Posted by Let’s consider the president’s primary duties as defined by the founding fathers.
Constitution Article II Sec. 2 The president shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United states, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion , in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments , upon any subject relating to their duties of their respective offices, …He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur;…
As commander in chief, the president is the ranking officer over all military operations. And since he is responsible for making treaties with foreign nations, the president is the nation’s leading ambassador.
Commander In Chief
What are the qualities of a military officer? Since I served in the Air Force, I will relate the qualities of the Air Force officer to this situation.
Let’s start with Air Force Core Values. All Air Force personnel strive to live these values. (During my 20 years of teaching mathematics at a community college, all of my students were challenged to embrace these values; the values were posted on my website)
Integrity First: Integrity is the willingness to do what is right even when no one else is looking. It is the “moral compass”, the inner voice, the voice of self-control, the basis for the trust imperative in today’s Air Force.
Service Before Self: As an Air Force core value, service is not about the Air Force institution, it is about an enduring commitment and dedication of the individual Airman to the age-old military virtue of selfless dedication to duty at all times and in all circumstances.
Excellence In All We Do: This core value demands Airmen constantly strive to perform at their best. It is a commitment to high standards and an understanding that each Airman has been entrusted with our nation’s security. [more details at THE AIR FORCE CORE VALUES]
Take a moment to reflect on Donald Trump’s behavior during his four years in office. The Twitter-bashing of everyone who disagrees with him (Integrity?); the I-I-I, me-me-me of every media moment (Service Before Self, or was that Self Before Service?); the number of times he has publicly reversed decisions on national and foreign policy (Excellence with respect to “our nation’s security”?).
Ambassador
As this nation’s lead ambassador, the president should be a role model for America’s foreign diplomat corps. Reflect on his behavior with respect to the State Department’s Foreign Service Officer Qualifications
| 1. Composure | 8. Oral Communication |
| 2. Cultural Adaptability | 9. Planning & Organizing |
| 3. Experience & Motivation | 10. Resourcefulness |
| 4. Information Integration & Analysis | 11. Working With Others |
| 5. Initiative & Leadership | 12. Written Communication |
| 6. Judgement | 13. Quantitative Analysis |
| 7. Objectivity/Integrity |
I encourage you to read the details of these qualifications at the State Department’s Foreign Service Officer Qualifications. Donald Trump selected as an ambassador? I think not!
GOP Platform
One more point of reflection. The Republican Party carried their 2016 platform into this election. The following passage from Resolution Platform 2020 was directed at Barrack Obama.
Our Constitution is in crisis. More than 90 percent of federal requirements are now imposed by regulatory agencies, without any vote of the House or Senate or signature of the President. The current Administration has exceeded its constitutional authority, brazenly and flagrantly violated the separation of powers, sought to divide America into groups and turn citizen against citizen. The President has refused to defend or enforce laws he does not like, used executive orders to enact national policies in areas constitutionally reserved solely to Congress, made unconstitutional “recess” appointments to Senate-confirmed positions, directed regulatory agencies to overstep their statutory authority, and failed to consult Congress regarding military action overseas.
Hmm? How much of this is relevant to Donald Trump?
My Vote
Under no circumstances can I vote for Donald Trump. I’m not a Never-Trump voter. I had hoped he would develop some of the leadership qualities listed above. Nope! His view that only he is capable of fixing this nation is a dogma that lives loudly (thanks to Twitter) in Donald Trump.
Obviously, I will write in names for President and Vice President on my ballot. (In truth, I submitted my ballot October 15th. ) My choices represent candidates who are more aligned with the qualifications above. They are my choice for the 2024 election. You can read about them in my next post.
As always, “Good night and good luck.”[Edward R. Murrow]
Joe Allen 