Libertarians for Ron Paul

A President, Not a Savior

“In a famous 1979 television interview, Democratic presidential contender Ted Kennedy flubbed a softball question: “Why do you want to be president?” Mr. Kennedy’s sputtering answer did real damage to his campaign. At the recent Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, Senators Obama and McCain gave more coherent answers when Pastor Rick Warren asked the same question. But in an America with a saner perspective on the presidency, their answers would have been disqualifying as well.”

“What moved Barack Obama to seek the presidency was “the basic idea of empathy” and the notion that if “we see somebody down and out … we care for them.” Republican John McCain explained that he was running “to inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than their self-interest.” ”

“Noble sentiments, to be sure, but in the original constitutional scheme, the president was neither Empath-in-Chief nor a national life coach. His role was to faithfully execute the laws, defend the country from attack, and check Congress with the veto power whenever it exceeded its constitutional bounds.”

Gene Healy laments the popular demand for a Savior in the White House http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9615