Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Issue 614 Not about the Resume June 17, 2015

Presidents have come and gone.  But great Presidents or bad Presidents are not defined by their past job experience.  Here are examples.

Don't focus on the Resume:  Let us compare some Presidents.   President Grant was an amazing general in the Civil war, but he failed as a President because people were not able to rally behind him.  He could not negotiate politically with both friend and foes in government.  As such, power shifted to the Congress when it came to political authority.  Additionally, Grant suffered from depression and his drinking undermined his leadership ability.

President Carter is considered one of the worst Presidents in United States history.  He failed at rescuing the American Hostages in Iran, he made poor economic choices that left the country in a recession and overall was as ineffective as President Grant.  However, his pre-Presidential experience is impressive.  He was a scientist, a farmer, and a graduate of the United States Naval academy.

President Obama, our current President has none of President Carter's pre-President experience.  President Obama was a community organizer which served him well in his election campaigns, but he for a reason I cannot fathom, apply it to working with the other members of government.  Also, he and Carter are using the exact same foreign policy scheme which resulted in disaster for President Carter.  For those who do not know, Carter and Obama's foreign policy revolves around giving gifts and concessions to other countries to appeal to neutral and enemy nations so that they see the United States as not a threat.  Also, the policy revolves around the United States depreciating itself and reducing its power in the hopes that other countries will fill the power vacuum and create a world where nations are a little more equal (this of course is naive because once power is taken, it is never returned without cost).



Conclusion: What does this all mean?  As you can see, each of these Presidents have very different backgrounds and skill sets.  However, this means nothing in respect to leadership qualities. And their application of those qualities.  As such, with the potential candidates warming up for the upcoming Presidential election, we must look less at past experiences and more at their ability to work with others, and their ability to apply their leadership skills.

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