Thursday, September 08, 2005

The Snowdens of Yesteryear

We read a lot these days about what the country needs now. The left needs a Democratic version of George W. Bush. The right needs a Republican version of Franklin Roosevelt. We need a strong leader to make things right. We need a Lincoln. We need a Churchill. We need a Patton.

I think we need a soft spoken, not terribly bright seeming, not too good looking person to step in and take the reigns of power reluctantly.

I think we need another Gerald Ford.

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The second worst era of my American experience was the end of the Nixon reign. The country had been torn apart by Vietnam, Watergate and the resignation in disgrace of the leader of the free world.

Gerry Ford, who had no mandate whatsoever--he'd been appointed as Spiro Agnew's replacement by general consensus of the Congress--had no big plans, or ideas, or ideologies to push.

He willingly committed political suicide for the good (and sanity) of the nation when he pardoned Richard Nixon.

And he sat back while Chevy Chase made fun of him every Saturday night, and while the nation healed itself through its own inherent mechanisms.

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Where is the Gerald Ford of yesteryear? I’m starting to think he's in Congress right now. Little Dennis Kucinich, who never once flip-flopped on his policies or his voting record while running for president in 'O4, is looking taller and taller to me every day.

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:56 PM

    Just like Dean, Kucinich will never be accepted by the (d)'s. He won't play their DLC game.

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  2. Well, my actual point is that the last time we had a horribly failed presidency, the guy who "led" us out of it was kind of a Casper Milquetoast.

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  3. I liked Gerry Ford. As much as people beat him up about pardoning Nixon, I thought he did the right thing. The worst thing anyone could ever say about him was that he was clumsy. That was the best they could do on SNL!

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  4. Yeah, Doug, I think it was the right thing to do, and Ford knew he'd catch hell for it. My cut is that he put the country before himself or his party.

    When's the last time you saw a politician do that?

    Jeff

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  5. Anonymous1:04 PM

    The only Casper Milquetoast scenario I can see is Dan Quayle replacing Dick Cheney for health problems, then something happening to Dubya. I don't think the outcome would be as good.

    Dennis Kucinich would probably do a good job as President, maybe even great, but it'll never happen. The (d)'s want DLC'ers, who will toe the dino line, not leaders trying to take the party somewhere. That scares the hell out of them.

    You say the Democrats need a Democratic version of George W. Bush. That's what Dean was. Someone popular enough to get in, but who sometimes said the wrong thing. The (d)'s worked harder to tear him apart than the (r)'s ever did. Kucinich would get the same.

    Better get used to thinking Hillary. She'll be the designated loser in '08. Just keep those special interest dollars coming in. That's what's really important.

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  6. William, thanks for stopping by.

    To clarify, I'm not the one saying the Dems need a George W. Bush. I'm saying that's the last thing they need.

    RE: Hillary...

    She's a Republican now, isn't she?

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  7. Anonymous1:52 PM

    Do those little letters really matter anymore. Maybe both parties whould just replace the (d) and (r) with (s) for sell-out. They can have a vulture replace the donkey and elephant.

    I can remember when politicians from both parties tried to improve this country. Now it's the race for the bottom, and get-while-the-gettin's-good.

    Maybe we can still get our Gerald Ford from Dennis Kucinich. Has Cobb picked anyone for '08 yet?

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  8. William,

    Not that I know of.

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  9. Anonymous11:40 PM

    Pardoning Nixon was bad in the long run. Bush's people cut their teeth in the Nixon administration.

    —gmanedit

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  10. Very true, Gman. Is it any wonder they're such a bunch of thugs.

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  11. Anonymous10:39 AM

    Dennis flipflopped on abortion.

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  12. I'll have to check that out.

    BTW, I'm not seriously pushing Kucinich as a candidate. My contention is that we don't need another "strong" leader.


    Jeff

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