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The President is not our national savior

Bullseye

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I came across this article earlier today and decided it might make an interesting discussion.

Neither Left nor Right sees the president as the Framers saw him: a constitutionally constrained chief executive with an important, but limited job: to defend the country when attacked, check Congress when it violates the Constitution, enforce the law—and little else. Today, for conservatives as well as liberals, it is the president’s job to protect us from harm, to ‘grow the economy,’ to spread democracy and American ideals abroad, and even to heal spiritual malaise…

Further:

Healy notes that few people, “find anything amiss in the notion that it is the president’s duty to solve all large national problems and to unite us all in the service of a higher calling.” Like fish that do not notice the water they swim in, “The vision of the president as national guardian and redeemer is so ubiquitous that it goes unnoticed.”

The “vision of the president as national guardian,” Healy argues, is not “appropriate for a self-governing republic” or a “limited, constitutional government.”

We see examples of this every day on DP. We frequently imply all the President has to do is wave his hand or flip a switch and whatever he wants done will magically occur. The reality is far more complex. First off the Constitution is pretty clear on how the Founders thought things should run; the Powers of the President and Congress are pretty well delineated (or "enumerated". And after over two hundred years those lines are pretty blurry.

To accomplish most things the President has to work with Congress - half of which didn't want him to get the job. He's the Command in Chief of the military but requires agreement with Congress (in most cases) to employ it; he annually prepares a budget which Congress typically ignores.

Anyway, the link makes some interesting observations - maybe even some worthy of discussion.
 

Moot

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Another interesting observation is that the office of the presidency gets more powerful with each newly elected president.
 

Praxas

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I came across this article earlier today and decided it might make an interesting discussion.



Further:



We see examples of this every day on DP. We frequently imply all the President has to do is wave his hand or flip a switch and whatever he wants done will magically occur. The reality is far more complex. First off the Constitution is pretty clear on how the Founders thought things should run; the Powers of the President and Congress are pretty well delineated (or "enumerated". And after over two hundred years those lines are pretty blurry.

To accomplish most things the President has to work with Congress - half of which didn't want him to get the job. He's the Command in Chief of the military but requires agreement with Congress (in most cases) to employ it; he annually prepares a budget which Congress typically ignores.

Anyway, the link makes some interesting observations - maybe even some worthy of discussion.

so then you admit Trump is lying when he says that violence will be worse Because of Biden. You can't have it both ways. Either the president IS the cause of the violence or he isn't. Make up your minds. Seems you Trump supporters and Trump want to claim Biden will be the source of the violence if he is elected but then don't feel Trump is the source of the violence NOW. Make up your minds.
 

Xilnik

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so then you admit Trump is lying when he says that violence will be worse Because of Biden. You can't have it both ways. Either the president IS the cause of the violence or he isn't. Make up your minds. Seems you Trump supporters and Trump want to claim Biden will be the source of the violence if he is elected but then don't feel Trump is the source of the violence NOW. Make up your minds.

I made this point a few days ago and received a word salad response. Good luck!
 

Aurora

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so then you admit Trump is lying when he says that violence will be worse Because of Biden. You can't have it both ways. Either the president IS the cause of the violence or he isn't. Make up your minds. Seems you Trump supporters and Trump want to claim Biden will be the source of the violence if he is elected but then don't feel Trump is the source of the violence NOW. Make up your minds.

This uncorked after the Floyd event. Trump had no involvement with Minneapolis exploding in violence. Enraged people couldn't wait for the local authority to act. It was literally mob justice. Eight minutes of video caused the greatest 10 days of violence. later evidence getting released shows another side of the story. The damage was done.
 

Praxas

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This uncorked after the Floyd event. Trump had no involvement with Minneapolis exploding in violence. Enraged people couldn't wait for the local authority to act. It was literally mob justice. Eight minutes of video caused the greatest 10 days of violence. later evidence getting released shows another side of the story. The damage was done.

Great, so then Biden wouldn't be causing more violence then as Trump claimed. You guys have to make up your minds.
 

