Dear Sir/Mam,
Please check the link for a write up in the daily New Age on Feb 17, 2008.
Thanks for your time
Regards,
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New York
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Who will give next Presidents'
Day speech?
American voters have a decidedly negative view of how things are going in the country but they are confident that the next president will have the power to change much of what is wrong as he/she will have to face a daunting menu of issues both at home and abroad, writes Ripan Kumar Biswas
Day speech?
American voters have a decidedly negative view of how things are going in the country but they are confident that the next president will have the power to change much of what is wrong as he/she will have to face a daunting menu of issues both at home and abroad, writes Ripan Kumar Biswas
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Observing Presidents' Day in the midst of the presidential primary campaigns in the United States, if there is anything important that Americans have ever wanted is that to let a primary presidential candidate know what it is and what will be promised.
According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century, speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. Effective speech must be believable. But there is more to being a good president than the ability to deliver a stem-winder of a speech. While celebrating this year Presidents' Day on Monday, February 18, most of the Americans along with other people across the globe will want to know if any of the present candidates for the next US presidential race even comes close to being another Washington, Lincoln or Reagan.
The observance of Presidents' Day in the United States is reminiscent of the Indian fable of the blind men and the elephant in the sense that the holiday seems to mean something different to everybody. Until 1971, both February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal holidays to honour the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington respectively. In 1971, President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal holiday, the Presidents' Day, to be observed on the third Monday of February in the honour of all past presidents of the United States of America.
'Helping our economy requires us to take action, it is equally important that we not overreact. Our economic success is not the result of the wisdom of politicians in Washington, DC – but of the collective wisdom of the American people,' said the 43rd president of the United States, George W Bush, on the eve of the Presidents' Day 2008 while he was signing 'H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008' on February 13, 2008 to provide individual tax relief in the form of tax rebates. He further added that a lot of folks in America might say it's impossible for legislatures to find common ground, to reach compromise on important issues, but they brought together the hope to overcome from the current economic struggling.
But facing with overwhelming opposition, standing in his ideological ground, motivated in large measure by what appears to be a refusal to countenance moral failure, Bush is a man fired by his deep belief in the universal appeal of freedom, its transformative power, and its critical connection to international peace and stability. According to him, liberty is both the plan of Heaven for humanity and the best hope for progress here on Earth.
And after eight years of his administration, the latest demand in US politics – 'transformational change' – is resonating in the US and across the rest of the planet desperately for a fresh start, for new organisation of the economy, a new conception of the role of government and a new morality. With so much at stake in the race for the White House, the world is watching with an intensity that hasn't been seen since the Clinton era began in 1992.
According to Madeleine K Albright, who was the US secretary of state between 1997 and 2001, the most precious gift the next president could bestow upon America is an end to the politics of fear. Americans have been told to be afraid so that they might be less protective of their constitution, less mindful of international law, less respectful toward allies, less discerning in their search for truth and less rigorous in questioning what the leaders tell them. The next president, when taking the oath of office, will have uppermost in mind not the need to scare them but, rather, the need restore their faith in the American idea. That idea is based on their sense of unity and their commitment to one another. That idea is grounded in belief in democracy and burnished by their sense of responsibility to generations past and still to come.
The first US president, George Washington (1789-1797), who is often referred to as the father of the United States, was known for his love of the land and farming, and his dislike of war. He once wrote, 'My best wishes are irresistibly excited whensoever in any country I see an oppressed nation unfurl the banners of freedom.' He believed that morality is a necessary spring of popular government.
President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the US (1861-1865), led the nation during its most dreadful and costly war, the Civil War, between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865. Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his second inaugural address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC: 'With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.' His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest.
In foreign policy, Ronald Wilson Reagan (40th president, 1981-1989) sought to achieve 'peace through strength'. At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative programme known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon the government.
According to the speeches of candidates who desire to be Bush's successor, the country is in a terrible downward spiral. It's outsourcing jobs, bankrupting social security, and losing lives at war. It needs to focus on what's important – paying attention to the children, citizens, and future. The country needs to think about improving the failing educational system, making better use of the resources, and helping to promote a stable, safe, and tolerant global society. It's time to be smart about the politics and best time to get America back on track.
It should be remembered that even when there is a 'better' candidate that difference will not mean anything unless the power of the people asserts itself in ways that the occupant of the White House will find it dangerous to ignore.
Immediately after taking office, Hillary Clinton would begin preparations to withdraw American troops from Iraq. She would send a message to world leaders that the United States intends to rejoin the community of nations and would reverse Bush-era policies that have harmed the environment while Barack Obama, more than most, has the power to inspire. The positive tone of his campaign is not a gimmick. He is a serious candidate with sober ideas. For reasons symbolic and substantive, he would also be a nominee Democrats could feel proud to vote for.
On the other hand, John McCain is an experienced conservative leader in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. He is a commonsense conservative who believes in a strong national defence, a smaller, more accountable government, economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values. Americans would like to see him to go white house.
The race for the White House is heating up. McCain is the clear front runner for the Republicans while Obama and Clinton are running neck and neck for the Democrats. Obama, who now won 23 of 34 states, is leading with 1,253 delegates against Clinton's 1,211 while they need to win 2025 votes from the delegates of the Democratic National Convention. There are currently 4,049 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, including 3,253 pledged delegates and 796 super delegates. Similarly, McCain needs 1,191 delegate votes while he has 827 of the total 2,380 delegates of the Republican National Convention.
American voters have a decidedly negative view of how things are going in the country but they are confident that the next president will have the power to change much of what is wrong as he/she will have to face a daunting menu of issues both at home and abroad.
Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelancer based in New York
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