Can There Be An Honest President? If So, Who?

Granted there are examples of each and every president being caught red-handed in lies to the public, but some of it is understood to be for our best interest. However, the level of dishonesty to the point of abuse by this president would never be tolerated anywhere except politics and clearly the nation and the world is tired of it. Poll after poll shows declining trust in even the smallest things our president has to say, and without doubt it contributes enormously to the eroding status of the US on the world stage.

I would not mind nearly as much if the president of America, whoever it is, was to say he/she can't or won't address a specific issue or answer a particular question if he/she could somehow explain why it national security or otherwise dangerous to do so. Even if it was more often than not, as long as there was a reasonable and acceptable rationale accompanying such a statement. At least when a statement was made, there would be a much higher likelihood it could be believable and the world might return some of that lost confidence in us again.

Just don't lie.

So, can anyone think of a politician who meets the dual criteria of most honest as well as capable of leading the United States? I understand that being truthful is only one of many characteristics a president should have, but doesn't it go a long ways towards finding someone the entire world would appreciate? Or are the presidency and honesty mutually exclusive of one another?

I really fear it is the latter

a reply to: samstone11

The only politician I have ever really liked, and agree with almost everything they say, has been Ron Paul. He will never be elected, but I believe he is a good person, and wouldn't let the office change him. But yeah...he'll never win an election.

Honest and president shouldn't even be in the same sentence.

a reply to: samstone11
Find an honest politician? Good luck. The only chance for someone honest is a man/woman that has never been a politician but has shown themselves as a proven leader to their peers and fellow citizens. To bad Dr Ben Carson wasn't the first black president instead of Obama, we would be much better off. I am sure there is someone out there, maybe we will get lucky next time around. We can always hope.

I don't think there will be an honest president or an honest candidate until all money is removed from politics. It's likely to be snowing on the hilltops of hell before that happens.

As it stands only already corrupt, filthy rich, folks can even think about running for president. That severely narrows the field from the get go. One has to already be connected, and backed as well.

When we completely remove money from the equation, then we will see our choices for viable candidates expand tremendously. I also feel that the office should be held by a volunteer (meaning NO PAY). If one truly believes in what they are doing, wants change, wants better, wants to serve, then they will gladly volunteer their time and effort for the cause. Housing, utilities, travel, etc. would of course come with the job, but anything above and beyond would cease to be offered.

Many of us volunteer for worthy causes. How many corrupt folks are going to volunteer if there is no salary, no kickbacks, and no other perks allowed?? Exactly.

We have doomed ourselves to an endless two party system that only allows high rollers into the club. I'm not sure we can change it at this point. The whole system will have to crash IMO before any real change can be expected.

Clearly it's Ron Paul.

Only liberty can truly ward off tyranny, the great and eternal foe of mankind.

a reply to: samstone11

What totally amazes me is there are people who buy into his lies 100%. I'm sure these are the same people who got pissed when the psychic network went off the air.

I thought Obama would be different. Vote for him or not, his "to-do" list was noble in thought as far as I'm concerned. However, just like we'd see with Ron Paul, the reality of that office and the reality of who's actually in charge would smack anybody silly. From aliens to donors, bankers to stoners, that person has about as much say as you or I.

a reply to: samstone11


In time traveling daydreams I have drinks with U.S. Grant. Out of all of them (our presidents), Grant alone is the guy I can theoretically best identify with. If one can believe the history, Grant fell into deep shadow only to rise again a general and command armies in a great war. In all likelihood though, old Ulysses was probably as bloodthirsty as the rest. To answer your question, no, I do not believe a leader of hundreds of millions of citizens can be honest or truly care about the lives of those he rules. Although many might cry foul, I believe rectitude is a quality of the poor man alone--if any man ever or anywhere is capable of rectitude, that is.

The way I see it--in modern ,or really societies from any age--men who rule masses of others automatically disengage their ability to empathize with the plight of the average man. Call it a symptom of ultimate political power. In America today we masses exceed more than 300 million in number. The loss of five or ten or one hundred thousand here or there--that's really just a drop in the bucket. A relatively cynically savage belief I have perhaps, yet I do not even consider our rulers to be the same species not long after attaining office.

On the bright side, history books are rife with examples of "heroic" military and civilian leaders. Whether on not they were great men is up to individual interpretation.

Ron Paul.


Peace

John F. Kennedy was the last one. Thats why they killed him. Every single president since Kennedy have become carefully constructed puppets to TPTB.

a reply to: thesmokingman

In all of the reading I have done, Jimmy Carter seemed like he was a honest person. He left office a year before I was born, so I cannot speak from experience. But that's just my opinion.

On topic: Ron Paul is the closest thing we have to an honest politician.

a reply to: sheepslayer247

Oh trust me I would love nothing more than to see a Paul/Paul ticket in 2016.

a reply to: DuckforcoveR
no, no, lets not be foolish. Obama has/had 0 qualifications to be president (just like Hilary mind you)

RP on the other hand has been a congressman for over thirty years.. I think that time most likely would have prepared him more so than someone like Obama who came from nothing....


Obama noble?? Maybe a noble liar...

originally posted by: thesmokingman
John F. Kennedy was the last one. Thats why they killed him. Every single president since Kennedy have become carefully constructed puppets to TPTB.

I completely agree with you. I sincerely believe that is why he was taken out. There's no room for bucking the system from within the system itself.

a reply to: knightsofcydonia

I remember Obama saying in 2008 that he would reform healthcare. He couldn't tell us how, but he would do it. Red flag right there for me, well there were more before that but that was the one that stuck out the most and should have let the voters know he had no clue.

originally posted by: knightsofcydonia
Clearly it's Ron Paul.

Only liberty can truly ward off tyranny, the great and eternal foe of mankind.

Who is this Ron Paul person? I remember hearing about Richard Perry and Joe Lieberman and of course Hillary Clinton, but I'm not so familiar with also-ran candidates from the United States. Is he the one who has much money and bought a governorship in New York or is he the one who is very racist and associated with the KKK and death threats against President Obama?

It would be nice to see someone with principles and untouched by money or atheist capitalist immorality ascend to the highest office in the USA.

originally posted by: Willrobinson
a reply to: knightsofcydonia

I remember Obama saying in 2008 that he would reform healthcare. He couldn't tell us how, but he would do it. Red flag right there for me, well there were more before that but that was the one that stuck out the most and should have let the voters know he had no clue.

Ha, yeah. My first red flag, his middle name is Hussein, supposedly.

Google my friend.

He is neither of the individuals you are referring to.

if you are interested in learning more about Dr. Paul you can check out his book Liberty Defined :

www.amazon.com...

a reply to: DigitalJesusWuang

originally posted by: Catacomb
a reply to: samstone11

The only politician I have ever really liked, and agree with almost everything they say, has been Ron Paul. He will never be elected, but I believe he is a good person, and wouldn't let the office change him. But yeah...he'll never win an election.

The office would still change even him. It is just the nature of the job. Even Jefferson, who was very distrustful of a powerful elected executive ended up doing the most to expand the power of the office the President during his day. We as citizens will never have the full privilege of knowing everything any of the Presidents know and deal with. We can only trust we put the best man i the job at the time.

As to the OP it wouldn't matter if we had an honest President or not. If you put a D in front of their name this Congress would everything in their power to sabotage anything and everything they would try to do. The problem isn't in the Executive, the Senate or the Supreme Court. The problem lies in the mess that is the House of Representatives where bipartisanship is a bad thing and doing everything it can to not govern is a good thing.