Do we still want businessmen running the country?

[question everything]

“Ambassador Sondland tried to explain to me that President Trump is a businessman,” Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, told House investigators. “When a businessman is about to sign a check to someone who owes him something, he said, the businessman asks that person to pay up before signing the check.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/pay-up-before-signing-the-check-ukraine-knew-they-faced-a-quid-pro-quo-ambassador-testifies

(Yes, the examiner, but was repeated on many outlets)

I suppose we can extend it to social programs. Like demanding that Medicaid recipients get a job, first...

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Nevermind that Trump wasn't writing the check and Ukraine didn't owe him anything.

Other than that, nice analogy, Sondland.

[Peacetrain]

2. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

that is the last thing we need... another businessman experiment.. as we say around the old Peacetrain household.. exactly what product do we produce, and exactly who do we hire and fire ... seriously. if someone really wanted to use that analogy.. a Co-op would be a better analogy.. you know where everyone is involved and you would need a community organizer

[BlueMTexpat]

23. + a millions or so! eom

[redstatebluegirl]

3. The businessmen running businesses right now are why we need a ton of regulators.

If you think for one minute they care about their employees, the environment or their customers you are sadly mistaken. They care about MONEY, they care about themselves, nothing else.

This business model crap is just that crap. They are trying to force it on higher education as well, we went through it at our university with a businessman running our campus for a year, the damage done can never be repaired.

[peggysue2]

4. I hope that this Republican myth dies the death it richly deserves

Donald Trump should be the final nail in the coffin, the man who (according to Mulvaney) still considers himself part of the hospitality business.

That would be the mob version of hospitality!

We're seeing exactly what a transactional mindset to governmental services/diplomacy/policy means: disaster, corruption and chaos on all levels.

This 'run government like a business' has always been another stupid Republican frame. They torched themselves when they voted for Donald Trump. May they burn for a long, long time.

[MineralMan]

5. I don't mind if ethical business leaders run for office.

I do mind when self-dealing, unethical ones do, though.

[treestar]

20. That is possible to imagine

I always argued that businessmen have power over their business that the POTUS doesn't have and that being a successful businessman (which Donnie Dotard isn't, but be that as it may) does not mean the person would necessarily make a good POTUS.

However, if there was one who appointed and consulted people with actual experience in their areas, and made an attempt to understand the limits of his powers and did not try to abuse or go beyond them, it would be possible.

[RainCaster]

6. Hell no! That's why I won't promote Tom Steyer

We already have too many billionaires in our government.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Dubya the MBA left the economy in ruins.

[jcmaine72]

8. Even after all these years, it still blows my mind that an idiot like that...

...could've earned an MBA in anything.

[redqueen]

11. Legacy admissions ... Also, C's get degrees nt

[redqueen]

9. Because all businessmen are the same, right?

As a Yang supporter, I am absolutely fine with an ethical entrepreneur running this country. Yang was not handed everything from his parents, but actually built organizations himself, unlike Trump and bBsh - so those are unfair comparisons.

His background in business enhances his ability to propose workable solutions (like VAT + UBI) which seem to be written off by most politicians. He also has some of the most progressive policy positions of any of our candidates.

I'm not sure why people think a lifetime spent in the halls if DC is a great selling point for the majority of voters. I'm not sure it is. Its clear that to many it's a requirement, but to many others, this entrenchment in the system has led to our politicians being limited in their vision of what is possible.

Yang tells a story about why he's running - he went to DC to talk to people about the coming threats to job security from widespread automation and AI. He was eventually told that he was discussing these issues in the wrong place. This individual told him that DC is a town filled with followers, not leaders. They said if anything is going to be done in DC to address this issue, then the American people would have to bring a wave crashing down on them to make them do it.

He set about finding a way to mitigate the issue and decided to run for president to try to address it. It is disappointing to me that so many are so quick to dismiss his candidacy, many without even looking into his background or positions.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. You are certainly correct that not all businessmen are alike...

