Bob Smith: Holding Out For A Hero
[Former Senator Bob Smith (R-NH), known as “Senator Bob,” has joined Accuracy in Media as a Special Contributor. His columns and commentaries on media and politics will be available on a regular basis on the AIM website at www.aim.org. He can be contacted at senatorbobsmith@comcast.net.]
What do Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, William Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all have in common? Alright, you got the easy part, but what was their preparation for the White House? All 10 of these men were either governors, U.S. Senators or Members of Congress before assuming the presidency (or the vice-presidency).
Over the last 80 years only one man came directly to the presidency from a discipline other than politics. Dwight D. Eisenhower served two terms from 1953-1961, after an unprecedented and distinguished military career culminating in the Allied victory in World War II. Two other presidents in this time frame, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, served as governor and congressman, respectively, before assuming the presidency. However, Reagan had a career as an actor and political activist before entering politics and Bush served in many prominent government positions between his congressional term and the presidency. In summary, out of the last 13 U.S. presidents, only Eisenhower came to the White House with no political background.
It is true that throughout American history the vast majority of U.S. presidents came from a political background and many of them, regardless of political persuasion, were recognized as strong effective leaders. So why start the list with FDR? The New Deal, under President Roosevelt, was the incubation of the vast network of spending programs and government intrusion into the private sector, which started the spiral of big and expensive government. We have never recovered. The cancer started in 1933 and the tumor has spread to our vital organs and requires emergency and unconventional treatment.
None of these men assumed the presidency with a fifteen trillion dollar debt, which will be the fate of whomever is elected in 2012. This debt threatens the very survival of America as a free nation. If the servicing of that debt were at six percent, the interest alone would be over $900 billion per year and will soon become a trillion, if it is not harnessed and reversed. This debt means that we depend upon China and other creditors for our survival. It means that we could quickly lose our ability to build the defenses to protect our people and control our borders, and payments such as social security and veterans’ benefits will not be met. In addition, our Constitution could be discarded in anarchy and we could have rioting in the streets that would make Egypt look like a picnic in the park. You think it cannot happen here? Think again. The fall from a world power to a debtor nation would make us as vulnerable domestically as internationally. We are at the crossroads and we need a leader to move us out of the morass....
Read entire article at Accuracy in Academia
What do Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, William Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all have in common? Alright, you got the easy part, but what was their preparation for the White House? All 10 of these men were either governors, U.S. Senators or Members of Congress before assuming the presidency (or the vice-presidency).
Over the last 80 years only one man came directly to the presidency from a discipline other than politics. Dwight D. Eisenhower served two terms from 1953-1961, after an unprecedented and distinguished military career culminating in the Allied victory in World War II. Two other presidents in this time frame, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, served as governor and congressman, respectively, before assuming the presidency. However, Reagan had a career as an actor and political activist before entering politics and Bush served in many prominent government positions between his congressional term and the presidency. In summary, out of the last 13 U.S. presidents, only Eisenhower came to the White House with no political background.
It is true that throughout American history the vast majority of U.S. presidents came from a political background and many of them, regardless of political persuasion, were recognized as strong effective leaders. So why start the list with FDR? The New Deal, under President Roosevelt, was the incubation of the vast network of spending programs and government intrusion into the private sector, which started the spiral of big and expensive government. We have never recovered. The cancer started in 1933 and the tumor has spread to our vital organs and requires emergency and unconventional treatment.
None of these men assumed the presidency with a fifteen trillion dollar debt, which will be the fate of whomever is elected in 2012. This debt threatens the very survival of America as a free nation. If the servicing of that debt were at six percent, the interest alone would be over $900 billion per year and will soon become a trillion, if it is not harnessed and reversed. This debt means that we depend upon China and other creditors for our survival. It means that we could quickly lose our ability to build the defenses to protect our people and control our borders, and payments such as social security and veterans’ benefits will not be met. In addition, our Constitution could be discarded in anarchy and we could have rioting in the streets that would make Egypt look like a picnic in the park. You think it cannot happen here? Think again. The fall from a world power to a debtor nation would make us as vulnerable domestically as internationally. We are at the crossroads and we need a leader to move us out of the morass....