Election 2010 Leadership | An Independent Voters View

It’s now 22 days until the next election; seems like a good time to talk about the leadership aspects in the current political debate. There are of course many on both sides of this issue since this is where the opponents of the President and his Democrat majority, holler the loudest. It is also the point that the Dems themselves point out their ‘accomplishments’ over the last two years and proclaim the leadership of the President and all congressional Democrats on making tough decisions and getting the job done.

First let’s look at that elusive term ‘Leadership’ its one of those things that is hard to define but most of us know it when we see it. My personal definition of it is the ability to get people to willingly do things that maybe difficult or even harmful to their interest due to the strength of your personality . This may be accomplished in many ways but the most common attributes of effective leaders is the ability to set up a two way empathy between the leader and those being led that assures, or confirms the trust, confidence, and loyalty that the tasks at hand will result in the common good and are necessary to achieve a certain result while minimizing the pain.

I would contend that there is a void in these traits at the highest levels of both parties. In fact the void is so large that for an Independent Voter it is almost (not quite) enough to say a pox on them all and I’ll not vote for any one. For me at least this is not an option since I know how much blood has been shed to assure the right and obligation for me.

So how do we determine the ‘best’ choice in this political year? Let’s start with honesty. The art form of disingenuous communication is known as ‘Political Spin’. In the military we called it quibbling, this process is so frowned upon in the military that it is a violation of the Honor Code at the Military Academies, it is in fact looked upon with I think even more disdain than on outright lie because with a lie you can give the benefit of the doubt to the accused of having bad information and making an ‘honest mistake’, if you quibble however, you have to think the process through and carefully develop a phrase or argument that is less than truthful but msked by some accepted truth. No room for this behavior among those with whom you must place the lives of soldiers and the accomplishment of a mission.

Now you may begin to understand the disdain I hold in particular for The President, Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid, Minority Leader Boehner, and closer to home both the candidates for the Governor of Georgia.  This also may help you understand how I can vote for someone even when we have disagreements on an issue. If the disagreement is honest and based on facts, (as opposed to spin) I can agree to disagree and hope for the best.

An example of this is my Congressman Rep Jack Kingston , (R 1^st Dist Ga). He voted against the TARP funding and then later the stimulus bills. I think on the initial TARP bill he was wrong, our economic system was in free fall that had no visible bottom, while I am not a fan of big banks or insurance companies, it was in my view a necessary thing to do. Where I think it went wrong was the subsequent bailout of the car companies etc, When I pointed this out to him in January of 2009 he didn’t explain his vote with spin, he just plain stated his concerns and said he had to vote the way he did to be honest to himself and his constituents.

He has an opponent in his race for the house seat, Mr Oscar Harris (D) who has essentially avoided any questions or interviews during this campaign. In fact I still cannot find any news story of him campaigning at all. I did manage to get in contact with Mr Harris and offered him the chance to answer email questions and after sending him the questions he has not replied in four weeks. The questions follow

1. Oscar, not many folks in the First District know you please tell us about yourself.

2. What particular experience do you have that qualifies you for Public Office?

3. What do you see as the most important issue for voters in the upcoming election?

4. Would you support re-writing the Healthcare Reform act? If so what needs to change?

5. Do you support the additional Stimulus spending proposed this last weekend by President Obama?

6. What are your thoughts on the pending Cap and Trade Energy Legislation?

7. What are your thoughts and positions on the Global War on Terror Operations?

8. If elected, what would you do in support of our Veterans?

9. Is there anything else you would like to add?

His inability, or refusal to answer these fundamental questions amount to political quibbling on his part and I have no more time to devote to an individual that hides out when people are trying to make an informed choice.

On to other fish at the fryers, BreakfastPop has issues with the leadership of President Obama, while LRCBlogger has taken issue with the Republicans Pledge to America. Both make some good points. The issue I have with The Pledge, and for that matter the Democrats as well, is that this campaign is still focused on what lies behind us. The Repubs have shifted it a bit to what lies ahead but in the current spin format I am not impressed. Where are the specifics of Medicare, Social Security, Health Care, and deficit reforms hinted at in the pledge? The Dems have no ideas for the future out there so we have to look at the crap that they have handed to us or is still pending. The big quibble of “If you like your health insurance you’ll be able to keep it.” Well we didn’t say your current policy premiums would remain the same; you should blame the big insurance companies they are the evil ones.

Mike NV has some interesting thoughts on the election ahead but then in the second half of his essay goes into the ‘truther/ birther’ stuff that is for me a bit over the top. Look folks, if Justice Clarence Thomas refuses to “Cert” a case about this along with all four of the other conservative Justices. Then I just can’t see the point in propagating it. Things are what they are, Barrack Hussein Obama is our President, and the only thing that is going to change that at this point is the election of 2012, focus on that.

Perrya makes some comments about the Meg Whitman maid situation in his hub, and is I think the first glance point of view of most folks.

Pcoach Takes an opposing point of view in his hub. I strongly recommend both for more understanding of this issue.

My take on it is the devil here is in the details when you find out that the Whitman’s did in fact try to use common safeguards to avoid hiring Illegals and because of the lies and falsifications of documents on the part of the maid. They failed, additionally when their employee admitted to them she had lied, the Whitman’s to the only legal step available to them, and fired her. Whether or not it was reluctantly as stated etc, is believable or not, I leave to California Voters. I do think in the all in all she is probably a better choice than your previous failed governor who like the Democrat in Georgia is trying to resurrect himself by rewriting his own history.

Another side take on this issue is that Dems have recently tried to tag Lou Dobbs with the same poop stick. It didn’t work, and the fact that it is now going around like a cold virus, it looks more and more like its simple Dem’s dirty Tricks to cast doubt on the character of their opponents.

Tom Witworth also has a hub on voting this year and I commend it to you as well.

The difference between leadership and stubbornness is a fine line; as it is between ideas and dogma. I am disappointed that there is so much of the later and so little of the former on the part of both parties. I would also say that my leanings are mostly at this point Republican since the ads I am seeing down here in Georgia, tend to be issue based on their part, and personal on the Dems part. The Attack ads just do not play well with me.