by CJ Clark, Featured Contributor
IS OUR PRESIDENT really that ineffective, or does he know exactly what he is doing?
Part of me wants to believe that he is just naïve, inexperienced and just wants us all to sit around the campfire and sing Kumbaya. For me that would be the best case scenario.
Were that the case, surely he would listen to expert advisors, who are quite plentiful and experienced at his level. Given his academic bent, he would be able to absorb their advice, synthesize it, and make good decisions even if just naïve and inexperienced.
But he hasn’t done that, as former advisors are now telling us – in droves. Those who disagree with his initiatives are called whiners and obstructionists. Those who offer advice are, apparently, ignored. It seems that he is doing what he wants, and feels empowered by his office to do so.
There is a fundamental premise here, I believe. The President of the United States is not elected to do what he wants. He is elected to do what the peopl
e want. He serves in this office at the pleasure of the people of the United States.
But he is elected (or should be) because he is an intelligent, experienced individual who can save us from our own “wants.” Our world is too complex to say, “let’s give healthcare to everyone,” and expect that simple statement to be accepted and carried out. There are societal, economic, political, emotional, geographic, and infrastructure challenges that must be debated honestly and openly for any program that is designed. And to expect that it will be right the first time is ludicrous. So we expect our President to understand these complexities, facilitate open debate about the issues, listen carefully to all arguments, and lead us to a solution that is a good first step, and help people understand that the system will evolve. And fundamentally, he leads a country that continues to stay strong.
The open debate in healthcare was not about the issues, it was about politics. And there was no careful listening, so we have chaos without a leader to even admit the need to examine and adjust.
Healthcare is an economic and societal issue and it has been botched possibly beyond repair.
Our country’s safety is much more profound, and strong leadership has never been as needed as it is now.
There are very bad people who want to destroy the life that we have so painfully and selflessly created over several hundred years. It is the life to which many outside the U.S. aspire because we have opportunities here for success based on hard work. Hard work is how we built this, and hard work is necessary to preserve what we have.
Some say we are complacent and lazy, and we have too much so should be taken down a peg. Some say we have too much wealth at the top, and it is unequal. Some say we think we are better than other countries, and don’t do enough to help the world. Some say we need to reach out and be part of the global economy, but not put ourselves in a higher position than other countries. Some are so quick to point out all of our flaws as a country that they cannot see what they have, and what is at risk.
Our President promised utopia. 
He promised everything that everyone wanted to hear. Those who simply wanted to hear that “everything will be okay,” heard that and voted for him. Those who, for one reason or another, recognized that there were challenges to everything that he was promising, did not.
We were war-weary, so he promised to pull out of war, leaving peace to chance. Take a look at history, folks. Peace doesn’t happen through chance. Peace happens through strength. Peace happens because the good guys are stronger than the bad guys. The bad guys will chip away from our strength until there is no more.
Anyone saying that they have the experience and leadership qualities to lead the strongest country in the world should know that. It’s right there in the history books.
So I have to go back to my original question. Is our President really that ineffective, or does he know exactly what he is doing?
I have my own theory. I think he went into this job with a personal view that the United States is too prideful and needed to be humbled. I hope I’m wrong but I think he knows exactly what he is doing. What I don’t know is the intent behind his actions. Are we talking “humbled” or “destroyed?”
What I do know is that our President is not a person, but an office that has been established to do the right thing for our country. The right thing can always be debatable, but what is not debatable, in my opinion, is the act of putting our country at risk. And we are at risk.
What are we going to do about it?
CJ, beyond the “conspiracy theory” that our country is really run by a secret cabal of bankers and string-pullers, we can’t put all the blame on our president. Regardless of what he really wanted to do, he would be very ineffective if not for the brash assistance of the Congress.
The President doesn’t make law but our lawmaking Congress has given him a rubber stamp to do all he wants, and to do nothing when he puts into effect obvious anti-Constitutional policies/regulations/procedures/actions.
Just look at Obamacare. How could such a massive program be put together in such a short time? The 2000+ page law, and all it’s anti-American actions, was probably siting in a bookcase somewhere just waiting for the right time, right set of circumstances, to raise its ugly head and be rolled-out.
Much of the blame must also rest on the shoulders of both Houses of Congress and both parties. They just needed a puppet like Obama to be the face of the action.
It’s time to clean house of all these folks.
Comments relayed from CJ Clark:
Hi Steve – your point is valid, and I agree that Congress is a huge obstacle. While I worry about Congress as a whole body, what concerns me about the President is his disregard for America, her people and our Constitution. He seems to feel emboldened to carry out his personal agenda, and that worries me. I guess even more concerning is the complacency with which so many people are approaching what I see as a huge problem. Thanks for your comment. CJ.