Listening to Clinton, Obama, and Biden speak at the memorial for Jesse Jackson yesterday, I was struck at how easy it was to comprehend what they said. How sad is it that we've become so used to word salad muttered by a slurring, demented degenerate felon? Say what you will about Biden's gaffes and mistakes, he conquered a severe STUTTER --and as he said, "It seems to be okay to laugh at someone with a stutter..." He may speak slowly but he speaks coherently, no matter what Jake Tapper thinks.
But beyond their oratory skills, their compassion and empathy and willingness to be HUMAN seems to be what we're missing. And yes, I truly miss having people who think before they act, ask for honesty, and understand the word, "No."
Does he have an Addiction to oxytocin? (Seeing suffering can increase this cuddle hormone and cause charity). He teaches the science of CBT and practices the resulting enhanced rationality.
2.
He "saw the future" in his most popular Atlantic article:"Why The Last 10 Years of American Culture Have Been Uniquely Stupid"(notably he elaborates in 2022 on how things are going to get much worse)
3.
When his effort to warn American higher education failed* he refocused that lesson on American middle schools and his book ANXIOUS GENERATION has been on the best seller list for 95 weeks. It's advice was taken by lawmakers in Australia, America, Britain, etc.
*(His CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND warned that higher ed was perpetuating untruths. but higher ed is defined by websites ending in.edu and when you are googling over all 8,000 of them by googling "3 great untruths" within the.edu domains you find only 20 mentions in all 8,000 institutions of higher education.
Besides the obvious as mentioned: complete knowledge of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Amendments. In depth knowledge of both American and World history. And the subsequent crucial lessons learned thereof. And a president whose medical records are open to the public with no question of medical or psychological deficits or impairments. There’s SO much to add, but we all know what we do and don’t want in a leader of a free country. And what we have is the polar opposite of what this country (and world) deserves.
Thank you for your question and for collecting ideas.
To add….. you asked us to add leaders we feel embodied the ideals we thirst for in a leader: presidents Carter, Obama, Biden and Senator John McCain. All had the innate capacity to care! With compassion, empathy, integrity, patriotism. I could go on and on.
It’s my belief that President Carter was far ahead of his time. He cared about people, he cared about the environment. He and Rosalynn loved and respected each other. Their compassion is evident in their involvement with Habitat for Humanity; they helped build houses for over 35 years.
I was in middle school during President Carter's term. A few years later in high school, a slightly older friend remarked then that President Carter was ahead of his time. Truly the most successful post presidency of any president I am aware of. After his speech at Jesse Jackson's funeral, it will be interesting to see where else President Obama goes in his life journey.
A person with compassion for all, people and animals. A leader must be intelligent and have a background of education having earned at least a BA, unlike our new Secretary of DHS. The background in education provides critical thinking skills that most in this administration lack.
I don't understand why a college degree is necessary. I know many people who don't have one of those (who would make a better leader than the current president) because they understand their own limitations and have the sense to go to "experts" in the areas where they lack knowledge and experience.
As a retired special education teacher I believe that a college degree is necessary for positions in Congress and as a president and cabinet member. The people you know may be fine without one in their current positions. But members of congress make decisions that affect an entire country. It’s my opinion.
I'd add that it matters what college awarded the degree. Liberty University, IOW, doesn't cut it. It's also sobering how many less-than-stellar politicians have degrees, especially law degrees, from prestigious universities. To borrow some language from logic and math, I'd say that a college degree was a necessary condition but not in itself a sufficient one.
Many people would make a better leader than the current President. That is a very low bar.
What a college degree frequently does is provide experience with multiple viewpoints and help people develop the reasoning ability to evaluate them. People in a position to make or carry out our laws should at a minimum be able to understand the laws and their consequences. If they don't have an education in the law, they should at least have a background in an equally challenging field. That takes more than a high school education. Leaders need both didactic training and relevant real life experience as well as the humility to listen to experts when appropriate.
Critical thinking and ability to actually discuss concepts seem to me to be needed for any questions touching on good governance, at all levels (from friends discussing things, to discussion of concepts at every level of government from bottom to top).
Many of us lack these skills. We simply react with emotion to every point on which we differ. I have felt like taking a baseball bat to some people I have been close friends to for decades (just kidding about the bat, but the emotion is truly there)
Going to college is more than just being there. It is an introduction to becoming self-reliant, somewhat responsible, able to participate in discourse as well as cogent writing. With that said, there are exceptions to that and we witness one of those every day in written and verbal communication.
I understand your concern. I think one difference is a president must weigh many expert opinions on an unlimited number of issues from various perspectives & know if he is getting the entire picture. Expert opinions often conflict or may be grounded in ‘old thinking’ and need to be prodded.
I want to add to my opinion on this. All commissioned officers in the military have to have a college degree if they want to advance. Why not make it a requirement for Congress?
