Examining the role politics plays in determining our country’s future
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you. If you remember that 1973 song by Stealers Wheel, and identify with its chorus, you might be a Moderate Baby Boomer – and you might decide this election.
Moderates, post your scores in our Comments section and use those scores to help determine your vote. Then sock it to ‘em – VOTE.
If you knew that line came from the TV classic Mission Impossible and remember the original version (1966 – 1973), you might be a Baby Boomer – and you MIGHT decide this election. Last week, TMM’s Moderate Leadership Test (MLT) suggested candidates’ Vital Values help evaluate their character – asserting that’s as important as their positions on issues (if not more). MLT also compares candidates’ Basic Beliefs, so Moderates can decide which candidates’ align with theirs.
Moderates, if candidates’ Vital Values are important to you, TMM suggests using this test to compare them. That way, we can allow what’s in their HEARTS, as well as their HEADS, to help determine our votes. Please score them yourselves; in future posts, we’ll offer our scores. Boomers and Moderates, remember – we just might decide this election. VOTE.
TMM was recently told, by a Progressive, The Modern Moderate is too conservative. A Conservative-leaning Moderate said TMM seems too progressive. So we’re where we want to be – in the middle. If both sides are complaining, you’re somewhere between them.
Gaining and retaining power are election goals for both parties. To determine who succeeds, elections must be FREE AND FAIR. Too much is at stake to take that for granted. Moderates, be vigilant – and VOTE.
TMM was recently told, by a Progressive, The Modern Moderate is too conservative. A Conservative-leaning Moderate said TMM seems too progressive. So we’re where we want to be – in the middle. If both sides are complaining, you’re somewhere between them. TMM was asked if we’re a Democratic Party blog. The answer is, emphatically, NO. Then why have we criticized President Trump and Republicans so much in recent months?
Crises reveal leaders’ true character. Think former President Harry Truman (D-MO), with a sign on his desk: “The Buck Stops Here”. He accepted his responsibility to make tough decisions – and stand by them. Now think President Trump, asked about the slow distribution of test kits during the COVID-19 crisis: “No, I don’t take responsibility at all.” Instead, he blamed former President Obama (his favorite scapegoat when things go badly).
Crises reveal leaders’ true character. Think British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Now think President Donald Trump during the COVID-19 crisis, asked how long it will last: “Some of the doctors say it will wash through, it will flow through.” Virtually no medical experts agreed with that view.
To be fair, we want leaders to reassure us, preventing panic. But Moderates also demand they tell us the TRUTH. If our president is NOT telling us the truth, he is either: Uninformed or misinformed. OR Informed – and lying to us. Either is dangerous. The first, because it leads to bad decisions. The second, because it begs the question: what else is he willing to lie about? We all need to decide – in times of crisis, do we want a SALESMAN or a STATESMAN to lead us?