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The Spectacle Blog
Every leader worthy of notice has had some signature success, some achievement for which they are known. Except for the truly exceptional ones they will spend the rest of their careers following the same strategy they used in the original effort.
Machiavelli wrote about this in his Discourses. Leaders do what they do. If their plan coincides well with the circumstances of the moment, then they will succeed. But if the plan with which they are comfortable does not mesh with the current operational reality, then they will fail. This is the operation of fortune about which Machiavelli often wrote.
Because of this dynamic of leadership, the next president must be a leader who has made a name as a budget cutter. There are moments when a builder of institutions and programs, a visionary, is the right person, but now is not that time. Now, the cutter must have his due. In other eras, the cutter would be too conservative, too careful to take necessary risks. Today, the cutter is in position to become a hero.
We must find a leader who has grown used to bucking the resistance of petty empire builders, bureaucrats, interest groups, unions, and legislators who count on drawing concentrated benefits from the public at large. Destiny calls. And those of us in the public must not miss the opportunity to elevate that person.
View all comments (11) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Hunter Baker
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/03/15/leaders-do-what-they-do-theref
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ncatty| 3.15.11 @ 9:53AM
Governor Christie, I presume?
NoLib| 3.15.11 @ 2:57PM
Christie is a gun grabber who is soft on border security, and that's just two of many serious objections to his candidacy. No thanks.
Dai Alanye | 3.16.11 @ 11:50AM
Santorum.
Mimi| 3.15.11 @ 9:59AM
We now know, that Obama is NO leader!
We need a miracle of a leader to clean up the mess and lead this great country. The 2008 election not only was a grave error for this country but an unnecessary HARM to the whole world!
b
Zero Establishment| 3.15.11 @ 10:08AM
Very true but sadly I don't see USA rising to the occasion. Our overall culture doesn't elevate or cherish these types of individuals anymore. We've passed that threshold, and it will take an unforeseen miracle for it to happen.
Ricco| 3.15.11 @ 11:11AM
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be available soon. He's done more cutting than Sweeney Todd.
LiveFreeOrDie| 3.15.11 @ 11:29AM
Waste of a blog post. Is this the conservative version of, "Hope and Change?" Yes, we could use a fiscally responsible President, who couldn't? But you are intentionally ignoring the basic operation of government at the federal level. What about the Senate? 100 millionaire, lifetime politicians that aren't about to give up the status quo. Washington elites see political suicide wrapped up in any real solutions, therefore nothing meaningful will be done.
JASmius | 3.15.11 @ 11:48AM
Yeah, but Chris Christie insists he's not running next year....
Bob White | 3.15.11 @ 12:37PM
Well, that would be Mitch Daniels, right?
NoLib| 3.15.11 @ 2:58PM
No.
Hunter Baker| 3.15.11 @ 6:11PM
LiveFreeorDie, your objection is the entire point of the post. Experienced cutters have already been through the type of obstacle you've identified.