Who do you believe are LEADERS in this country, and why?

I can count on my hand how many real leaders we have in government. The rest are political prostitutes. Who do you consider to be a REAL leader in this country, and if you choose to reply, then why?

He's the only true LEADER this party has had in decades.

him do. Still he is much better than most, I agree.

:)

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I'm talking about real leaders who know how to inspire, who are decisive, who stand up for all working Americans and someone who can set out an agenda so clear others will willingly follow. I'm talking about people with GUTS who have the courage to do the right thing. People who can stand up to the oppressors and tell them to go to hell. A person who can get on national television and list every name of every political prostitute who is owned by BP money. And a leader who will call out liars who are attacking the US through their hatespeech like on Fox News and right wing radio. And yes, any real leader should use the word 'LIAR' when describing those who repeatedly and blatantly distort and lie about him.

I remember when the steel industry kept raising the costs of steel when Kennedy was president. Because steel was used in the manufacturing of so many products raising the price of steel would have caused inflation and harm to every American. But Kennedy had the balls to stand up to the steel industry and told them 'lower the prices and lower them now' (paraphrased). The steel industry succumbed and prices were lowered. Kennedy was a leader. So was LBJ who shoved through countless programs even without the majorities Obama has in congress.

If Obama was 1/1000th of LBJ we would have a public option, Gitmo wold beclosed, 'Do ask, Don't Tell' would be eliminated, we'd have tough financial reform, there would be mass firings at the MMS, Cheney & Bush would be indicted already for war crimes and treason, big banks would have been allowed to fail and the bailout money would have gone to the people who were losing their homes, not the corrupt thugs in the banking industry, Wall Street would face severe regulations with most of the top executives in prison by now and BP executives would all be indicted and in prison.

That's what a real leader would do. It's NOT complicated as President Obama likes to say. All it takes is someone who is creative, forceful, and does what is right for our nation and for the American people. If Obama thinks everything is too complicated then he needs to get people who are honest and intelligent who aren't corporate whores and figure out how to do what is right. I am tired of him giving in to the very right wing who caused the near destruction of our country.

I am tired of seeing nothing being done with the president waving a white flag essentially giving up or giving in. That's not why I worked tirelessly to get him elected for a year or why I donated so much money to his campaign. I worked to get a LEADER in the presidency, but unfortunately, what we have right now in the White House is not a leader.

They have the courage of their convictions. They don't just talk about what they believe in...they fight for it - even if they aren't popular for it.

And in Arizona, Terry Goddard.

Look at that Forbes list, they really lead the country around by the nose. They own all the politicians, they have "executive staffs" to tell them everything they think of is wonderful. They make sure the unions don't organize, the taxes aren't raised, the military is prepared, and any infrastructure they might want to use is maintained. They don't care if jobs are shipped to China, that there's no public transportation, that people can't afford medical care, how public schools are, or the environment save for around their many houses. They sprinkle a few dollars here and there, getting their name on hospitals or university endowments, buying the fealty of the modern serf.

To be a leader in this country, you need a multi-million dollar salary, a net worth over a billion, and an attitude like Louis XIV.

When I wrote the OP I knew I wouldn't see very many names listed as leaders. And look at the paltry number of people in the rest of this thread. Isn't it sad we have to really search our brains to even come up with a name? And Obama hasn't even been mentioned even though he is the president.

I remember when government attracted a lot of leaders. And just being successful in business doesn't make a person a 'leader'. People who are heads of companies don't have to lead. All they have to know is to make as much money as possible in any way possible. It has NOTHING to do with leadership.

A guy who is in a foxhole who takes charge or does something heroic who saves another person is a leader. I'd rather have someone like that than ANYONE from our corrupt business world. The LAST people I would want to see in my government are business 'leaders'. We have seen what they have done to our country. They have brought us to the brink of destruction.


In 2000, Bush said "Businesses MUST be allowed to regulate themselves!" We've seen how all that worked out haven't we?

I love your post! It tells it exactly like it is. You told the absolute truth. It's too bad NO ONE in government seems to acknowledge all of the truths contained in your post. Every member of congress should be forced to read it to congress while being recorded on CSPAN.

