So, a couple of weeks ago, Your Humble Blogger officially opened up this Tohu Bohu to presidential politics, and my first question is what kinds of leadership qualities we want in a President just now.
For instance, Gov. Dean's remarkable quality is independence. He appears to be capable of doing his own thinking, and relying on his own instincts. That's often useful in a President, and a President who relies too much on his cabinet, advisors, and party leaders is unlikely to be a great president. On the other hand, independence of spirit and mind is most valuable when conformity is at its most threatening, and our party, nation, and world are pretty fragmented at the moment.
Rep. Gephart's best trait, to me, is his reliability; he is experienced and predictable. That's a strength specifically in uncertain times, unless (which may be the case now), a certain nimbleness is required by the necessity for change. It's the opposite of Gov. Dean's independence, for that sort of reliability means that he is stuck in (or, if you like, has fully developed) certain habits of observations and thought that he is unlikely to quickly change.
And so on. Each candidate has strengths (Sen. Edwards is combative, Gen. Clark is persuasive, Sen. Kerry is, well, he has strengths, too, I'm sure) and those strengths are helpful in different times and in different ways. Coalition-building, loyalty, eloquence, experience, courage, conciliation, intelligence, perception, and charm are all valuable, but they are not all equally valuable at all times. Which should we look for now?
Redintegro Iraq,
-Vardibidian.
i think we are in for a really wild ride in the next decade. my presidential traits would be: fair; thoughtful; demanding; patient.
somebody people in other countries can look at and say, “yes, that’s the president of a working democracy, a place with something like social mobility but where those who are not on top can speak their minds and have it matter. but that place is that place. what i want is some of those things here, no more fear or favor where i live now.”
Slightly outside the box: What would you describe as Bush’s strength(s)?
Oops, that last comment was me, not some anonymous coward. :^)
i guess i end up as the first answer to that… bush’s strengths seem to me: his certainty, hinting toward ruthlessness; his youth; his cabinet’s authoritative behavior and previously high profiles; his wealth; his mom and dad. believe it or not i think his life membership in the club of public malfeasance works to his benefit. what things he hides, he appears to be hiding in the name of long term profit, that is very attractive to a country of squirrels.
I would describe Pres. Bush’s strengths as:
R.I.,
-V.