Leadership: March Madness

 “A republic, if you can keep it.”

* “Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” That was Founding Father James Madison waxing all too prescient.

* Now more than ever, we could use a “very stable genius” in the White House, one who could pivot to Empathizer-in-chief in a national emergency. Not one who politicizes and pathologically misinforms on everything important, from climate change to “alien” immigration to post-hurricane Puerto Rico to the coronavirus to–whatever’s next up before Trump is voted out before it’s too late.

* Too bad Alec Baldwin wasn’t available for that coronavirus address to the nation by President Trump. He would have been more credible. Trump is out of his league with a TelePrompTer if it doesn’t reflect his favorite last-call, barroom language fit for a “Lock it Up” Trump rally.

* “Leadership: Whatever happens, you’re responsible. If it doesn’t happen, you’re responsible.” That was Trump targeting and trolling Barack Obama in 2013.

* “No, I don’t take responsibility at all.” That was Trump in a March 2020 press conference, responding to a question about this country’s flagrant delay in coronavirus testing. Presumably,his disbanding of the White House pandemic office in 2018 was just an ironic coincidence.

* “The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation far beyond what the facts would warrant.” Yes, that was the Inflamer-in-chief doing what he does–undoing confidence in government wherewithal in a time of crisis.

* The European Union was insulted, angered and worse over America’s unilateral decision on a travel ban from Europe. This is not how the world confronts a common enemy. Not that Americans or Europeans should be shocked, even by something that is so globally counterproductive. We saw it coming with Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, renouncing the Iran nuclear deal and pleasing Vladimir Putin by periodically demeaning and threatening to withdraw from NATO. 

Speaking of NATO, recall that after 9/11, the NATO alliance stepped up and invoked Article V of its charter that an attack on one–such as the U.S.–was an attack on all. That was then; this is not.

* Here’s an ironic quote: “I believe that together we can make America great again.” That was Bill Clinton, courtesy of the four-part Hulu documentary “Hillary,” announcing his 1992 candidacy for president of an America that didn’t look like this version.

* I miss Ronald Reagan. He was a nice guy and could credibly read a speech.

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