Challenges facing the next President

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, November 7, 2008

While I do not know whose name will be called on Inauguration Day 2009, or whose hand will be raised to make that solemn oath, I do know some of the heavy challenges that await him behind the doors of the Oval Office. Based upon the knowledge of the latter, I hereby offer my suggestions to the next President of these United States.

Each leap year brings an extra day in the month of February and another hotly contested and divisive presidential election, therefore, the final days of each election cycle also bring to the victor the first heavy challenge of re-uniting our nation. One of the great virtues of our American society is its ability to flex. As certain alloys allow steel to be strengthened by adding a measured amount of resiliency, so too does our diverse mixture of cultures and values add strength and tenacity to our republic.

The next president must appeal to the unifying issues. There has always been, and always will be, many things that separate us into various camps and associations. The current campaigns have illustrated quite vividly that differences exist. Different views about the role of government in our daily lives, different views about the role of the United States in foreign nations, different views about the future sources of energy; have all been shouted from podiums, pasted on bumpers, whispered from websites and argued in debates. Now is the time to initiate the proper process for resolving these many issues through the legislative channels prescribed by our founders. The next president must possess the maturity and wisdom to reach across the aisle and include the voices of his most vocal opponents in the decision-making process. He must also directly address and condemn those who misuse the freedom of speech to spread falsehoods.

Another major challenge facing the next president is the preparation for and the prevention of future terrorist attacks. We have been blessed with the leadership of President George Bush during these past seven years, since that fateful day in September when our sense of safety was forever changed. We need our next president to carry on with the same vigorous defense of our nation. He must continue to use whatever means are at his disposal to intercept the plans of the terrorists and to continue the hard work of diplomacy that has brought us within sight of an independent democratic state in Iraq. He must continue to fund and support the efforts of our military and Intelligence Agencies as they work to weaken Al Qaeda and their cohorts.

The next president must also surround himself with courageous advisors who will be willing and able to give him sound advice rather than just nodding in agreement or – even worse – advising according to the wishes of the highest bidding lobbyist. There is truth in the Biblical adage: “… in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14 KJV) Many mistakes have been made in the past when advice and sound counsel has been ignored, however, the next Commander-in-Chief DOES have to eventually command and he will be sitting behind that grand desk when the buck finally stops, so he needs a double dose of discretion and judgment.

The current economic troubles will undoubtedly be just as current in January 2009, therefore our next leader must spend the few weeks in the interim determining the necessary from the unnecessary in his spending proposals. In other words, he should be able to “man up” and tell his loyal supporters that perhaps he was too free with his promises and that reality sometimes bites – and bites hard. Neither of these candidates can deliver on the grandiose plans they have proclaimed in this campaign, and they know it. I, for one, would appreciate honesty and straightforwardness above the “tickling of my ears” with sweet promises that aren’t attainable in this present economy.

A hard look at the budget as a real, solid object rather than a fluid, amorphous gel that can be stretched and twisted to accommodate every crisis is very necessary for our next leader. Numbers that end in “illion” are still real numbers and they represent real dollars. That is real TAX dollars that come from real Americans working real jobs with real families and real bills that really have to be paid. The government should be as accountable to its creditors (us – and well, I guess, the Chinese and us) as American families are to theirs.

In conclusion, I may or may not have my choice in the White House in January 2009. I may not agree with the new leaders or their decisions in the coming years. However, I still believe that this nation will survive the next four years as it has for the past 232 years – with differences and conflicts hidden beneath the uniting colors of our red, white and blue banner. Long may she wave!