You know what a “yes man” is – right? They are typically mid-level supervisors whose main value is their willingness to agree with everything the boss says and call it inspired. Good leaders ignore these leeches; bad leaders promote them.
The problem with “yes-men,” is that they shield the boss from reality. The Boss then, basking in manufactured glory, sits fat, dumb and happy while it all comes crashing down around him. In a culture of “yes men,” everyone eventually loses.
Too many in the Trump camp are becoming yes-men.
I was reading a column Last week where a conservative pundit was questioning Trumps commitment to freedom of the press. In the comments, an obvious Trump supporter lambasted the reporter for questioning Trump when all his efforts (according to this Trump supporter) should be targeted at Clinton. “Questioning Trump,” the commenter wrote, “was doing nothing more than helping the Clinton campaign.”
That simply is not true.
Only in the upside down world of Trumpian politics does questioning our political leaders equate to supporting the opposition. It is our patriotic duty to speak up and let political leaders know what we think. To do less is to ignore our responsibility as citizens of the republic.
Many Trump supporters claim they like Trump because he is not a politician. They’re joking – right?
Trump is the ultimate populist politician – a master at using entertainment, shock and awe to garner political support for his political ambitions – regardless of his policies.
And it has worked, so far.
But is there any doubt, in any rational mind, that Trump tests the political wind every morning before deciding which way to blow.
Therefore, questioning Trump serves two valuable purposes.
First, it builds consensus that Trump, the politician, feels compelled to follow.
Why do you think, after refusing for days to support the re-election of House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, Trump finally announced last Friday that he would support both? Just like any politician faced with a strong voice of the people, he reacted in his own political interest, and in this case, did the right thing.
Second, if we abandon our principles just to get someone elected, isn’t that defeating our own cause?
Doesn’t that put us in the same boat with those politicians who will say or do anything to get elected?
And is that really what being Republican is all about – electing anyone, as long as Republican is attached to their name?
If, as the Trump supporter said in his response to the columnist, Trump is our only realistic choice for beating Hillary, we need to push him to the right at every opportunity. He needs to understand that he needs conservatives to win, and that many conservatives are still not convinced.
In a recent Washington Post poll, 70 percent of the respondents said they were anxious about Trump becoming president. If Trump shows no willingness to respect conservative principles, what is the advantage of voting for him over Hillary? It would serve us better to start concentrating on Congressional races and hope the founder’s design of checks and balances is enough to get us through another four years of feckless presidential leadership.
Right now, the only reason I will vote for Trump is his promise to select conservative judges to the Supreme Court. If he is good to his word, we will at least have conservative leaders in two out of the three branches of government.
Abraham Lincoln, who some consider the greatest President, was known to select Cabinet members that disagreed with him just to make sure he was getting a fair picture of the Country’s situation. He was also brilliant at dealing with personal political attacks. Once, after hearing he had been called a “damn fool” by the Secretary of War, responded, “Well, Stanton speaks what is on his mind, and he is usually right about what he speaks, so if he called me a damn fool, I must be a damn fool. I will go to him now and find out why.”
Not exactly a Trumpian response – was it.
Even if I concede (and I am not ready to do that yet) that Trump would be a good President, I will never be a “yes-man” for any candidate – it’s bad for politics and bad for democracy. If I have to choose between horrible and catastrophic, I want the candidates, the party and the public to know how I feel, and that I will try, as best I can, to move horrible closer to my way of thinking.
I suggest you do the same.
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The Founders Tavern 
The power of honest critisism
Posted in Political Commentary, tagged conservative, republican, trump on August 12, 2016| Leave a Comment »
You know what a “yes man” is – right? They are typically mid-level supervisors whose main value is their willingness to agree with everything the boss says and call it inspired. Good leaders ignore these leeches; bad leaders promote them.
The problem with “yes-men,” is that they shield the boss from reality. The Boss then, basking in manufactured glory, sits fat, dumb and happy while it all comes crashing down around him. In a culture of “yes men,” everyone eventually loses.
Too many in the Trump camp are becoming yes-men.
I was reading a column Last week where a conservative pundit was questioning Trumps commitment to freedom of the press. In the comments, an obvious Trump supporter lambasted the reporter for questioning Trump when all his efforts (according to this Trump supporter) should be targeted at Clinton. “Questioning Trump,” the commenter wrote, “was doing nothing more than helping the Clinton campaign.”
That simply is not true.
Only in the upside down world of Trumpian politics does questioning our political leaders equate to supporting the opposition. It is our patriotic duty to speak up and let political leaders know what we think. To do less is to ignore our responsibility as citizens of the republic.
Many Trump supporters claim they like Trump because he is not a politician. They’re joking – right?
Trump is the ultimate populist politician – a master at using entertainment, shock and awe to garner political support for his political ambitions – regardless of his policies.
And it has worked, so far.
But is there any doubt, in any rational mind, that Trump tests the political wind every morning before deciding which way to blow.
Therefore, questioning Trump serves two valuable purposes.
First, it builds consensus that Trump, the politician, feels compelled to follow.
Why do you think, after refusing for days to support the re-election of House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, Trump finally announced last Friday that he would support both? Just like any politician faced with a strong voice of the people, he reacted in his own political interest, and in this case, did the right thing.
Second, if we abandon our principles just to get someone elected, isn’t that defeating our own cause?
Doesn’t that put us in the same boat with those politicians who will say or do anything to get elected?
And is that really what being Republican is all about – electing anyone, as long as Republican is attached to their name?
If, as the Trump supporter said in his response to the columnist, Trump is our only realistic choice for beating Hillary, we need to push him to the right at every opportunity. He needs to understand that he needs conservatives to win, and that many conservatives are still not convinced.
In a recent Washington Post poll, 70 percent of the respondents said they were anxious about Trump becoming president. If Trump shows no willingness to respect conservative principles, what is the advantage of voting for him over Hillary? It would serve us better to start concentrating on Congressional races and hope the founder’s design of checks and balances is enough to get us through another four years of feckless presidential leadership.
Right now, the only reason I will vote for Trump is his promise to select conservative judges to the Supreme Court. If he is good to his word, we will at least have conservative leaders in two out of the three branches of government.
Abraham Lincoln, who some consider the greatest President, was known to select Cabinet members that disagreed with him just to make sure he was getting a fair picture of the Country’s situation. He was also brilliant at dealing with personal political attacks. Once, after hearing he had been called a “damn fool” by the Secretary of War, responded, “Well, Stanton speaks what is on his mind, and he is usually right about what he speaks, so if he called me a damn fool, I must be a damn fool. I will go to him now and find out why.”
Not exactly a Trumpian response – was it.
Even if I concede (and I am not ready to do that yet) that Trump would be a good President, I will never be a “yes-man” for any candidate – it’s bad for politics and bad for democracy. If I have to choose between horrible and catastrophic, I want the candidates, the party and the public to know how I feel, and that I will try, as best I can, to move horrible closer to my way of thinking.
I suggest you do the same.
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