Loren Lippincott
A leader rejects passivity, accepts responsibility and leads courageously. However, in politics, “leaders” often pander to those with the loudest voices, have the largest “identity groups”, and have the broadest appeals. Routinely seen today are exaggerations of past achievements or outright falsified accomplishments to appeal to the greatest number of voters. On the farm, we call that lying!
Psychologists say lies and exaggerations are often an attempt to overcome shortcomings. In a word, this is called being an “imposter.” The motivations for selling oneself as something they are not are varied, but in politics, it is often done to play into the “group think” mindset for acceptance and, of course, to get re-elected. The private sector has a way of weeding out such insincere people. Whether a lower-level employee, a manager, or an entrepreneur, the daily challenges, hardships, and trials of the workplace continually hone one’s rough edges. If workers do not perform well, they tend not to get promoted. However, far too often in government work, mediocrity is tolerated and, more often than not, becomes the rule. Instead of the employee (or politician) being fired or the ineffective program being eliminated, they cry for more money, which is often thrown their way. Newt Gingrich said it best: “Companies are forced to constantly innovate because of competition and the rise of customer expectations. Bureaucracies (i.e., government red tape factories) can continue in perpetuity without change because they have no effective pressure to improve.”
The presidential election will soon be here. One candidate, Kamala Harris, has never had a private sector job. She wasn’t even registered to vote until age 29. As Alameda County Prosecutor records show, she prosecuted eight cases in eight years, though she boasted of prosecuting hundreds. Her upward trajectory in her late 20s was fueled by an open relationship with the married mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, who provided her with several jobs paying $100,000 a year but requiring only one day of work a month. Mayor Brown also gave young Harris a new BMW. In her next-level job as District Attorney, she worked one eight-hour day in three years while government records show she worked fewer hours on other days. This is not gossip but is a matter of public record. However, our leftist national media doesn’t report these facts and instead buries them.
While Harris was the DA in the San Francisco Bay Area, records show crime skyrocketed because she was soft on criminals but tough on lawabiding citizens. She started her political career by breaking the law. Although there was a cap of $211,000 on campaign financing in San Francisco in her first political race, she spent $600,000, but it was swept under the rug because of her tie to the mayor’s political machine. This was a well-known violation, but Harris said she was unaware of the cap, and Brown had influence over those in charge of the ethics watch.
The so-called “Peter Principle” states that a person will rise to their level of respective incompetence. Kamala Harris is the personification of that principle. So far in this campaign, she has not held a press conference where media members can ask random questions on any subject. Throughout history, this forum has been used to test a candidate’s mettle. To pass the test, the candidate must know what he or she believes and why. Furthermore, the candidate must be able to connect those beliefs to the practical issues facing the nation. Kamala Harris has yet to be adequately tested by this time-honored process, and the interviews she has done have either been carefully scripted or, when not, she has failed them miserably by simply mumbling empty platitudes. She appears to cater only to like-minded interviewers and, for the most part, has cowered from any media members who might challenge her to see if she is up to the task. This is cowardice, which we do not need in our nation’s leader, and is dangerous. Harris has a 92 percent turnover rate in her staff since becoming VP, far more than Biden or Trump. This is telling!
Meanwhile, her running mate Tim Walz has exaggerated and even lied about his military service, teaching, and coaching experiences. Someone said Obama chose Biden because he did not want to be upstaged, and it appears Biden chose Harris for the same reason. Likewise, Harris chose Walz not to be upstaged by someone more competent than her. At first, I was skeptical about that charge, but the more I saw it, the more accurate it seemed.
On the other hand, Donald Trump has been vetted in both the business and political world. You know where he stands on significant issues, and other world leaders do too. His strong leadership produced peace both here and around the globe. New theaters of combat did not break out under his presidency. The Israel/Gaza and Ukraine/Russia conflicts might not have happened under his leadership because people instinctively know not to mess with strong leaders! Trump abhors weakness. He welcomes challenges and walks into any media setting unintimidated. He is not afraid of conflict or of differing views. His self-assuredness shows a strong constitution. Trump seems to live by the credo of Erica Jong, who said, “I have lived my life according to this principle: If I am afraid of it, then I must do it.” And as President Andrew Jackson said, “One man with courage makes a majority.”
Today, our country needs a strong and courageous leader who will uphold the values that made America great.
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.