Did I just roll my eyes out Loud?

The role of the Monday morning quarterback has become the model for politics today.  We have a group of publicity seeking short term thinkers who simply dump on any idea that doesn't serve their own selfish addenda.  They are quick to belittle any attempt to govern while they offer no alternative.  In most cases they have no alternative; they only criticize any attempt to do something.  A leader leads. A leader offers a path, a way to go.  

A leader is not someone who complains about the path being taken without offering an alternative route.  Unless you are able to fly the plane you should not gripe about the flight plan. 

This last week marks the 50th time that the Republican party has tried to gut Obamacare.  While no plan is perfect, including this one, the good it accomplishes must out weigh its imperfections.  While lots of time and effort has gone into the 50 attempts to destroy the program, no effort has been made to propose an alternate program. That is not leadership that is destructive narcissism. Doing nothing is better than actively attempting to do harm. 

The same with the Iranian Nuclear Agreement.  While it may not be perfect, while we may not trust the Iranians, it is at least a step forward.  The alternative offered from the detractors is, well, nothing.  Their solution is just draw a line in the sand and prepare for war.  That has worked so well for us in that region during the last dozen years.

Mike Huckabee offers no solution to the Iranian solution, he simply denounces the hard work done by several countries using metaphors that are offensive, insensitive and salacious. His "marching to the ovens" comment is the latest.  Even his justification for using such a statement makes no sense.  He said, "I have been to Auschwitz three times and I have stood in front of those ovens, so I know how it feels."   Really? Mike, I have been to the Viet Nam war memorial four times and I do not know how it feels to be a dead Viet Nam vet. For that statement alone you have disqualified yourself as a serious contender for President of the United States.  Not that he has a serious chance at the nomination. 

Huckabee is not alone in his ignorance, nor lack of any realistic chance. Most everyone in the crowded clown car of the GOP is clueless.  Donald Trump has no ideas, he just throws tomatoes at others who are trying to help.  His popularity is based on the misguided idea that leadership is the equivalent of belittling the leaders. Show me some candidates who have a plan to move forward not a plan to dismantle the progress already made. Politics used to be the art of compromise, the art of working with people who had ideas completely different from your own.  Now it is just a group of spoiled children who want their way or they will not play. They are not concerned with the status of the country, only their own popularity. It is a  group of bullies who want the power to get their way. 

A leader is not a bully.  A leader is not a celebrity.  A leader is not a dictator. A leader is not a spoiled child. A leader is not a critic who can only denounce a plan without offering any of his own.  I am tired of voting for the lessor of evils. I am tired of voting for the person who is least offensive. I want to vote for a person who has ideas that are good for the country and not those that service the entitled few. I want to vote for someone, not against the someone. 

It is still 15 months away from the actual vote.  But so far all I see is the same old guard, with the same old ideas of deconstruction rather than a new plan. My kids have no optimism for the future. Why should they?  With all the optimism we had when we were their age,  look what we got stuck with. One percent of the country milking the other 99% dry.  America can become great again... but it can only do that if it changes to the positive and turns from the negative.  So far I don't see anyone who can lead us there. 

As you were,

Jay