Can a president affect real change?

You often hear theories that the president, or any western leader for that matter, is no more than a puppet.

A well groomed reader of tele promoters, with the ability to deliver a narrative with passion and conviction, and a smooth operator in person.

But is it all for show. Is any of it genuine?

Do politicians go in with decent values, ideals, a desire for real change and a brighter future and the cynical, grubby, day to day realities grind them down, wake them up, open their eyes to how the whole thing is just one big fraud?

After all, if they have good intentions one would assume things could change?
All of them pulling together to make real, tangible, change.

More jobs, lower taxes, better services, respect for other nations, laws that are humane but appropriate, all of them working to do something special and powerful and enlightened.

Instead?
Well instead we have bickering, stalling, personal profit over morality, close the factories, sell off the assets, leave vetetans to rot, cut this, cut that...etc...etc...etc...

In that kind of toxic environment, with his hands tied by those who really decide policy, taxation, immigration etc...and with the opposition, be it red or blue, throwing up obstacles, smearing, obscuring, refusing to work towards a common goal no matter how much it damages the country, can any president ever really make a difference?

Is it nothing more than a figurehead?
Like the royal family, or a Pope.
Just a focal point, a voice for the real power that gives the public the idea it's "their man/woman", no more able to really get things done than any other senator or congressmam or governor.

I accept the need, or at least the assumption of a need, for someone like that.
I just think it's becoming clear it is just that...a need for a face, a person to look towards.
A figurehead and nothing more.

The president and our elected officials represent the consciousness of the people.

It's what we we willing to allow.

Yes we suck and we are the provlem.

a reply to: onequestion

Yes, I see the logic.
We get the government we deserve?
Or that we allow?

Sadly, onequestion is right. Political leaders are just like little kids. They go as far as you let them and will do whatever you let them get away with. It's basically all our fault. We haven't corrected them and till we do, they'll just keep coloring on the wallpaper.

originally posted by: onequestion
The president and our elected officials represent the consciousness of the people.

It's what we we willing to allow.

Yes we suck and we are the provlem.

I disagree.

We get to choose from what the Global Elite permit us.

You only think "we are the problem" because you have been conditioned to focus on the wrong people for the wrong reasons.

a reply to: Godabove09

If we were a nation of constitutionalist, community oriented(family) honest and hardworking, we'd have elected officials who represent those core values.

Let's examine Obama and congresses actions and we understand the majority of the type of people that make this country up.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

We get to choose from what the Global Elite permit us.

Read that again. Think about it.

We get to chose from what they allow us. That's like saying we get to chose the whip or the bamboo under the fingernails.

It is a dancing chicken act, the president is there to take the blame good or bad. And he or she is to squawk and flap about taking the eyes off of congress. The good ones you rarely see what congress is doing the best ones you forget congress is there, the bad ones you actually pay attention and start to care about the hill.

JFK was the last real president, but some can argue that Teddy was at least he was on the front lines when he was in office.

I think a President could affect real change and some really have for good or ill. Often times we don't even realize it or realize much after the fact.

a reply to: Kali74

Until they sit them down and show them the video of JFKs murder from the perspective of the killer...

"Do what we tell you or else"

a reply to: Kali74

I agree. One of the more impactful influences they can have is appointees to the Supreme Court who will most likely long outlast the particular President's term in office.

We are the number one problem. Not some robot reading from a teleprompter.

We have accepted this norm where greed is paramount and aspiration for success is mistaken for aspiration to make money at all costs.

We have accepted the fear mongering and break up of our communities. This weakens the mass and ultimately we are left with individuals or smalls groups who are weak.

The media plays a massive part in all of this with social media becoming the new control mechanism.
When we look at Hillary Rotten Clinton she spews different garbage every year. This is due to the social media analysis where one is able to see what the public are talking about and what points are important to what areas. Thus she changes with views of the people on the ground. Un fortunately this is just for show and the same corruption will continue.

Finally I wanted to bring people's attention to an article I read about an ex Bernie sanders supporter turned a hillary follower. I won't reveal my thoughts but let you read it and tell me what u think.

link

originally posted by: DAVID64
Read that again. Think about it.

We get to chose from what they allow us. That's like saying we get to chose the whip or the bamboo under the fingernails.

Even for those that believe the Global Elite don't really exist, they cannot deny that our choices are from a limited sample. For example, I can't elect Tim from down the street to be Prime Minister. It has to be somebody within the political landscape. How do you get inside the political landscape? By acting in accordance with the system. If the system is corrupt, you should expect corrupt politicians.

And before anybody retorts with the "who is responsible for the system? [Why we are!]", I ask you this: how can you break out of a prison of which you cannot even see?

a reply to: Godabove09

I remember the Vietnam protests. You couldn't go a day without seeing protests on the nightly news down at the capital building, in front of the White House and on college campuses. It's protests like these that put pressure on our elected officials. The last thing they want to do is run through a mob of angry protestors.

When the voting public is out of sight, they're out of mind. Politicians will conduct their self-centered business as usual without worrying about the monkey on their back.

a reply to: onequestion

To be honest and quite harsh (it's not personal), I think that's a cop out. Maybe 'they' did kill Kennedy, both of them, MLK, Malcom X, Black Panther leaders... we have no idea who that 'they' was but it's a cop out none the less. It's lazy, it's easier to throw your hands up and give up and delve into the conspiratorial and fantastical than to dig in and work.

Even if it all of it were true and still in play, there's no excuse to stop trying.

To answer your question, it depends on the will of the public. Historically there have been Presidents that have wielded power greater than Congress and there have been historically weak ones. These are elected based on the will of the public at the time towards enumerated powers lined out in the Constitution.

One only needs to look at history to know they can indeed effect change. But the powers must work in tandem. We see that the position does not function as it was intended to when there is a congress with one goal in mind, and that is to defeat every thing the elected President tries to accomplish. This has been the goal from day one, and no doubt will be the goal this go-round if another democrat - any democrat- is elected.

In order for it to work effectively in this day and time we must END career politicians, and clean up congress with those who are able to see past their own selfish need for perceived glorification (like Ted Cruz who can get along with NO ONE in Washington) and work for the betterment of the entire country. We haven't seen that in the past eight years and it's disgraceful. All those congressmen who have been there for decades need to GO.

Why not? Obama did. Changed a lot of our Hopes into Despair
Hope and Change

Real change occurs locally. Your state representative and your congressman / senators. Unfortunately, many of those politicians are just as corrupt if not more than many of the Federal ones.

so long as the common man eats slop from the trough of big media, no.

The best a president can do is weigh his conscience and common sense against that of his advisors. From there, if the wrong decision comes out of it (and he doesn't have a team of lowlifes to fight on his behalf), he will be smeared in a public campaign.

I listen to people give their "laymans understanding" of various things and am horrified at how willingly ill informed people are. Completely off topic example: this popcorn lung thing. People see a headline and eat it up like manna, never bothering to check the real facts.

The results are predetermined, even if people have to be stepped on to ensure it is so.