A great leader is one who surrounds himself with great people.
A leader is rarely an expert himself. He relies on specialists below him for policy-specific knowledge and recommendations. A leader looks at the combined whole – the larger view. A leader makes the final decisions. Most importantly, a leader provides guidance to those serving beneath him. A leader sets the moral tone.
There seem to be two generalized views of our presidential candidates.
Hillary Clinton is highly experienced in both politics and policy – including foreign policy. She has been in Washington for decades and has been a Senator, a Secretary of State and the First Lady. She knows other international leaders personally. She is also corrupt.
Donald Trump has no experience in politics. He is a loose cannon who often speaks before he thinks. His policy experience is limited at best. He has never held public office. He is also a self-made billionaire who has governed a business empire. He has never faced indictment, been convicted of a crime or faced any serious criminal charges.
Trump is a political unknown, yet he has built the single largest political movement we have ever seen – virtually overnight. He has no need for political office – his wealth makes this election an inconvenience not a necessity. Trump’s Contract with the American Voter calls for lower taxes, replacing ObamaCare, rebuilding of our military, Veteran Affairs Reform, attacks on special interest influence, a five year moratorium on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists, term limits for Congress, an end to illegal immigration, fair trade and perhaps most importantly regulatory relief.
Hillary has been in positions of power for decades. What has she done with that power, that position?
As First Lady she was plagued with scandals – there was already the Cattle Futures and Whitewater trail from Arkansas when Bill and Hillary entered the White House. This was quickly followed by Travelgate and Filegate. Despite claims of decades spent helping woman and children Hillary had no great cause she championed- other than the her politicized (and failed) push for HillaryCare – which decades later morphed into the already failed ObamaCare.
As a Senator from New York she accomplished nothing other than procuring money for New York post-9-11. I challenge you to prove this wrong.
It is her record as Secretary of State that most troubles me. The catastrophe that has been made out of the middle east – Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Iran will haunt us for generations. The Iranian nuclear deal all but guarantees that the next generation will face the prospect of cleaning up a nuclear threat and/or event in the middle east. Her refusal to designate Boko Haram – infamous for kidnapping young girls -as a terrorist group or FTO, despite recommendations from the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Justice and Congress, appears to have been made due to ties and donations from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian businessman. Clinton’s approval of the Uranium One deal transferred more than 20% of the U.S. uranium supply to the Russians. The Clinton Foundation received $31 million with a pledge for $100 million more as a result.
We now face far more serious threats and unresolved conflicts as a nation due to her role as Secretary of State.
Which brings us to the emails, private server and most importantly, the Clinton Foundation.
The FBI Director recommended no charges be brought against Clinton for her email scandal. He also listed off numerous falsehoods, public lies and acts of carelessness and recklessness with classified information that would have jailed any other person – a fact stated by Director Comey himself. You know the story (see: Comey’s Crimes).
The Clinton Foundation is a vast empire – one that donates only a small portion of its budget to charities. IRS documents show the Foundation raised over $500 million in the four year period from ’09-’12. Of this, $75 million was spent on identifiable charity or “programmatic grants”. The rest? $110 million for employee salaries, $25 million in travel expenses and $290 million for “other expenses”. And, apparently, Chelsea’s wedding.
It appears clear from Wiki Leaks that the Clinton Foundation is a pay-for-play scheme (see: Wiki(d) Links). More than half the people outside of government who met with Secretary Clinton gave to the Clinton Foundation. I have already mentioned the Uranium One deal and while I do not have the space to devote here if you want a sampling of the Clinton Foundation’s tactics simply Google “Clinton Foundation Haiti”. Suffice it to say it was Clinton friends and associates who benefited from the Haitian Relief Fund – not Haitians. The Clinton Foundation is currently under multiple ongoing FBI investigations. These were in no way halted or impacted by Director Comey’s confusing closure (again) of the email investigation.
The Clinton’s net worth is unknown but most estimates range from $80 million to $100 million. The Clinton’s were, by their own admission, broke when they left the White House due to their legal bills. I fully understand that entering politics in a third world country is an attractive way to become rich. I did not realize it was more profitable to do so here in the United States.
This brings me back to my original premise. A leader provides guidance to those serving beneath them. A leader sets the moral tone.
Based on Hillary’s accomplishments and actions what sort of leader do you suppose she would be?
newer post President Trump (and The Power of the Uncool)
older post Divided We Stand