Parents - do you POLL your kids on how to raise them? Why should the PRESIDENT lead by what the polls say?

Question

Parents know best. With age and experience comes wisdom.

Don't you think the PRESIDENT knows more about what is going on than your average Joe who is being polled?

Answer 1

No. The President is elected by us and then he runs the country. He does not have to listen to the polls, and as wacky as the polls are, he shouldn't, in my opinion.

Congress is the voice of the people, Constitutionally. Not the President. And with what the Liberals in Congress have been pulling lately, Liberals have no room to talk about the President not being "for the people."

At least Liberals don't have to worry about Bush running again. Unlike us, with so many of these Congressional Liberals running for President in 2008.

Answer 2

I'm sorry, are you democraticly elected to be a parent? Are you there solely to represent the people who elected you in how you raise your kids?

The President should listen to what the people who put him in power and who he is supposed to represent surely... otherwise what is the difference between democracy and dictatorship?

Parents don't always know best, some of them are abusive and/or harmful to children in their care... surely you can see where that analogy leads?

If the President knows so much more than everyone else... then how come he keeps screwing up the simplest tasks and turns of phrase? How come he invaded the wrong country after 9/11 when anyone with even half an ounce of sense could have told him that it was a stupid idea (and many did, yes I know many democrats supported the war - stupidity isn't limited to one side of politics really)?

Personally I think that your line of thought in this is dangerous in the extreme (never question your leaders) and probably based, psychologically speaking, upon the need for a father figure to make your decisions for you.

Answer 3

Because unlike the Parents, genius, the President was elected (maybe) by adults. He was elected not to be a parent but a President. The kids are not the boss of the parents however the people of the nation are the boss of every President.

Now here is the real analogy, would you tell your boss that his/her opinion doesn't matter since you know so much, and that you will continue to do things you own way, will you genius???

Answer 4

But therein lies the problem with your question...

Parents are not elected by their children....we do not have to answer to them.

The President was elected by the people of this country. Without the citizens...he doesn't have a job.

But I do believe that the 'average Joe' is pretty much clueless about politics. I've seen a lot of people that vote based on a 'promise and a pretty picture' that they perceive from a candidate...Sad Thought.

Answer 5

Usually. But not in this case.

Our president has embraced a flawed political ideology which every political scientist worth his or her salt knew would lead to an unmitigated disaster were it ever put into practice.

Bush's problem isn't so much that he ignores the polls, but rather that he also ignores his advisors; like Colin Powell and a host of military commanders prior to OIF. He also ignores things like evidence, when a plan starts to fail for obvious and predictable reasons.

So let's say the polls are against me beating down a brick wall with my forehead. Fine. Then several doctors tell me what will probably happen if I try to put my plan into action. Whatever. Then I actually take a few good shots at the wall with my forehead and it HURTS. And the wall is undamaged but for the big splatter of my blood. Now the doctors say they told me so. I counter that they're unpatriotic and that I should instead continue beating my head against a brick wall, or the bricks will follow me home.

See what I'm getting at? Political scientists and military officers knew a long time ago what would happen if we invaded Iraq. There were no surprised here, up to and including the sectarian civil war. This is probably why the elder Bush wisely chose to leave Saddam in power. But the younger Bush ignored the good advice of men who knew better and fired generals who suggested a larger invasion force. The polls were strongly in his favor at that time.

The polls have finally turned against him because it's obvious even to the layman that Bush doesn't have the first clue what he's doing. Military brass has been tearing its hair out for a long time over this. I don't expect him to follow polls. I do expect him to implement prudent strategy.

Answer 6

No, I don't think parents know best. Most do, but many don't.

The relationship between President and citizen is not analogous to parent and child. (This reminds me of an old quote I heard once that tried to explain patriotism in the mind of partisanship: Conservatives love their country like a child loves their mommy, Liberals love their country like adults love each other.) Not to say that is what you were alluding to, but the President works for US. He is not there to do whatever he wants because "he knows best" (because really he doesn't), he is there to SERVE US. We are his boss. He organizes us and shapes policy, but ultimately, he is there because we put him there. If the American public want something or don't approve of something, he should at the very least take that into consideration.

Answer 7

this is what is wrong with the government

we are not children and the government is not our parents!
we are adults who can take responcibilty, know what is good for ourselves, and can make our own choices
the president works for us


(ever hear of democratic/authoritative parenting? the style considered to produce the best children and the best adults when they get older according to most psychology experts)

Answer 8

the "PRESIDENT" (you don't have to yell) is not the leader of the country. this is not Stalin's Russia, the leader is not the "parent" and the people are not the "kids." in a democracy, yes, polls should matter.

I know a lot more about what is going on than this particular "PRESIDENT."

you are a joke of a contributor.

Answer 9

Actually no. If the president knew what was going on, we wouldnt be in Iraq, we would have a much more environmentally friendly country, not every country in the world would hate us, we wouldnt have a corrupt government, should I keep on naming all the other stuff that would happen if Bush actually knew what the **** was going on.

Answer 10

Apples and oranges.

Parents are not the employees of their children. The President IS the employee of the American people.

I will not comment on the Presidents grasp (or lack thereof) of current events and historical indicators.