Reply #74: First against the wall are not the lawyers, but the kibitzers...

[TreasonousBastard]

I'm all for idealism, and am known for it at times myself, but I'm so tempted to fall into the "it has its place" trap.

More to the point is the moral compass that guides us. It's an old Quaker tradition to torture ourselves with hypothetical paradoxes and conundrums-- like what would you do if you found someone twice your size raping your wife and there was a gun handy... The point isn't to find an answer, but to prepare oneself should one meet such a Hobson's choice.

I don't know what I would do as President with so many options and perils in the choices, made all the more complicated by the political pressures and ramifications. I do, however, know what I would like to see done, but I have rarely seen what I would like to see from any President or politician. What I end up doing is not looking for the results I desire, but the qualities of the people who will ultimately make the decisions. Where is their moral compass pointing?

I still believe Obama understands what the right thing to do is, but I don't believe he has the political chops to make much of it happen. Truth to tell, I'm not if anyone has the chops right now, so this isn't a strong criticism of Obama. There is an old argument about whether one prefers a strong leader you disagree with or a weak one you agree with. Right now I see gridlock and stalemate in Washington, but I'll still take Obama and his attempts to change direction over the likes of Shrub and Reagan who changed us in the wrong direction.

The kibitzers can moan, groan, and whine all they want, but they merely confuse the issues and acoid some real questions.