Metro Creative Connection
By Thomas Richard | Sun City West
Prior to the 2024 election, I looked at 10 characteristics I want my leaders to have to help in my decision process. The characteristics that guide me are truthful, ethical, compassionate, respectful, approachable, educated, objective, responsible, honest and sincere.
Adhering to this roadmap enabled me to evaluate the candidates prior to voting. In life, using such a tool, I can look in the mirror and not be ashamed of my daily actions or political decisions.
100 days into the current administration was time to evaluate performance in relation to the 10 characteristics. Approachable and educated are the only characteristics graded above an F. The current president is approachable if you are a billionaire, a million-dollar donor or kowtow to his bullying approach to governance. The majority have no access unless you are in the administration’s crosshairs, where no one wants to be.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics. In some ways he seems intelligent, but in many more he tends to overstate his knowledge believing himself to be the smartest person in the room. After 100 days, an F+ is the best I can rate for all 10 characteristics.
Truthfulness is speaking with precision and clarity, avoiding ambiguity and deception. It is the cornerstone of relationships, it leads to trust, the foundation of strong relationships. What foreign country now trusts the USA? Not Canada, not Mexico, not every member of NATO and most of the UN.
Compassionate, only when it is politically advantageous to him, like tossing paper towel rolls following a massive hurricane. To be compassionate means to feel the pain of others and respond accordingly. Separating children from parents, demeaning families of fallen soldiers and deporting Americans to foreign prisons suggest to me a heart of stone.
Judge for yourself the president’s performance to the 10 human characteristics, then look in the mirror and ask yourself, “is this the best we can do?
I fear in the next 100 days we may not be a democratic republic anymore. We may not have a choice in 2028. Darkness will have extinguished the light from the greatest democratic nation the world has known.
Editor’s note: This writer is using a pen name. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