Yes. I am SO tired of his demands, his threats, his narcissism, his corruption, his anger and cruelty. I am tired of the extortion. I am tired of the endless babble of nonsensical word salad. I am tired of the constant lies. I am tired of the attacks on free press. I am tired of the attacks on our democracy and freedom. We have a lunatic running the country in to the ground. We lost EVERYTHING we know to be honest, caring, and good.
How did we get here? Are we going to allow this to continue?
If only a time machine could be invented so that we can correct this wrong... 🤦♀️
Kamala warned us over and over...
Just got my T which reads "We the People" are PISSED OFF. This one 👇
I believe that a very important characteristic is empathy. If you don't have empathy, how can you lead and do what is best for others? Innate intelligence and humility are also very important. Also, curiosity, because if you don't have the willingness to learn new things, you can't adapt to everchanging situations.
A good leader will own an honor a dog, cat or better yet, a horse. That alone will demonstrate compassion. (unless you consider Tricky Dick kicking Checkers...)
It would also be helpful if the leader wasn't a narcissist.
Financially stable in his/her own right and by his/her own industry. Mitt Romney is a great example, and IMO would have been a great President. More than one bankruptcy disqualifies for holding office, state and above. Mandatory release of tax returns and credit reports. Integrity and intellectual honesty. A respect for history. As a gardener I will never forget that this guy razed the Rose Garden and is turning the entire complex into something that resembles a cheap whore house!
Basically, the polar opposite of what we have now: a huckster who married his favorite hooker and is very likely a Russian agent. Gah!
Having lived through Romney's tenure as governor of my (but not his) home state of Massachusetts, I'd never, ever support him for president. However, I also wouldn't support anyone who's been an active Republican since the onset of the Reagan administration. That party has been rotting from the inside out since then. This helps explain why their candidates and nominees have been so inadequate, with a poseur like Trump winding up the nominee in 2016. (Caveat: As governor, Romney did play a significant role in implementing Commonwealth Care here in MA, which was a forerunner of the Affordable Care Act. Strange but true, Commonwealth Care was based on a plan developed by the Heritage Foundation in the early 2000s.)
Perhaps it would be better to stick to the actual subject of this thread, rather than attack another poster's preferences. Romney did have the guts to vote to impeach and we could go through serious drink discussing the failings of the Democrats as well. So let's stick to the point, shall we? What are the qualities you'd like to see in a President?
Attack? I criticized your preference and pointed out a couple of reasons for doing so. Do you believe that Romney having "the guts to vote to impeach" makes him presidential material?
Love checked all the boxes for me. As a child I often thought that the President needed these character traits to be qualified for the office. Why would anyone actually respect a person who didn’t. Sigh. One can dream, can’t one?
Except for tapping into and riling up the anger of his MAGA base he has never been able to inspire the vast majority of Americans to support anything. Great leaders inspire their people to greatness.
In answer to your question: Honesty, intelligence, empathy and humility would be a good place to start… probably in that order, but I might be open to a different order.
Listening to Clinton, Obama, and Biden speak at the memorial for Jesse Jackson yesterday, I was struck at how easy it was to comprehend what they said. How sad is it that we've become so used to word salad muttered by a slurring, demented degenerate felon? Say what you will about Biden's gaffes and mistakes, he conquered a severe STUTTER --and as he said, "It seems to be okay to laugh at someone with a stutter..." He may speak slowly but he speaks coherently, no matter what Jake Tapper thinks.
But beyond their oratory skills, their compassion and empathy and willingness to be HUMAN seems to be what we're missing. And yes, I truly miss having people who think before they act, ask for honesty, and understand the word, "No."
Watching Jennifer Hudson singing “A Change Is Gonna Come” was absolutely beautiful.
Dr Jonathan Haidt:
1.
Does he have an Addiction to oxytocin? (Seeing suffering can increase this cuddle hormone and cause charity). He teaches the science of CBT and practices the resulting enhanced rationality.
2.
He "saw the future" in his most popular Atlantic article:"Why The Last 10 Years of American Culture Have Been Uniquely Stupid"(notably he elaborates in 2022 on how things are going to get much worse)
3.
When his effort to warn American higher education failed* he refocused that lesson on American middle schools and his book ANXIOUS GENERATION has been on the best seller list for 95 weeks. It's advice was taken by lawmakers in Australia, America, Britain, etc.
*(His CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND warned that higher ed was perpetuating untruths. but higher ed is defined by websites ending in.edu and when you are googling over all 8,000 of them by googling "3 great untruths" within the.edu domains you find only 20 mentions in all 8,000 institutions of higher education.
