[Zeke]

All this country needs is a leader, John Kennedy style or FDR. To balance my picks, Reagan maybe. In the private sector, I'll nominate Roger Penske. You don't have to like the politics, that changes with elections. But, we're going nowhere, or even to hell, like the Woodman says, without a respected leader.

Trouble is, I don't think this country knows how to respect anything, much less the President of the United States. It would help if we could get someone that deserves respect, or at least can garner it.

Now, let's take Bush. He started out miserably because the election was a farce. 9/11 comes along and his ratings hit the ceiling, they were as good as any President's ratings in recent history. He couldn't keep that going, and that's where he failed as a leader. Jesus, he was handed popularity on a Fuchin' platter.

Doesn't matter what he did, he didn't sell it. Now, he's sunk forever, whether he wins again or not. Denis said he was going to vote for the Bush so that things would look so bad, the pendulum would swing hard to liberal in the backlash.

That's most likely what's going to happen if Bush prevails unless he wises up and becomes a leader and leads.

Many from the Democratic Party could have knocked the clown off. Gephart could have for sure. What the hell happened there? First a bigger clown, Dean, stinks up the show, and then like there was no other choice, Kerry takes off like a shot.

Somebody has got to start planning ahead and bringing forth some decent leadership material. In auto racing and other sports, they start 'em off young. In business, they groom 'em at Harvard and fine tune the product with an MBA. These are the people that are making the money and commanding the atttention (notice I fell short of saying respect).

Somewhere in the world of politics there has to be a scant few with potential to lead. The parites can't establish their agenda and send forth one of the better ones to do the job?

One might argue that Bush sacrificed his popularity and potiential for leadership in order to follow what he believed was the right course. If that happens to be the case, he just went about his agenda all wrong. This is the difference between a real leader and one stuck out front to lead.

Will anyone ever be able to bring any respect back to the office of President? If two movie actors are who have managed to do this to some extent as governors are evidence of what it might take, I suggest the grooming start now far back in the ranks.

In the meantime, as it has been oft quoted (parphrased here), We are our own worst enemy.