Acadia

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This uncorked after the Floyd event. Trump had no involvement with Minneapolis exploding in violence. Enraged people couldn't wait for the local authority to act. It was literally mob justice. Eight minutes of video caused the greatest 10 days of violence. later evidence getting released shows another side of the story. The damage was done.
If Minneapolis' soyboi mayor had the cajones to keep his city under control and not cede the police station to the mob of thugs to burn down, we'd be in a different place with him laying down the law, and setting the example.
 

Bullseye

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so then you admit Trump is lying when he says that violence will be worse Because of Biden. You can't have it both ways. Either the president IS the cause of the violence or he isn't. Make up your minds. Seems you Trump supporters and Trump want to claim Biden will be the source of the violence if he is elected but then don't feel Trump is the source of the violence NOW. Make up your minds.
WTF are you talking about? Do you even grasp the theme of the thread or are you just spewing your typical horse****?
 

RabidAlpaca

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I love how when a Republican is in office and things are going poorly, conservatives pretend the president is a powerless ceremonial position. Sorry, Americans want a LEADER.

If who's president doesn't actually mean anything, you won't mind when we elect Biden.
 

AmNat

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I came across this article earlier today and decided it might make an interesting discussion.



Further:



We see examples of this every day on DP. We frequently imply all the President has to do is wave his hand or flip a switch and whatever he wants done will magically occur. The reality is far more complex. First off the Constitution is pretty clear on how the Founders thought things should run; the Powers of the President and Congress are pretty well delineated (or "enumerated". And after over two hundred years those lines are pretty blurry.

To accomplish most things the President has to work with Congress - half of which didn't want him to get the job. He's the Command in Chief of the military but requires agreement with Congress (in most cases) to employ it; he annually prepares a budget which Congress typically ignores.

Anyway, the link makes some interesting observations - maybe even some worthy of discussion.

It is true that the general understanding of the Presidency is delusional (insofar as people often attribute quasi-magical powers to the President), but the "constitutional" view of the Presidency is equally disconnected from the reality of American government.

In truth the President is a figurehead, not as much of a figurehead as Elizabeth II, though Queen Victoria wouldn't be far off. The country is actually governed by the civil service, which should be thought of as including not only the federal bureaucracy, but also the media (which tells the bureaucracy what to do) and academia (which trains both). Congress is still an important nexus of power (since it fixes budgets), but the days when its members could actually thwart the civil service are long gone (the last one to try went down in disgrace).
 

Praxas

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WTF are you talking about? Do you even grasp the theme of the thread or are you just spewing your typical horse****?

I understand it just fine. Trump supporting hypocrites are the ones looking like LYING FOOLS. Typical Bullseye, losing again. :lamo
 

AmNat

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I love how when a Republican is in office and things are going poorly, conservatives pretend the president is a powerless ceremonial position. Sorry, Americans want a LEADER.

If who's president doesn't actually mean anything, you won't mind when we elect Biden.

Repeal the civil service laws and we could have leaders again.
 

Aurora

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If Minneapolis' soyboi mayor had the cajones to keep his city under control and not cede the police station to the mob of thugs to burn down, we'd be in a different place with him laying down the law, and setting the example.

If Minneapolis was crushed early on, maybe the other riots would not of happened.
 

Aurora

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Great, so then Biden wouldn't be causing more violence then as Trump claimed. You guys have to make up your minds.

Biden remained quiet throughout the entire months of violence. It was complete surrender to BLM and the mobs.
 

Acadia

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If Minneapolis was crushed early on, maybe the other riots would not of happened.

It was the first domino in a never-ending series of dominos.
 

Praxas

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Biden remained quiet throughout the entire months of violence. It was complete surrender to BLM and the mobs.

Yet again, the president doesn't CAUSE the violence so even if Biden said something the violence still would happen. You guys are contradicting yourselves all over the place in your support of Trump. Sad really.
 

SoCal

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I came across this article earlier today and decided it might make an interesting discussion.



