelations of Paul O’Neill, former Secretary of the Treasury in the Bush administration. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O'Neill by former Wall Street Journal reporter Ron Suskind. O’Neill is the man who didn’t think the tax cuts were a good idea. (Whatever else or may not be true, he has my interest right there!) And his wonderful description of Mr. Dubya in a cabinet meeting, “like a blind man in a room of deaf people.”
It seems as if the righteous Mr. Dubya lied to us as much as anyone else, and it’s far more serious than whether or not he cheated on his wife. Y’know, many years ago, after some scandal about a congressman and his “assistant,” another congressional wife said it was nothing new. As she put it, the Democrats do it to their secretaries, but the Republicans to it to the country.
This story was the lead item on “Sixty Minutes” last night. And I don’t see a thing in the online news. Hmmm. Everybody’s got their own agenda. I finally found it mentioned in usatoday.com and in the Google news sources.
Yesterday, on CBS “Sunday Morning,” Nancy Giles had an interesting comment: “Beware of candidates who invoke ‘the American People.’” You know, in a deep, serious voice, “the American People want…” – whatever it is. As Nancy pointed out, I’m an American person, and that’s not what I want.
