Leadership

I've talked a lot about leadership - in particular about how the GOP doesn't have any and hasn't had any in a long time.

Let's talk about some of America's best leaders and what MADE them leaders.  In no particular order:

• George Washington
• Abraham Lincoln
• FDR
• Ronald Reagan
• Clinton
• Obama

Yes, I put Obama on that list.  Read more to find out why.

First, George Washington.  His leadership is to a large extent why America is great.  He was offered kingship and refused.  He was offered a third term and refused.  His shining example turned us into a country that had real democratic principles, as opposed to merely another dictatorship pretending to be a democracy.

Abraham Lincoln led the country where it did not want to go.  The country was divided and he united it - not by doing what was most popular, but by doing what was right.  Note he did not pull them in at breakneck speed - he wanted to do everything SLOWLY.   He took his own party and forced them to do what was right, then tried to compromise with the Democrats to slowly end slavery.  They refused, broke away, and he responded to their speed by pushing them in the right direction.  The south was the reason why slavery was outlawed in the 19th century - if they had kept their mouth shut and accepted their lessened power, Slavery would have hung on probably into the 20th century.

FDR  First and foremost, recognize that FDR ended Washington's tradition and went for a third (and fourth) term.   He did so only under the direst of needs (World War II).   Before then, he created the New Deal, which totally changed politics in America (called the New Deal Party System).   He turned Democrats into liberals - and began recruiting blacks to the party that had once insisted that all blacks were less than human and should be slaves.  Then he ran for a third term, which violated Washington's tradition.   He led us through the war, creating among other things Nuclear weapons, which have dominated international politics ever since.

Ronald Reagan revitalized the GOP, starting it down the path it has become - a conservative party in favor of low taxes (which Reagan preached but did not follow), states rights (remember back before FDR it was the DEMOCRATS that tried to rebel because they valued states rights), etc.

Clinton brought us a new Democrat party.  He kicked the extremists out, and turned it into the party of compromise.  We used that compromise to win battle after battle for his two terms.  He went for limited government, against FDR.

Then Bush came over and ended the Compromise.  Obama led the Democratic party by returning to the roots of community activism.  He strengthened the local powers, and ended the long history of low democrat turnout.

All six of these leaders changed the way modern politics worked.  But most importantly note how many of them basically did the opposite of their predecessors

FDR abandoned Washington's greatest accomplishment.  Reagan and Clinton worked agaisn the New Deal.   Obama reversed against Clinton's low power federal government.

Why?  Because the truth is always moderation.  When someone comes up with a good idea they run with it - and charge with it- till it becomes abusive.  Then the next big idea will almost HAVE to run directly counter to the last one.

Low taxes are great - when your taxes are too high and destroying the economy.  But when lesser men try to continue the practice of lowering taxes, eventually they drop too low.  Then a new hero must come out and champion higher taxes - to pay our bills.  It takes a while to find the perfect balance and ALWAYS requires some back and forth.