Further:



We see examples of this every day on DP. We frequently imply all the President has to do is wave his hand or flip a switch and whatever he wants done will magically occur. The reality is far more complex. First off the Constitution is pretty clear on how the Founders thought things should run; the Powers of the President and Congress are pretty well delineated (or "enumerated". And after over two hundred years those lines are pretty blurry.

To accomplish most things the President has to work with Congress - half of which didn't want him to get the job. He's the Command in Chief of the military but requires agreement with Congress (in most cases) to employ it; he annually prepares a budget which Congress typically ignores.

Anyway, the link makes some interesting observations - maybe even some worthy of discussion.

Yes, I believe the original framers gave little power to the president and you're right, now it's blurry and fuzzy. Although it hasn't happened overnight, the president's power has steadily increased over many decades and there's no turning back.

A;though a president might be the Commander in Chief (in this case a coward with no respect for our military) and he might prepare and propose a budget, but it's Congress who makes the final decision. The American, 'people' (House of Rep) should retain some of the power the framers wrote into the Constitution. Both sides should work together to put a stop any increase in the future...
 

Aurora

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Yet again, the president doesn't CAUSE the violence so even if Biden said something the violence still would happen. You guys are contradicting yourselves all over the place in your support of Trump. Sad really.

The perception is Biden doesn't want to offend the rioters, BLM and anarchists. Those are his voters. Only when public reaction turns against the riots does Biden have to adjust.
 

Praxas

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The perception is Biden doesn't want to offend the rioters, BLM and anarchists. Those are his voters. Only when public reaction turns against the riots does Biden have to adjust.

Yet again, the violence is happening with Trump NOW. Trump is president. So to say he wouldn't have the violence is a LIE. It doesn't matter WHO is president the violence is going to happen. Understand that yet or will you still try to lie?
 

Aurora

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Yet again, the violence is happening with Trump NOW. Trump is president. So to say he wouldn't have the violence is a LIE. It doesn't matter WHO is president the violence is going to happen. Understand that yet or will you still try to lie?

the violence is from Biden voters, so Biden can't speak out against it, unless forced too. Local and state authority has the jurisdiction to deal with their crime problems. They just need the will to do so.

Democrats can't afford to offend the anarchists, looters , rioters, protesters, CHOP squatters, BLM, Antifa. Those are their voters.
 
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CaughtInThe

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our President has no redeeming qualities. no virtues.
 

CaughtInThe

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just think if we were heading into WWIII with Trump as President.



go ahead. throw up.
 

Bullseye

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just think if we were heading into WWIII with Trump as President.



go ahead. throw up.
It could be worse. We could be heading into WW III with Biden as President. :eek:
 

Praxas

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the violence is from Biden voters, so Biden can't speak out against it, unless forced too. Local and state authority has the jurisdiction to deal with their crime problems. They just need the will to do so.

Democrats can't afford to offend the anarchists, looters , rioters, protesters, CHOP squatters, BLM, Antifa. Those are their voters.

Just because they support Biden doesn't mean they are rioting BECAUSE of Biden. You guys have now lost all credibility with your lies and are dismissed. The violence isn't happening BECAUSE of Biden, what moronic comments from you.
 

calamity

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I came across this article earlier today and decided it might make an interesting discussion.



Further:



We see examples of this every day on DP. We frequently imply all the President has to do is wave his hand or flip a switch and whatever he wants done will magically occur. The reality is far more complex. First off the Constitution is pretty clear on how the Founders thought things should run; the Powers of the President and Congress are pretty well delineated (or "enumerated". And after over two hundred years those lines are pretty blurry.

To accomplish most things the President has to work with Congress - half of which didn't want him to get the job. He's the Command in Chief of the military but requires agreement with Congress (in most cases) to employ it; he annually prepares a budget which Congress typically ignores.

Anyway, the link makes some interesting observations - maybe even some worthy of discussion.

Any US president who says our dead soldiers are losers and suckers clearly has the votes of losers and suckers but hardly anyone else.
 
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