We will unashamedly confess to the intentional commission of the systemic error of repetition of the admonition of our Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson viz., “For a Democracy, to succeed what is required is an informed, educated citizenry,” because of its undeniable, no less than existential significance. We have also observed, on a myriad of occasions, following the eye-opening and shocking, election of the incapable, immoral and ignorant Donald Trump to the Presidency, that the quality and character of our citizenry is far below that basic and fundamental Jeffersonian requirement.
Our Nation, unhappily, has empirically revealed itself to be populated with a great many citizens who are far below the required minimal Jeffersonian standard. This observation has been evidenced in many ways, but, perhaps most revealingly, in their continuing and resolute support of Donald Trump, notwithstanding his demonstrated ignorance, empirical incapability, and publicly demonstrated acts of immorality. It is certainly about time we owned up to the, less than desirable, characteristics of (as the polls show) slightly less than one-half of the voting population. Another example of our confessed sins of systemic repetition, has been our observation on many occasions, that even more worrisome than Trump (if, that were at all, empirically possible) is the existence of millions of his ardent supporters.
The evident, issue du jour, is how to maintain a successful, right-thinking, and morally acceptable representative democracy, in a Nation possessing so immense a population of less than acceptably literate and informed voters.
For a brief time in the recent past, we, in frustration, entertained the possibility of a change to a democratic, two-party parliamentary form of government; thus, subjecting a President with the grotesque persona of a Donald Trump, to removal at any time, by a vote of “no confidence” by the legislature. We offered this, admittedly, tsunami-sized Constitutional change, by reason of our desperation with the Punch and Judy show of the Trump Administration. However, in a recent blog, we suggested a better and less revolutionary solution to the problem.
Accepting, by empirical necessity, the disappointing reality that the Nation is possessed of so many flat-earth, reductionist and inadequately educated voters, we can avoid the pathology of another Donald J. Trump, by not ever offering such a despicable Presidential candidate for election. We would thereby avert another Punch and Judy show, while not interfering with the universal American right to vote for the Candidate of one’s choice. If no charlatan is approved to run for President, none can ever be elected.[QED]
We would commit the sin of repetition once more, by offering the following prudent solution as an enduring assurance of the avoidance of another manifestly unsuitable President.
It is inarguable, that the Office of the President of the United States, in addition to being the head of State, is functionally and ostensibly , the leader of the Free World. With his potential hand on the nuclear trigger, his office as the head of our military forces, as well as his role as the leader of the Constitutional Executive Branch of our Government, can anyone gainsay the assertion that the American Presidency represents the most powerful and significant position in the entire World?
Yet, it seems to be inexplicably irresponsible, Candidates for such a singular office is chosen solely by the inadequate and arbitrary processes of the political system. An ignorant, neurotic, former second -rate television game show host and real estate grifter was America’s tragic and shameful result. The proposed method of selection of Presidential Candidates would, by contrast, result in the elective choice of two suitable Candidates, albeit of disparate platforms, to present to voters of every description.
We would earnestly (again) recommend that legislated prerequisite standards for all aspirants for Presidential Candidacy be legislated and that each desirous party be vetted and examined by an impartial panel of experts (e.g., political science experts, psychologists, leaders of both political parties, historians, and erudite members of the public media), for personal acceptability, irrespective of bi-partisan issues. Such a procedure would weed out the Trumps, Nixons, and Andrew Johnsons. The Nation would, by such prudence, be resultantly assured of, at minimum, the election of a reasonably acceptable President.
It has eternally been a matter of wonderment to us, that an applicant for employment at a local Supermarket or Shoe Store, must as a mandatory prerequisite, undergo an official employment interview; but not the Chief Executive of the Nation.
-p.
* apologies for the name to Thomas Hardy [1897, “Far From the Madding Crowd”].
plinyblogdotcom 