Why can’t we find a hero?
Many of us look back on the Reagan era with a great deal of nostalgia, and we long for a man who can fill his shoes. Not an easy task.
Here’s a conundrum for you, pursuant to a conversation Pascal and I had last night.
We want a leader. We want a man capable of leadership, a man who can lead the most powerful nation on earth with the acuman of the captains of industry. We want someone who will lead as effectively as the presidents of GM, Boeing, caterpillar, Deere, Standard Oil. We want them to expose themselves to the abuse of the liberal media. To the derision of their detractors. We want them to allow their private lives and the private lives of their families to the most damaging scrutiny. We want them to accept this abuse without ever losing the dew from the rose, their charm must be immutable. And we expect them to do this for less than a mid level Chevy manager makes, les than a good real estate broker makes. And we expect them to put up with derision and abuse even within their own party, not only from the leaders but from the unwashed masses (YOU AND ME).
Sure, why isn’t there a HUGE line of people anxious to serve?
Fred Thompson. If he is half as good as Reagan, we will be great.
imwithfred.com, if memory serves.
GIven the last few ‘leaders’ our system has managed to cough up, I have formed an opinion.
I have come to believe we could do better by walking up the first legally qualified person in the street and drafting them to the job for the next four years.
I’d do it, but this country couldn’t stand two things.
My skeletons, and criticism of their cowardice.
I inhaled.
Is it just me getting older, but in the 70’s and 80’s didn’t they wait at least for the election year to do this crap? I mean, shouldn’t we hear nothing from anyone until New Years Day 2008, at the earliest? Isn’t a debate just for the convention winners, and isn’t primary candidate debating just suicide for both parties?
I say let’s make a primary for only half of a state’s delegates, and not have any before May. That way, if everyone sucks, they can still have an out for finding someone walzing around on the convention floor to draft on up. Isn’t that how Truman got picked? Why even have a convention anymore, if it’s all over by then?
And how’s a guy supposed to do his current job as governor or congressman if he’s campaigning all of the time?
And why would the head of GM or Standard Oil or XYZ conglomeration care to run for office when he knows he can pay — with legitimate corporate funds — to call the tune to which our Hero must dance or be crucified, Hero’s choice.
Here’s my side of our discussion.
In England, they have six weeks to campaign after the ruling party calls for an election.
Six weeks ought to be plenty of time. I say we make it a capital offense, punishible by slow garrotting followed by drawing and quartering, to start campaigning any earlier than that.
All my heros are from a generation long past, like Eddie Rickenbacker… Richard Bong flew P-38’s in the Pacific Theater, Sgt. Rock and The Phantom were cartoon characters, one cool guy was Art Arfons and his Green Monster jet-engine Bonniville racer.
My Parents idolized and idealized University Presidents – after working there and becoming well acquainted with that beast my experience has taught me that there’s no difference between them and the Presidents of GM or Standard Oil – except the GM or Standard Oil guys are more likely to be honest and less agenda driven.
My experience with the POS Maytag Neptune we bought leads me to believe the CEO of that shit-for-bricks was once a University professor.