Comments on: Political Messiahs, Political Pariahs, The Problem of Moral Leadership in America http://lawreligionethics.net/2010/03/political-messiahs-political-pariahs-the-problem-of-moral-leadership-in-america/ A Multi-Faith Dialogue Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:08:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: health insurance http://lawreligionethics.net/2010/03/political-messiahs-political-pariahs-the-problem-of-moral-leadership-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-25 health insurance Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:05:43 +0000 http://lawreligionethics.net/?p=86#comment-25 No one has shown how Andrew Cuomo -the presumed Democratic candidate- will solve NY state's problems any better than Governor Paterson. Governor Paterson has made more effort to lead during his short tenure than any other NY Governor in recent years. Paterson is more loyal to his party's alleged values than President Obama, but has to work with a NY State Legislature that makes the US Congress look like a well-oiled watch. Rather than blame NY's chief executive for every ill that he inherited, NY should be advocating for voting out every incumbent in the NY legislature. I thought the Republicans had the monopoly on dirty politics, but the Democratic Party mafia and the Clintonistas have clearly shown that they swim in the same sewer. No one has shown how Andrew Cuomo -the presumed Democratic candidate- will solve NY state’s problems any better than Governor Paterson. Governor Paterson has made more effort to lead during his short tenure than any other NY Governor in recent years. Paterson is more loyal to his party’s alleged values than President Obama, but has to work with a NY State Legislature that makes the US Congress look like a well-oiled watch. Rather than blame NY’s chief executive for every ill that he inherited, NY should be advocating for voting out every incumbent in the NY legislature. I thought the Republicans had the monopoly on dirty politics, but the Democratic Party mafia and the Clintonistas have clearly shown that they swim in the same sewer.

]]> By: Robert Cochran http://lawreligionethics.net/2010/03/political-messiahs-political-pariahs-the-problem-of-moral-leadership-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Robert Cochran Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:44:56 +0000 http://lawreligionethics.net/?p=86#comment-16 I think that most people judge American leaders on their moral leadership to the extent that they think they are able to do so. They see some issues as clear. A pro-life citizen judges a politician based on where he stands on the abortion and/or the death penalty issues. A pacifist citizen judges a politician based on whether he leads us into or leaves us in a war. But citizens find many political and administrative questions (and their moral components) difficult to assess. They want a leader they can trust to make wise decisions. That is why they are likely to vote for a leader that they think they would enjoy having a beer with or having over for dinner. They also think that whether someone commits adultery tells them something about someone's character--their wisdom, their honesty, their self-control--and that these characteristics will carry over, to some extent to their public decisions. These citizens may be right. My view is that people who commit adultery often have a low self-image and are seeking affirmation. People with low self-image also often seek affirmation by running for political office. (That is one reason that the people who run for political office are often people who commit adultery--they seek affirmation in all sorts of ways. I'm not sure that politicians who commit adultery are more likely to be unwise and dishonest, but I think they are unlikely to be politicians who will take unpopular stands. They are more likely to follow the political winds--seeking affirmation. Bill Clinton seemed to always calculate where the wind was blowing; Barak Obama seems to be willing to take an unpopular stand. Also, I think that politicians often serve as important role models for those who admire them. Modeling good family life is a social responsibility for one in political office. One of the most important things that our current president is doing is modeling good family life. I think that most people judge American leaders on their moral leadership to the extent that they think they are able to do so. They see some issues as clear. A pro-life citizen judges a politician based on where he stands on the abortion and/or the death penalty issues. A pacifist citizen judges a politician based on whether he leads us into or leaves us in a war. But citizens find many political and administrative questions (and their moral components) difficult to assess. They want a leader they can trust to make wise decisions. That is why they are likely to vote for a leader that they think they would enjoy having a beer with or having over for dinner. They also think that whether someone commits adultery tells them something about someone’s character–their wisdom, their honesty, their self-control–and that these characteristics will carry over, to some extent to their public decisions. These citizens may be right.

My view is that people who commit adultery often have a low self-image and are seeking affirmation. People with low self-image also often seek affirmation by running for political office. (That is one reason that the people who run for political office are often people who commit adultery–they seek affirmation in all sorts of ways. I’m not sure that politicians who commit adultery are more likely to be unwise and dishonest, but I think they are unlikely to be politicians who will take unpopular stands. They are more likely to follow the political winds–seeking affirmation. Bill Clinton seemed to always calculate where the wind was blowing; Barak Obama seems to be willing to take an unpopular stand.

Also, I think that politicians often serve as important role models for those who admire them. Modeling good family life is a social responsibility for one in political office. One of the most important things that our current president is doing is modeling good family life.

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