You are talking about charismatic persuaders of people; I was pointing out the putz who is leading a dumb beast because the beast has a lead rope on it. Obama has charisma and gives persuasive speeches, but the CEO of Wellpoint had the reins of the health care debate.

Cheney was a very effective leader. Not because he had any charisma, because he was devoid of any. No, he could only persuade people who were trained to jump at the ring of a cash register. Fortunately for him, most Americans salivate when money is mentioned, and he rewarded them with enough little treats that they let him run the country (right into the ground). I can't say it any better than the segment of the "Real News" did that is in the videos forum.

And those who followed him were filled with evil.

That's easy.

That would be Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs and Jamie Dimon of Citibank. Also.. all of AIPAC.

Mr. Obama just gets his marching orders from Rahm... and does as he is told.

I do not see elected officials as my leaders. They are my representatives. Many of them are bad representatives.

This drive to think of these people to leaders and look to them for leadership and guidance is not good for the Republic, what little is left of it.

There aren't many of those in Congress. Very few in fact. Paul Wellstone was one of them, but he's gone.

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But local, 94Rock, KZRR 94.1 had a General in the National Gaurd on the radio yesterday morning, talking about the incompetance, displayed by politicians watching the Gulf oil spill reach absolute disasterous proportions, without acting as leaders in any way.

He was in Baton Rouge, very knowledgeable, to the point, believeable, rational, action now/blame later... minded, open to ideas, but had a plan that could/should be put in action, insparational. I have family in New Iberia, have ALWAYS loved everything Louisana, except the humidity. He didn't sound like an agenda driven tool, he sounded like a determined, pissed off, disapointed, home town coon-ass to me, would never have guessed he was in the NG much less a General if Trout hadn't thanked him at the end as "General".

I vote THAT GUY, the politicians are lame.

People these days see congress and the president as characters in a movie or Hollywood actors.
They forget they are largely lawmakers, most are attorneys and from regular places and have homes in towns where people like us live.
for many, they are just average people trying to do their jobs. and keep their jobs.
for others there is a way to make a buck and grab for power and cross the line all the time.
Some are idealists. Some are con artists.
Like any other profession or job, they come in all walks of life.

He has the key to ending these wars and setting the country back on the right track- with the republicans it is all about the money and paying taxes and they just need someone to spell it out for them...


The War is Making You Poor! I love this guy!

"Today, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation called the “War Is Making You Poor Act,” which aims to call attention to a) how much money is being spent to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and b) how budget gimmicks are used to pay for them. Grayson’s legislation would slash the $159 billion request for supplemental war funding and use that money to deliver a tax break for all Americans. Grayson demands the Pentagon use its currently existing $549 billion defense budget to fight the wars. Speaking on the House floor today, Grayson underscored that the point of his legislation is to highlight the costs of the wars:

GRAYSON: So I believe that the thing we need to do is to take that $159 billion that the President has set aside – we’re not saying he has to stop the war, we’re not giving a cut-off date for the war – we’re simply saying you need to fund that out of the base budget of $549 billion. And we take 90 percent of that and give it back to the American people.

And I think most people would be surprised to learn that that is so much money that we’ve been spending on the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq that every single taxpayer in America will be get his first or her first $35,000 of income completely tax free."






So maybe Cheney is the only real leader right now, but Grayson should be.

so I guess that they are the only politicians I'd
categorize as "leaders".

Howard Dean specifically. I trust him to work for
the broader good.

who've been lazy, and thus you see the result.

This is a government of by and for the people.

If you demand to be led, you can be led by anyone, including evil people. You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.

You're waiting for someone to lead you to the promised land. Blatantly waiting for that, rather than doing something. In this country, you are allowed to do something.

Rosa Parks did not wait for a leader to tell her what to do.

On the Federal level, I can think of very few REAL leaders. But in my State (one of only 8 with publicly funded campaigns- aka Clean Elections) I can think of alot of politicians who are doing some very good things for us, their constituents.

We need to get the other 42 States on board with this if we are to have any hope of seeing Clean Elections on the federal level.