I don't know that much about Yang, but I do know a lot about Bloomberg.

In addition to building a business and a huge fortune of 50 billion or so, he had the almost impossible job of dealing with the factions and dirty dealings of NYC by being its Mayor. His record was as good as any other Mayor, and he was largely scandal-free.

He also spent a number of years in retirement to give money away. His charitable works are well known, as is his pledge to eventually give away half his fortune.

Sounds like a good resume to me.

Bloomberg, and Yang (and, gasp! Romney) seem to understand the business question is "What's best for me?" while the statesman's question is "What's best for us?"

Bloomberg and Romney, however, earned their stripes by being Mayor and Governor. Yang hasn't had his electoral trial by fire yet, and President isn't really the place to start.

What will be even more interesting will be the emergence of more progressive women entrepreneurs who may set yet higher standards.

[redqueen]

15. Fair enough, however most of his supporters agree with

his reasoning for not starting in the lower ranks - we don't have time.

[demmiblue]

10. Why do a select few here keep pushing the Washington Examiner? n/t

[question everything]

16. As I commented. I've read about it in several venues but the Examiner was

the easiest one to find.

Of course, you are free to alert and ignore and continue with a tunnel vision.

[demmiblue]

19. Because taking 30 seconds to google for a non-rightwing source is really that hard.

[ehrnst]

12. Not going to rule it out. Jimmy Carter was a businessman - a business owner to boot.

My Representative, Don Beyer is a fantastic progressive, and owned a string of auto dealerships.

[question everything]

17. Carter was a governor before he ran for president

and others, like your rep, start small.

But Trump and Yang and Steyer want to go straight to the top. They owned business, called the shots nothing less than the top is good for them.

[ehrnst]

18. So you just don't want a rookie politician running for POTUS, like most people.

No matter what their profession - actor, artist, etc.

I don't really care what their profession was prior to them getting into politics. I want to know that when they run for POTUS, they have a track record of being an effective politician as a baseline - with temprament, emotional intelligence and diplomatic skills as also necessary.

[question everything]

21. Pretty much. And let's be honest, both Reagan and Bush were governors

And you mention an "effective politician as a baseline." Precisely. At City Hall, School board, board of supervisor, etc. If one thinks that being a successful business owner is enough to run a country of 350 million people and interacting with other countries - foes and allies - qualified one to be the president then I really have to question their ego. We already have one now.

No, I don't care about their professions, but I want to see track record of running an organization, listening to others and ability to reach a consensus. And this is why governors have been the most popular candidate. And, I suppose, a prosecutor and an AG who, too, run offices and have to interact with different groups.

I have worked for several small business owners who felt free to issue directives without asking anyone's permission. Yes, including paying for some of my vacation because I also met with a potential customer.

[ehrnst]

22. I believe that many small business owners are business owners because they could not work

Last edited Thu Oct 24, 2019, 12:24 PM - Edit history (1)

successfully for any supervisor. They don't have the ability to work in a team, and/or they believe that they are always the smartest person in the room.

I know that's the reason my father started his own business.

I exclude immigrant business owners from this, because many will not hire them because they were immigrants, and they want to provide employment for their families via starting a family business.

[Claritie Pixie]

14. It's not so much what they do for a living. It's how they conduct themselves, their integrity.

I don't have a problem with it, if that person recognizes that being prez is NOT the same as running a business, honors his/her oath, and respects the laws and institutions of this country.

Otherwise, we get what we have now. Someone who thinks he's above the law, willing to sell out this country for his own personal gain.

[Demsrule86]

24. I believe business is not the same as running the government...and trying to run schools,

group homes,health care and the government like a business will always be an abject failure. I believe candidates need government experience...and foreign policy experience as well...Bush being a governor had no foreign policy experience and totally botched it...and of course Trump is the worst of the worst. We need someone who can run a government and have a coherent foreign policy. And stop using trade for diplomacy...no more trade giveaways for some policy we desire.