• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

There has been a lot of discussion about qualifications

Goodpasture

Well-known member
But in examining the presidencies of the past few cycles, I wonder if there is any real point to trying to "Qualify" a presidential candidate. In every single instance in my life, the men surrounding the President made most the decisions, developed policies, and initiated programs. LBJ was victim of McNamara's war policy. Nixon's paranoia was executed by a number of advisers. Carter didn't HAVE good advisers and tried to micromanage everything. Reagan had good people instituting policies. Bush, Clinton, and Bush all were successful based on the quality of people put into positions of power. Had dubya put Colin Powell in as Sec of Def, we would have gone into Iraq prepared for the insurgencies, with the number of feet on the ground we needed, and would have been finished by now. Rumsfeld alone is responsible for Iraq today.....but it is dubya's fault because he put an incompetent man in the position to lose the war. Same with Brownie. Same with Gonzales. Dubya's incompetence does not come from a lack of vision or ideas, but from an inability to hire good people.

Does Obama have the necessary qualifications? What matters is "does he have the ability to select competent people." Same with Hillary, same with John.

I would suggest, that instead of looking at the president as competent or incompetent, ask yourself, "Does he have the ability to identify competent people" and secondly, "Does he have the ability to articulate a vision and sell it to the public." The first question can only be answered by time. The second must be answered now. And so far, only one voice is persuasive enough to attract both sides of the aisle and cross all generations. And that one is Obama.
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
I think Powell had not been active in politics for quite awhile and was out of the loop, so to speak. He was in Education up to his neck.

But I'm sure there is more to the story.
 

Goodpasture

Well-known member
Mrs.Greg said:
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:
This is precisely what I meant. Dubya has the ability to select good people and put them in the wrong job.....although I cannot imagine Rumsfeld succeeding at anything except bankrupting a business or branch of government. But Dubya's propensity is to put friends in positions of authority regardless of qualifications.
 

Steve

Well-known member
GP
And so far, only one voice is persuasive enough to attract both sides of the aisle and cross all generations. And that one is Obama.

If I agreed with him on the issues, what your advocating would be acceptable...

Assuming he hires good people to implimant his "vision or ideas", then how he feels about those visions and ideals is more important then how he can inspire a crowd of admirers...

he is now preaching to the choir,.. wait until he talks to the masses... before you fall at his feet...
 

Goodpasture

Well-known member
Steve said:
he is now preaching to the choir,...
They all preach to the choir. The difference is, his choir is growing, Hillary's is shrinking, and John is trying to get his choir to come back and listen to him. John alienated the conservative base years ago. They are reluctant to listen. In fact, the ONLY reason they are beginning to listen now is that they hope he will be at least partially in line with their thinking. For years he has not sung their song, now that he is, they aren't sure they trust it. Hillary is losing her voice, and her choir is moving to Obama's. In fact, there are a lot of centrist Republican youth that are joining Obama's choir.
 

Mike

Well-known member
Mrs.Greg said:
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:

Because Rumsfeld was the most qualified:

"Donald Henry "Rummy"[1][2] Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He is both the youngest (43 years old) and the oldest (68 years old) person to have held the position, as well as the only person to have held the position for two non-consecutive terms, and the second longest serving, behind Robert McNamara.

Rumsfeld has also served in various positions under President Richard Nixon, served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, and served as United States Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld was an aviator in the United States Navy between 1954 and 1957 before transferring to the Reserve. In public life, he has also served as an official in numerous federal commissions and councils."
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
Mike said:
Mrs.Greg said:
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:

Because Rumsfeld was the most qualified:

"Donald Henry "Rummy"[1][2] Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He is both the youngest (43 years old) and the oldest (68 years old) person to have held the position, as well as the only person to have held the position for two non-consecutive terms, and the second longest serving, behind Robert McNamara.

Rumsfeld has also served in various positions under President Richard Nixon, served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, and served as United States Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld was an aviator in the United States Navy between 1954 and 1957 before transferring to the Reserve. In public life, he has also served as an official in numerous federal commissions and councils."



How is that more qualifed than an actual " boots on the ground" soldier that Powell is?
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
Mike said:
Mrs.Greg said:
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:

Because Rumsfeld was the most qualified:

"Donald Henry "Rummy"[1][2] Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He is both the youngest (43 years old) and the oldest (68 years old) person to have held the position, as well as the only person to have held the position for two non-consecutive terms, and the second longest serving, behind Robert McNamara.

