The accusations leveled at Trump include the idea that he doesn't act presidential.
Let's understand, first, that Acting Presidential is a modern idea born as a fruit of Political Correctness. The world must be gently fed to the populace in something resembling a smooth, flavorless baby-food formula, lest some poor soul get offended.
But let's look back at another decade and see another president.
In 1912, the Democrats were the Republicans and the Republicans
were the Democrats. At least, that’s what Democrats will tell you if you gently
point out that Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan.
If there was a change, then when was it?
It really goes back to Teddy Roosevelt and the invention of a 3rd party called
the Bull Moose Party. Some call it the First Progressive party but whatever you
call it, a Republican started it. You can find out more about that here. Teddy Roosevelt, however, wouldn’t fit the
somewhat delicate image of today’s progressive. He loved the outdoors and was a big game
hunter.
Teddy also founded a hunting and conservation club called
the Boone and Crockett Club, which is still in operation. He loved the American west and was, really, more like a Bull Moose in a china shop than a polished professional. Teddy Roosevelt was soldier,
a politician, a family man, an author, a governor and the 26th
President. By all accounts Teddy was a lovable, “diamond in rough” sort of guy. He liked being
in the thick of things.
In 1898, Teddy, resigned a cushy job as Assistant
Secretary of the Navy to head a cavalry unit to fight in Cuba against Spain in
the Spanish American War. The cavalry unit had 1060 soldiers and 1258 horses.
The members were composed of prospectors, cowboys, gamblers, hunters, college
kids and Native Americans. They were known as Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. I can’t imagine that politically
correct language was a leading identifier of the unit. [she says dryly]
A presidential person who doesn't "act like" a president is a ghastly sin to some people. I suspect they forget our modern culture has been shaped by scripted individuals on the silver screen who really ARE "acting like a president." With that in mind, it's easy to understand how BEING presidential isn't perceived as the same thing as acting.
A leader leads. They don't ACT like leading. They are out in front. They accomplish things. They develop ideas. They speak in a manner than gets their message heard even if the message isn't pretty. And they aren't sugar-coated pablum.
By the way, Teddy Roosevelt used language quite well when he
wished. Some of his words and ideas still apply to our world today.
When it comes to Donald Trump's critics, I would remind them of this...
“It is not the critic
who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where
the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there
is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do
the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself
in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high
achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring
greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who
neither know victory nor defeat.” April
23, 1910 - Sorbonne, Paris
