What is the mantle of leadership? I'll tell you what it's not. It's not being a sheep and believing what you're told to believe. It's not subscribing blindly to a worldview on every single issue. It's not being afraid of your image with your friends or the public. It's not being afraid of accepting an element of risk.
The Democrats are losing the mantle of leadership on Iraq, drop by drop, like Chinese water torture, while the country suffers as a result. Last night, on Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill challenged Rahm Emanuel, the Democratic Caucus Chair of the House of Representatives, on Iraq. Since we can't get the 60 votes in the Senate to stop a filibuster, why not take the only route left, stop the funding for the war and force Mr. Bush to withdraw the troops.
The crowd cheered. Many Democrats have started to favor this approach, but it's politically risky. Bush could accuse the Democrats of refusing to "support the troops." But Mr. Bush, if he really supported the troops himself, would have to withdraw them. It's a little bit like a game of "chicken." But sometimes, assuming the mantle of leadership requires following this approach, e.g., the Cuban missile crisis.
Anyway, Maher, egged on by the crowd, continued to press Rahm Emanuel. Rahm started to hem and haw. He squirmed in his seat. He gave a totally unconvincing response, and people in the crowd started to taunt him.
Hopefully, Mr. Emanuel will re-consider based on the audience reaction and discuss funding as a real alternative to the Democratic Caucus. The country would respect the Democrats for taking a stand, even if they disagreed with it.
Unfortunately, even the Democratic candidates for President are starting to qualify their responses on Iraq. In a recent debate, the three main contenders, Hillary, Obama and Edwards, refused to make a commitment to withdrawing the troops before the end of their first term. That's another four years in that quagmire.
As a concluding aside, anyone who refuses to vote for Hillary because she's "pro-war" should reconsider. If healthcare is an important issue for you, I think she represents the best chance of actually accomplishing something. She has assumed the mantle of leadership in many other areas as well, one reason why, despite all predictions, she is still the front runner.
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- Willy Gissen
- In 2003, Willy Gissen founded Cut-It-Out Communications, a full-service public relations agency based in Hartsdale, New York. His organization specializes in the incorporation of online activities into traditional public relations programs, primarily for business-to-business clients.
These activities include the creation of e-newsletters, the set up and maintenance of internal blogs, and the development of inbound links to maximize a client’s search engine ranking.
See his other articles at public relations instruction, and visit his other blog, New York Times Leader, for an analysis of each morning's lead story.