Monday, January 8, 2018

2018-01-08

What does it say about the leaders of the Democratic Party that so many people are talking about the possibility of Oprah Winfrey running for president in 2020? I have nothing against Oprah, and I'm sure she'd be a more sober, respectful, and respected chief executive than the person in that office now, but I think we need to change course, all of us.

I appreciate not wanting politics as usual, and electing a non-politician might lead to a shaking-up of things... but it might also lead to a government stuck in the mud. A president needs to be able to make some decisions him/herself, but should also be able to talk, to listen, to compromise, and to negotiate. Not saying that Oprah Winfrey can't, I'm just saying that the world of politics is probably as different from her world as it clearly is from Trump's. Some background in politics has got to help.

The Democrats need a strong, brave, credible, youthful figure to lead the charge. I like Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, but I think they've both missed their opportunities. Fairly or not, Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren draw a lot of hate. Kirsten Gillibrand has potential, but 2020 might be too soon for her. Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer... they've each got pros and cons. The point is, what this country (not just the Democratic Party) needs is a real uniter, someone without political baggage (or not too much, anyway), someone who's going to stand up for the little guy and stand up to the lobbies, who can get Congress moving again without polarizing everyone and everything. Someone who's more interested in getting things done than in undoing what the last administration did, who's more concerned with American lives than with his/her own legacy.

Yeah, it sounds unrealistic to me, too. But I know I'm not the only person who's tired of and disgusted by the partisan bickering, and of people holding "their" politicians to different standards than the other side's. There needs to be a new balance, and we the people need to find that balance ourselves if we ever want it to reach our statehouses and the House and Senate and, hopefully, the White House. It'd be nice to see it by 2020.


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