Do you elect a President to be a leader or a puppet?

[NJmaverick]

there seems to be two schools of thoughts on this. Some think that one elects a president to do what the public tells them, others seem to think that a President is elected to lead. Further on the do the bidding side the question is who's bidding? Does the President do the bidding of their base or special interest groups or does the President do the bidding of the entire nation. On may also have a hybrid position where one should lead but conisder input either from their base or the public as a whole. What are people's thoughts?

[chimpymustgo]

1. A LEADER. Not a puppet to the insurance industry, banksters and military industrial complex.

[NJmaverick]

3. or to any interest group?

[chimpymustgo]

4. A LEADER who doesn't LIE to the people who voted for him. Who WORKS to pass legislation to help

them.

A LEADER of the people, by the people, FOR the people.

[NJmaverick]

6. So does a president worry only about the people who voted for him

or all people?

[avaistheone1]

7. all the people like the corporations?

lol

[NJmaverick]

9. You didn't answer the question

[avaistheone1]

11. You didn't clarify your question making it impossible for me to answer.

[NJmaverick]

13. You clarification request appears to be a position statement

rather than an honest request for clarification.

[avaistheone1]

18. No, just a request for clarification.

[NJmaverick]

22. People running, owning and working for corporations are voters

[chimpymustgo]

8. Of course not. But Obama was elected with a mandate for change from business as usual.

He promised people he's fix the economy, bring jobs, make health care accessible and affordable, reform Wall Street. Yet, he gets in office and BLATANTLY does the bidding of the corporations and powers that be.

The way Obama has handled health care is an abomination. Is he really this WEAK? Or just a lying shill? Or both? This did not have to be this way. A historic opportunity has been squandered. And people will go bankrupt, DIE as a result. And now he's THREATENING us that the country will go BANKRUPT if Congress doesn't pass his bullshit windfall for the insurance companies! :puke:

He has shown NO leadership - turning this over to Max fucking Baucus. Praising Chuck Grassley, Joe LIEberman. Demonizing progressives.

He has not kept his promises. He has lied to our faces. Stop trying to dance on a pin with these twisted ruminations about leadership. Face the facts. It's been painful. Heartbreaking. But if Obama won't do what's right, we don't have to mindlessly, bush-lovingly follow.

[NJmaverick]

10. He kept the nation out of a second great depressiion

he is no the verge of getting HCR passed that will give millions health insurance and you don't consider that change? Looks like your stomach virus may have compromised your judgment

[niceypoo]

27. He delayed it by handing out trillions to corporations

with no strings attached. The underlying problems are still there.

[treestar]

28. You know if you are going to have that attitude

You may as well never vote at all.

[NJmaverick]

29. Why?

[treestar]

2. Leader of the executive branch

And we don't elect Senators or Congress to be the POTUS' puppets.

[NJmaverick]

5. no the legislative branch is an equal partner in things (in theory)

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Neither

Only children seek out "leaders." When did this board become the main promoter of Fuhrerprinzip? I want a capable administrator of a complex system.

[NJmaverick]

14. "only children seek out leader" History has shown that statement

couldn't be further afield from the truth.

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. History has shown the catastrophe

of any group that puts its faith in Leadership rather than acting collectively and autonomously. Fuhrerprinzip is for the childhood of the human. We never seem to rid ourselves of God or King.

[NJmaverick]

19. Martin Luther King was a leader, FDR was a leader, Ghandi was a leader

in WW2 Churchill was a leader.

Oh and FYI, Fuhrerprinzip comes very close to meeting the definition of Goodwin's law.

[NorthCarolina]

15. I don't ever get to elect a President of my choosing. I only get to

choose from amongst the public media approved candidates which, by some odd coincidence, always turn out to be Conservatives. Imagine that....:hurts:

[avaistheone1]

17. +1

[NJmaverick]

20. How far to the left does one have to be to see Obama as a conservative?

:wow:

[NorthCarolina]

24. Probably not more than "Slightly Left of Center" (nt)

[Tailormyst]

32. Not very. He is most definitely not on our side.

[mitchum]

21. Nor to lead anyone, but to serve the citizenry, and not his corporate masters

[NJmaverick]

23. So you are suggesting liberal masters instead of corporate masters?

[mitchum]

25. Man, you are just fucking tiresome in your hero worship

[NJmaverick]

26. Not nearly as tiresome as your bashing Obama and the Dems agenda is

[brentspeak]

34. Somehow, I don't think Obama would appreciate you attempting to speak on his behalf

He would probably do the *facepalm* if he read how you were "defending" him.

[joeglow3]

30. Bush was neither

He was not a leader and we know he did nothing the public wanted.

[Tailormyst]

31. Instead we elected a puppet of the corporations.

He certainly doesn't give a shit about what is best for the general public. But the big massive billion dollar companies, he sure looks out for them.

[jgraz]

33. I love your posts, NJ. Really, I do.

I've always wondered what 50,000 DLC monkeys typing look like. Now I know. :rofl:

[Armstead]

35. LOL....

[Norrin Radd]

36. No "leaders." Only "representatives."