That they not be criminals, pedophiles or abusers? Ya know. The little things. 🤷♂️🫤
Besides the obvious as mentioned: complete knowledge of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Amendments. In depth knowledge of both American and World history. And the subsequent crucial lessons learned thereof. And a president whose medical records are open to the public with no question of medical or psychological deficits or impairments. There’s SO much to add, but we all know what we do and don’t want in a leader of a free country. And what we have is the polar opposite of what this country (and world) deserves.
Thank you for your question and for collecting ideas.
To add….. you asked us to add leaders we feel embodied the ideals we thirst for in a leader: presidents Carter, Obama, Biden and Senator John McCain. All had the innate capacity to care! With compassion, empathy, integrity, patriotism. I could go on and on.
Happy Saturday.
It’s my belief that President Carter was far ahead of his time. He cared about people, he cared about the environment. He and Rosalynn loved and respected each other. Their compassion is evident in their involvement with Habitat for Humanity; they helped build houses for over 35 years.
I was in middle school during President Carter's term. A few years later in high school, a slightly older friend remarked then that President Carter was ahead of his time. Truly the most successful post presidency of any president I am aware of. After his speech at Jesse Jackson's funeral, it will be interesting to see where else President Obama goes in his life journey.
I was fortunate enough to hear him speak when I lived in Athens, GA🤓🖖🏻
Some experience in governing and/or public service would be helpful.
Excellent reply!
A person with compassion for all, people and animals. A leader must be intelligent and have a background of education having earned at least a BA, unlike our new Secretary of DHS. The background in education provides critical thinking skills that most in this administration lack.
I don't understand why a college degree is necessary. I know many people who don't have one of those (who would make a better leader than the current president) because they understand their own limitations and have the sense to go to "experts" in the areas where they lack knowledge and experience.
As a retired special education teacher I believe that a college degree is necessary for positions in Congress and as a president and cabinet member. The people you know may be fine without one in their current positions. But members of congress make decisions that affect an entire country. It’s my opinion.
I'd add that it matters what college awarded the degree. Liberty University, IOW, doesn't cut it. It's also sobering how many less-than-stellar politicians have degrees, especially law degrees, from prestigious universities. To borrow some language from logic and math, I'd say that a college degree was a necessary condition but not in itself a sufficient one.
College has the power to open minds. They can be opened without it but it a certain way of introducing new ideas and broadening perspectives.
Yes, we are start at our personal histories. Thank you for your very thoughtful response.
The degree (not from a liberty university, etc.) makes for a well-rounded person. I don't want to be led by someone small-minded.
Many people would make a better leader than the current President. That is a very low bar.
What a college degree frequently does is provide experience with multiple viewpoints and help people develop the reasoning ability to evaluate them. People in a position to make or carry out our laws should at a minimum be able to understand the laws and their consequences. If they don't have an education in the law, they should at least have a background in an equally challenging field. That takes more than a high school education. Leaders need both didactic training and relevant real life experience as well as the humility to listen to experts when appropriate.
Critical thinking and ability to actually discuss concepts seem to me to be needed for any questions touching on good governance, at all levels (from friends discussing things, to discussion of concepts at every level of government from bottom to top).
Many of us lack these skills. We simply react with emotion to every point on which we differ. I have felt like taking a baseball bat to some people I have been close friends to for decades (just kidding about the bat, but the emotion is truly there)
You mean like Markwayne?
Going to college is more than just being there. It is an introduction to becoming self-reliant, somewhat responsible, able to participate in discourse as well as cogent writing. With that said, there are exceptions to that and we witness one of those every day in written and verbal communication.
I understand your concern. I think one difference is a president must weigh many expert opinions on an unlimited number of issues from various perspectives & know if he is getting the entire picture. Expert opinions often conflict or may be grounded in ‘old thinking’ and need to be prodded.
I want to add to my opinion on this. All commissioned officers in the military have to have a college degree if they want to advance. Why not make it a requirement for Congress?
Creep
Brains and compassion for all.
Yes. I am SO tired of his demands, his threats, his narcissism, his corruption, his anger and cruelty. I am tired of the extortion. I am tired of the endless babble of nonsensical word salad. I am tired of the constant lies. I am tired of the attacks on free press. I am tired of the attacks on our democracy and freedom. We have a lunatic running the country in to the ground. We lost EVERYTHING we know to be honest, caring, and good.
How did we get here? Are we going to allow this to continue?
If only a time machine could be invented so that we can correct this wrong... 🤦♀️
Kamala warned us over and over...
Just got my T which reads "We the People" are PISSED OFF. This one 👇
https://libtees.dashery.com/products/78782439-we-the-people-are-pissed-off-t-shirt
I believe that a very important characteristic is empathy. If you don't have empathy, how can you lead and do what is best for others? Innate intelligence and humility are also very important. Also, curiosity, because if you don't have the willingness to learn new things, you can't adapt to everchanging situations.
