One of the adages I hear quite often is "The price of leadership is criticism." That statement is very true. Anytime someone occupies a leadership position they are subject to criticism and they will experience criticism. Anyone that occupies a position of leadership knows you won't be in that post for very long without experiencing criticism. That's part of the job. Everybody is different and no leader in any position will please everyone. That's also the case of the presidency of the United States. Every president that's occupied the Oval Office has received criticism. Some of our highest rated presidents such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln experienced criticism when they occupied the Oval Office. Former president Ronald Reagan, whom many conservatives believe was the greatest president in the last century, experienced harsh criticism. I remember when Reagan was president. He was vociferously criticized by the Left. He was criticized for some of the cutbacks that were made in social programs and he was criticized for the buildup in nuclear weapons during his tenure. There was some criticism of Reagan during his term in office that was legitimate as well. When Reagan left office many historians stated that he would go down as the one of the worst presidents of the United States. That was said due to the Iran Contra Scandal that took place during his administration and the spiraling national debt. Criticism will take place regardless who's president.
I've listened to many on the Left criticize right-wingers for always being critical of Barack Obama. If you listen to many conservative radio talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage, they constantly and rightly criticize President Obama's policies and the direction he's leading the nation. I've heard liberal Democrat strategist Bob Beckel say on "Hannity" on Fox News that conservatives always have something derogatory to say about Barack Obama. This poses a great question. Is constant criticism of the president healthy for Americans to listen to? Some of the latest news polls have Barack Obama's approval rating hovering around 45%, which is a low rating at this point in the presidency. It's really intriguing because some of those that chastise conservatives and Republicans didn't have any problem with their vehement attacks upon the former administration. I will say publicly I'm no fan of George W. Bush. I felt many of his policies led us to the Democratic domination of Congress and the presidency of Barack Obama. However, I can remember the Left's vociferous attacks on Bush when our troops were in Iraq. As of present, our troops are still in both Afghanistan and Iraq but I don't hear the left aiming attacks at Obama like they did when Bush was president. However, the issue I want to address is constant criticism of a president healthy for this country?
It will depend upon what the attacks are aimed at. When criticizing a president, we should direct our criticism towards wrong judgment in policies and the direction the country is headed. Is constant criticism of a president unhealthy? If a president is wrong in his policies and if those policies are going to take this country down a path to ruin, then the media must shout to the housetops his fallacies regardless whether it's popular or not. The problem is a lack of objectivity when it comes to criticism of the president. Much of the criticism of the president is for partisan reasons. It's natural that Republicans will criticize him. The same with the Left. I can recall how the left vociferously attacked Bush when our troops went to Iraq. Since President Obama assumed the presidency, he's still continued the same policies of the previous administration in both Iraq and Afghanistan. However, you don't hear the attacks on the Left towards Obama for still continuing the Middle East wars like you heard them criticizing Bush. Is it because the occupier of the White House has the same ideology as Bush's detractors did? It appears that way. If Bush's policies in Iraq and Afghanistan were wrong, then President Obama is just as equally wrong with continuing both the wars in the Middle East. Right is right and wrong is wrong. However, it depends upon association when it comes to criticism. If you're president and you possess the same ideology or are of the same political party as certain members of the news media or major think tanks, then you'll receive a pass and won't be criticized as heavily.
The same thing's true when it comes to conservatives criticizing liberals. A case in point is Rush Limbaugh. Rush is a self-proclaimed conservative radio talk show host. He is a Republican. He's a strong opponent of the Obama administration. He's opposed to the policies of the Democratic Party. He's outspoken in his views toward President Obama. When Bush was in office, Limbaugh was a strong defender of the Bush administration. Bush didn't espouse conservative principles but since he's a Republican, Rush defended him because Rush is a supporter of the elite wing of the Republican Party. If President Clinton had been in office and some of the things that took place during his administration was the same as during the Bush administration, Limbaugh would've vociferously attacked Clinton for it. If Clinton had sent troops to both Iraq and Afghanistan like Bush did and if the same violence took place in Iraq under Clinton like it did under Bush, Limbaugh would've criticized Clinton for it. He would've wondered why are the wars in the Middle East still continuing and aren't won. I guarantee it. Limbaugh was a mouthpiece for the Bush administration. It was terrible. Limbaugh never brought Bush, Cheney, nor the Republicans into accountability when they had control of the White House or Congress. If Limbaugh had asked them the questions he should've asked them when they were in power, the Republicans wouldn't come on his radio program anymore. That's the truth.
Criticism of President Obama is desperately needed because his policies are changing the landscape of America. America's becoming a socialist nation. They are seizing control of the banking industry, the automobile industry, the insurance industry, and they're even trying to pass a new financial regulatory bill. Government wants to nationalize our major institutions in America. President Obama and the Democratic Congress must be stopped. When we criticize the president or Congress, it should directly be aimed at the President or those involved only. Their families shouldn't be a target. Their families shouldn't be scrutinized for the decisions the president and Congress makes. The only way any members of President Obama's family should be mentioned is if they're directly involved in any policy making decision. Otherwise, leave the president's family alone. I don't personally enjoy criticizing the president nor Congress, but we must when the future of the nation is on the line. It must be for the good of the country. The intent of our criticism musn't be for partisan or personal reasons. It's because the future of our children and grandchildren are at stake in America. It's about patriotism. We shouldn't go along with any agenda that would destroy the sovereignty of our country or make our country less secure. It's about America first. I don't like it when there are critics that will criticize but aren't evenhanded in their criticism. Criticism must be right and it must be consistent. If Bush is wrong for a certain policy, then President Obama is just as equally wrong when he espouses the same policies as Bush does. The same goes with George W. Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton. If Clinton was wrong, then Bush was just as equally wrong if he promoted policies that were similar to Clinton's. Criticism must be just, must be able to be proven, and it must be applied consistently. Party labels mean nothing. The problem with political parties is people will hide behind a political party and think because someone in their party does it, it means it's okay. That's not true. President Bush was very wrong when he started the bailout program. That was wrong and unconstitutional. The federal government isn't supposed to bailout private enterprise. President Obama was equally as wrong in continuing the bailouts with AIG, General Motors, and Chrysler.
When a president or any other elected official promotes policies that are destructive to America, they must be criticized when they're wrong, whether they are Democrat or Republican or claim to be a liberal or conservative. Truth is truth. We need objectivity when it comes to criticism of an elected official.
No comments:
Post a Comment