By Jim Fischer
There was a time when the word statesman was a compliment; He is so statesman like. It meant that the person’s demeanor was respectful and the message was worth listening to even if you didn’t agree. Even if you were not talking about a political office holder the analogy of one’s pose to be as a statesman was indeed laudatory. The very definition of statesman is: A wise skilled and respected political leader. It used to be one would listen to a statesman because the person running for political office had ideas that he believed were important and his statesmanship would be able to convey those ideals to the majority in a crowd to get a following of a true leader. In my life time, presidents made promises and did their best to keep them as a statesman should. “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” and it did happen. Then there was; “this administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.” Still fighting that one five decades later. Here is another; “I pledged in my campaign for the presidency to end the war in a way that we could win the peace” noble but you have to ask those in Cambodia how peaceful that peace was. Then there was the greatest in my life time: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Weather you agreed or not they were statesmen.
But then it started to decay and anything relating to politics was anything but statesman like: “Read my lips, no new taxes”. Yes! That’s statesman like… until he raised taxes.
How’s this for statesmanship? ” I did not have sexual relations with that woman”. Then there is our current lack of a statesman“The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history”. And in today’s political environment we have; “What difference, at this point, does it make” to “Blood coming out of her wherever”.
Please! We need a president who is a statesman. One who will bring statesmanship back into the political world.
We cannot survive eight more years of embarrassment.
Jim Fisher has lived on a small farm outside of Hudson for 30 years. Jim has been married to Jayne for 36 years. Together they have raised two daughters. (no grandchildren). Jim has served on the Unit Five Board of Education. Jim works with the McLean County Tea Party.
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