A good leader will own an honor a dog, cat or better yet, a horse. That alone will demonstrate compassion. (unless you consider Tricky Dick kicking Checkers...)
It would also be helpful if the leader wasn't a narcissist.
All of them are slightly narcissistic. But there's a scale. Orange is off the charts.
Someone who is humble in the face of the awe-inspiring power with which he or she has been entrusted. The antithesis of trump.
Your last four words describe the yes, no bar.
Truthfulness. I yearn for that.
Yes, indeed.
… Or even the acknowledgment that objectively verifiable truth exists and should be sought and considered.
Someone for whom, once a bargain has been struck, the handshake is the ending of the negotiations - not the beginning.
Thst’s it: a meaningful handshake
Being a somewhat decent human would be good.
Financially stable in his/her own right and by his/her own industry. Mitt Romney is a great example, and IMO would have been a great President. More than one bankruptcy disqualifies for holding office, state and above. Mandatory release of tax returns and credit reports. Integrity and intellectual honesty. A respect for history. As a gardener I will never forget that this guy razed the Rose Garden and is turning the entire complex into something that resembles a cheap whore house!
Basically, the polar opposite of what we have now: a huckster who married his favorite hooker and is very likely a Russian agent. Gah!
Having lived through Romney's tenure as governor of my (but not his) home state of Massachusetts, I'd never, ever support him for president. However, I also wouldn't support anyone who's been an active Republican since the onset of the Reagan administration. That party has been rotting from the inside out since then. This helps explain why their candidates and nominees have been so inadequate, with a poseur like Trump winding up the nominee in 2016. (Caveat: As governor, Romney did play a significant role in implementing Commonwealth Care here in MA, which was a forerunner of the Affordable Care Act. Strange but true, Commonwealth Care was based on a plan developed by the Heritage Foundation in the early 2000s.)
Perhaps it would be better to stick to the actual subject of this thread, rather than attack another poster's preferences. Romney did have the guts to vote to impeach and we could go through serious drink discussing the failings of the Democrats as well. So let's stick to the point, shall we? What are the qualities you'd like to see in a President?
Attack? I criticized your preference and pointed out a couple of reasons for doing so. Do you believe that Romney having "the guts to vote to impeach" makes him presidential material?
Just a reminder, Romney traveled 12 hours with his dog on top of the car in a crate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney_dog_incident
No. Romney loves the NRA too much.
Love checked all the boxes for me. As a child I often thought that the President needed these character traits to be qualified for the office. Why would anyone actually respect a person who didn’t. Sigh. One can dream, can’t one?
Except for tapping into and riling up the anger of his MAGA base he has never been able to inspire the vast majority of Americans to support anything. Great leaders inspire their people to greatness.
In answer to your question: Honesty, intelligence, empathy and humility would be a good place to start… probably in that order, but I might be open to a different order.
Leadership and Decision Making
• Active listening, especially to unpopular and opposing points of view
• Balancing of interests with diligence, calmness, respect and patience
• Hands on active participation, strong work ethic, initiative, diversity of experience
• Consensus-building not top down command-based decision-making
• Respect for and engagement with all branches of government and the rules of law
• Pragmatism, willingness to try despite outcome uncertainty: deliberation in action
• Resilience and persistence, including engagement, preparedness and planning
• Willingness to make unpopular but necessary decisions based on necessity
• Decisiveness, confidence, short of arrogance, especially during crisis leadership
• Delegating judiciously, but taking final responsibility, and being held to account
Personal Interactions
• Likeability, tact, politeness, avoidance of ad hominem attacks
• Optimistic and hopeful, humorous; empathetic and sympathetic
• Communicating with, not at people; flexibility and adaptability
• Separation competing interests of self from those of the political leadership role
• Willingness to reconsider and with better knowledge to change positions
• Sharing credit, accepting responsibility and when necessary blame
Policy
• Historical awareness and knowledge including accuracy, currency, depth and breadth
• Understanding of the points of view and motivations of opponents and adversaries
• Situational awareness with views about the present and to the future and progress
• Long range vision, including knowledge gained from successes and failures
• Understanding service role and purpose and how each has utility and limitations
• Political savvy, including political, economic. social and global awareness
• Anticipating threats and taking action through initiative, preparation and planning
Public Interaction
• Empathy, respect and compassion for all whom you lead or govern
• Inspiring optimism with words, actions with compassion and awareness
• Engagement with population through engagement and social responsibility
• Inspiring civic participation through motivation and decisive leadership
• Understanding national, regional, local, and individual differences and interests
• Leadership by example and strength, including during the most difficult times.
• Simple and effective communication that instills confidence and inspires participation
Great list, Kelvin🤓🖖🏻
Thank you, Doreen! ☮
Well, I don't want someone who has a deck of cards with people on it that he wants to kill. Including US citizens.