ON BEING PRESIDENTIAL

 

PRESIDENTIAL

In this observation of too many years most men coming to the office has to learn how to be President of the United States of America. It is not intuitive knowledge. In my lifetime I have seen only three who came to the game equipped for the contest: Lyndon Johnson, George H W Bush and Joe Biden. And, I have only known of one never learning how to be Presidential.

Now, I do feel compelled to reiterate that since he was introduced by then Senator Obama as his Vice-President candidate in 2008 I have never thought Joe Biden a particularly good choice for President. Nothing personal against the man, and at the time had not had occasion to give it much study. This was just my general impression after seeing Biden only in scattered news reports over the years. And, in interest of full disclosure, President Biden displays a worldview of what is commonly called a ‘progressive’ or ‘liberal’. After voting Republican since Goldwater, this is not a worldview with which I am in complete agreement or comfortable.

Now that he has been President for a while, and after actually boning-up on the subject, my opinion is not much changed.

It is unlikely any would call him ‘charismatic’. Personally, tend to think of him as ‘uncle Joe’ type. If I may be allowed an opinion, and this is my blog, everything seen and reported about his life of service and personal decorum indicate the world would have been well served if the man had been a priest.

What Joseph R Biden Jr. is is experienced in what government can do when government is needed, and how to get that done. This is what we need from our government and in our President when the hour of need comes.

Now comes such an hour, a natural disaster of the highest magnitude. The type event which can make or break a President’s heritage. No one blames the President for a natural disaster. It is what he does thereafter which is remembered about the man: Did he listen? Did he take command? Did he accept responsibility?

There has been and will continue to be moments of compelling crisis. Which means there will always be instances when calm, knowledgeable, tell-it-like-it-is leadership is needed... 

     When we do not get such leadership America suffers. 
     When we do get such leadership the nation unites and works together through to a better day. Its call being Presidential.