Rumsfeld has also served in various positions under President Richard Nixon, served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, and served as United States Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld was an aviator in the United States Navy between 1954 and 1957 before transferring to the Reserve. In public life, he has also served as an official in numerous federal commissions and councils."



How is that more qualifed than an actual " boots on the ground" soldier that Powell is?

Lots of ditch diggers can not run a construction company and employee's no matter how many ditches they have dug.

Ps. I am Powell fan, but the explanation seems to fit anyways.
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
aplusmnt said:
kolanuraven said:
Mike said:
Because Rumsfeld was the most qualified:

"Donald Henry "Rummy"[1][2] Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He is both the youngest (43 years old) and the oldest (68 years old) person to have held the position, as well as the only person to have held the position for two non-consecutive terms, and the second longest serving, behind Robert McNamara.

Rumsfeld has also served in various positions under President Richard Nixon, served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, and served as United States Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld was an aviator in the United States Navy between 1954 and 1957 before transferring to the Reserve. In public life, he has also served as an official in numerous federal commissions and councils."



How is that more qualifed than an actual " boots on the ground" soldier that Powell is?

Lots of ditch diggers can not run a construction company and employee's no matter how many ditches they have dug.

Ps. I am Powell fan, but the explanation seems to fit anyways.


If you see Powell as the equivalent of a ditch digger...then he may very well be the ONLY man that can get us out the ditch we've been put into.


P.S. No the explanation DOES NOT fit Powell.
 

Cal

Well-known member
"Does he have the ability to articulate a vision and sell it to the public."

That's what they say made Hitler so dangerous. I am disappointed with the choices that we have left, but will halfheartedly support McCain.
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
aplusmnt said:
kolanuraven said:
How is that more qualifed than an actual " boots on the ground" soldier that Powell is?

Lots of ditch diggers can not run a construction company and employee's no matter how many ditches they have dug.

Ps. I am Powell fan, but the explanation seems to fit anyways.


If you see Powell as the equivalent of a ditch digger...then he may very well be the ONLY man that can get us out the ditch we've been put into.


P.S. No the explanation DOES NOT fit Powell.

If he is truly a boots on the ground soldier I am sure he has dug some trenches aka ditches. :wink:
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
Mike said:
Mrs.Greg said:
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:

Because Rumsfeld was the most qualified:

"Donald Henry "Rummy"[1][2] Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He is both the youngest (43 years old) and the oldest (68 years old) person to have held the position, as well as the only person to have held the position for two non-consecutive terms, and the second longest serving, behind Robert McNamara.

Rumsfeld has also served in various positions under President Richard Nixon, served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, and served as United States Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld was an aviator in the United States Navy between 1954 and 1957 before transferring to the Reserve. In public life, he has also served as an official in numerous federal commissions and councils."
In retrospect though....Did he turn out to be the best man for the job??

Colin Powel is thought very highly of throughout the world you know
 

Mike

Well-known member
Mrs.Greg said:
Mike said:
Mrs.Greg said:
Can I ask a dumb question...Why didn't Bush choose Colin Powel as Sec. of Defence??? He seems to me to have been the obvious choice. :???:

Because Rumsfeld was the most qualified:

"Donald Henry "Rummy"[1][2] Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a businessman, a U.S. Republican politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. He is both the youngest (43 years old) and the oldest (68 years old) person to have held the position, as well as the only person to have held the position for two non-consecutive terms, and the second longest serving, behind Robert McNamara.

Rumsfeld has also served in various positions under President Richard Nixon, served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, and served as United States Ambassador to NATO. Rumsfeld was an aviator in the United States Navy between 1954 and 1957 before transferring to the Reserve. In public life, he has also served as an official in numerous federal commissions and councils."
In retrospect though....Did he turn out to be the best man for the job??

Colin Powel is thought very highly of throughout the world you know

I never said he was the best man for the job. I said he was the most qualified. At the time he was.

I personally like Rummy. His idea of sending less troops to Iraq on the premise that if there are less soldiers, there will be less that die is arguable, but he thought it was the best policy at the time and stood up for what he believed.

Funny how the Dems got on his back about not sending in enough troops to start with, then jumped in the air screaming blood when Bush decided to send more?

Retrospect thinking has always found flaws in any situation, but doesn't change the facts that we cannot predict the future.

There were many unpredictables going in to Iraq. Have we forgotten those soldiers helping to tear down the Saddam sculpture soon after the invasion?

If and when Iraq becomes a Democracy, (they are very close now) the world will be a better place.
 
Top