- Mar 31, 2009
- 105,951
- 88,894
- 3,605
More at the link, I highlighted the six mentioned. I totally agree with Gates on all six points
A 2016 checklist from a man who knows what it takes
Robert Gates, who served the last two presidents as secretary of defense, is not known for pulling punches. And he leaves no jabs or hooks left unthrown in an op-ed in the Washington Post describing “The kind of president we need.”
Excerpted below are the qualities Gates lists. I’ll let y’all comment on which qualities apply to the various candidates running for president now. But be forewarned, if you say all of them — even the one about being honest with the public — apply to Hillary Clinton, I’m just going to laugh at you.
1) “We need a president who understands the system of government bequeathed to us by the Founders — and grasps the reality that with power divided among three branches of government, building coalitions and making compromises are the only ways anything lasting can get done. …
2) “Our next leader needs to speak truthfully to the American people. ‘Spinning’ has been a part of the political process since ancient Greece, but as mistrustful as most Americans are today of political leaders, the new president must speak candidly and honestly to the people. …
3) “The next president must be resolute. He or she must be very cautious about drawing red lines in foreign policy, but other leaders must know that crossing a red line drawn by the president of the United States will have serious — even fatal — consequences.”
4) “Our new leader must be a problem-solver. Recently, we have elected presidents with a conservative agenda or a liberal agenda.
5) “We need a president who is restrained. Restrained to respect the prerogatives of the other branches of government. Restrained in rhetoric, avoiding unrealistic promises, exaggerated claims of success and dire consequences if his or her initiatives are not adopted exactly as proposed.
6) “Finally, the most important quality for our next leader at this juncture in our history: The new president must be a true unifier of Americans.
A 2016 checklist from a man who knows what it takes | Kyle Wingfield
A 2016 checklist from a man who knows what it takes
Robert Gates, who served the last two presidents as secretary of defense, is not known for pulling punches. And he leaves no jabs or hooks left unthrown in an op-ed in the Washington Post describing “The kind of president we need.”
Excerpted below are the qualities Gates lists. I’ll let y’all comment on which qualities apply to the various candidates running for president now. But be forewarned, if you say all of them — even the one about being honest with the public — apply to Hillary Clinton, I’m just going to laugh at you.
1) “We need a president who understands the system of government bequeathed to us by the Founders — and grasps the reality that with power divided among three branches of government, building coalitions and making compromises are the only ways anything lasting can get done. …
2) “Our next leader needs to speak truthfully to the American people. ‘Spinning’ has been a part of the political process since ancient Greece, but as mistrustful as most Americans are today of political leaders, the new president must speak candidly and honestly to the people. …
3) “The next president must be resolute. He or she must be very cautious about drawing red lines in foreign policy, but other leaders must know that crossing a red line drawn by the president of the United States will have serious — even fatal — consequences.”
4) “Our new leader must be a problem-solver. Recently, we have elected presidents with a conservative agenda or a liberal agenda.
5) “We need a president who is restrained. Restrained to respect the prerogatives of the other branches of government. Restrained in rhetoric, avoiding unrealistic promises, exaggerated claims of success and dire consequences if his or her initiatives are not adopted exactly as proposed.
6) “Finally, the most important quality for our next leader at this juncture in our history: The new president must be a true unifier of Americans.
A 2016 checklist from a man who knows what it takes | Kyle Wingfield
