Quote from: Dori on April 30, 2016, 05:39:44 PM
Bingo!

Trump is also dangerous to the country.

Yep, Trump's inexperience, mixed with unchained arrogance and ego is a recipe for disaster.

Quote from: taxed on April 30, 2016, 08:51:02 PM


In the end, it takes an understanding of The Constitution, an understanding of free-market economics, how to communicate your message to the people, and the morals to do what's right and the personal conviction to do what you say you told your voters you would do, no matter what outside influences try to sway you.  You also need someone with the maturity and willingness to use war as a very last resort.  Ted Cruz is clearly the best out of everyone else.

The best one paragraph I have seen written in a long time that sums it all up very neatly. 

Quote from: Solid Right on April 30, 2016, 11:25:46 AM
Taxed (et al) --

Taking a break from my primary occupation and will try to explain my strong preference for a Presidential Candidate who has executive experience, specifically, or at least especially, at the CEO level.

There is an olde saying that "Leaders are born, not made."  That saying is wrong -- at least in its intent.  It helps if they're born with certain attributes -- like decent intellect -- but from there on it's all about life.  Most of the attributes required to develop as an effective leader are acquired early in life:  healthy ego, persistence, moral values, decisiveness and others too numerous to mention.  Those attributes can be latent unless there is a demand for them.  It's like saying Tom Brady was born to be a great quarterback, but, if he had taken up tennis, he would never have spent the countless hours actually becoming the great quarterback that he is.

Executive skills are learned, developed and honed through experience.  They are usually best learned in adverse circumstances.  These are some of the skills and attributes I think are important (in no particular order):

*  Ability to communicate effectively.
*  Learning to select good people, and being willing to select people who don't always agree with you.
*  Giving those people the freedom to accomplish your goals their way.
*  Willingness to acknowledge when you are wrong.
*  Learning that accomplishing the goal is what's important -- not who gets the credit.
*  Learning to accept temporary setbacks as long as you are advancing toward the goal.
*  Know what your core values are; let others know, and never violate them.
*  It is important that people know what you stand for.  It is, perhaps, more important that they know what you will not stand for.
*  Learning to prioritize and how to choose what to do because you can't do everything.
*  Selecting between competing agendas.
*  Knowing that there is no right way to do a wrong thing.
*  Understand that a person may be appointed to high position, but never to leadership.  Leaders are effective only through the authority conferred on them by those upon whom they depend for results.
*  Learning to comparmentalize both your thoughts and your activities -- otherwise, nothing gets done.
*  Borrow from Truman a sign that says "The buck stops here."
*  Understand and accept that sometimes you will be forced to choose between two highly undesirable alternatives.

I could go on, but don't want to sound too preachy.

The American Presidency is the most demanding, most complex CEO job in the world.  I strongly prefer that its occupant have learned and honed his skills elsewhere.  It's not a place for OJT. 

I think I will leave it there for now and go back to my main job.

Take care,

Russ Walden

You can add one more to that impressive list.

Not giving in to the urge to insult people that disagree with you on Twitter in the middle of the night.