Who would you vote for
in a time of major crisis?

An American president must act on common sense and the greater good

By Irwin Rapoport

August 22, 2024

In times of crisis, the ideal president embodies unwavering leadership, decisive action, and clear communication, and possesses sound judgment, emotional resilience, and the ability to unite diverse groups. A crisis-ready president balances empathy with pragmatism, making tough decisions while inspiring confidence and hope.

That Donald Trump is so unfit and unacceptable to be the president of the United States is a given but, unfortunately, he and J.D. Vance head the Republican ticket for the presidential election to be held this November. Fortunately, the Democratic team of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is electrifying the nation, reviving and uniting the Democratic Party to the point where the crucial battleground states are leaning towards the Harris/Walz option.

This is great news and kudos to President Joe Biden for handing over the torch to Harris to be the Democratic presidential candidate. This was not an easy decision and as many have stated, Biden set aside personal ambition for the good of the country, emulating the actions of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus who willingly relinquished his authority and offices for the good of the Roman Republic.

The president, as commander-in-chief, has access to nuclear launch codes capable of initiating a global war and ending life on Earth.

The election of a president is a serious decision, whether Trump is running or not. The president, as commander-in-chief, has access to nuclear launch codes capable of initiating a global war and ending life on Earth. This choice should be based on common sense and aim for the greater good of all Americans and people across the globe.

We all know about Trump’s insane comments – sharks and electric-powered boats, dropping atomic bombs on hurricanes, drinking bleach to cure COVID-19, etc. Trump is as unfit as Caligula and Kaiser Wilhelm II.

A decent president should be able to discern the big pictures and small strands, have a broad knowledge of various issues, juggle weighty matters, find the golden mean, and always strive to do good amongst other values and virtues. Whether we like it or not, the president of the United States is the leader of the free world and their decisions impact everyone, directly or indirectly. We all want a stable and intelligent hand at the tiller of the ship of state.

‘Whether we like it or not, the president of the United States is the leader of the free world and their decisions impact everyone, directly or indirectly.’

Two historical incidents in American and global history should determine who should be sitting at the desk of the Oval Office in the White House. The first is the period between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the start of the Civil War , which began after the Confederacy started firing cannons on Fort Sumter. The second is the Cuban Missile Crisis and the way President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and the administration not only dealt with the Soviets but the leading generals and admirals in the U.S. military keen to take military action immediately and risk global nuclear war.

These two crises and how Lincoln and Kennedy reacted to them, displayed their talents and abilities in deftly dealing with them. Lincoln did his best to avoid the start of a deadly civil war. JFK knew the implications of making the wrong decision – not only as a parent but as a responsible leader, knowing that billions of people were counting on him and his team to avoid a global nuclear war.

Historian Doris Kearns Godwyn in her excellent book Team of Rivals described how Lincoln had to be at the top of his game every second between being elected to the start of the Civil War, which he desperately strove to avoid.

Lincoln had to deal with a cabinet that included political rivals with strong views who considered him unfit for the job and were determined to have their policy views become official administration policies. He had to be able to listen and understand the minds, motivations and ambitions of others. Lincoln had to figure out what the leaders of the Confederacy were thinking, and resist the clamour and demands of the citizens of the Union, but be able to make the right decisions which was no easy task.

‘… Lincoln had to be at the top of his game every second between being elected to the start of the Civil War, which he desperately strove to avoid.’

Lincoln could have taken the easy route and acquiesced to many hotheads but the genius and humanitarian that he was, he did not. It was the Confederacy that fired the first shots and initiated the war that took more than 600,000 lives and devastated many parts of the country. Lincoln wanted to end slavery and maintain the Union and succeeded in both goals. It was a great pity that he was assassinated shortly after the end of the Civil War. We can only speculate how he would have handled his second term.

Kennedy signing Cuba quarantine proclamation – Image: Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fast forward to October 1962 and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which could have led to the end of life on Earth with thousands of nuclear weapons launched to hit targets across the northern hemisphere creating a horrific nuclear winter encompassing the planet.

It was the discovery of Soviet missiles capable of firing nuclear weapons into the U.S. via Cuba that led to the crisis. It ended peacefully with the removal of the missiles and nuclear bombs there in return for the Americans removing obsolete nuclear missiles in Turkey and pledging not to invade Cuba. Both sides chose peace, but it was a near-run thing as the Duke of Wellington would say.

‘… the Kennedy brothers not only having to deal with the Soviets, but with hawkish generals and admirals, CIA leaders, and others who wanted the U.S. to take a hard stand from day one.’

The stellar film Thirteen Days based on the 1997 book, The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis, by Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow, provides a solid history of the situation from within the White House and its various departments. The film from 2000 takes us from one situation to another, with the Kennedy brothers not only having to deal with the Soviets, but with hawkish generals and admirals, CIA leaders, and others who wanted the U.S. to take a hard stand from day one.

We are fortunate that JFK and RFK won the day. Some readers will recall that tumultuous time and the fear that mushroom clouds would be seen in many cities and areas where military and missile bases were located. It was that close and the stakes were the highest you can imagine.

‘… if the Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance administrations were faced with these crises, who would you prefer to be leading the U.S.?’

So, to get back to my main point and the essence of this piece, if the Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance administrations were faced with these crises, who would you prefer to be leading the U.S.? It truly comes down to this when casting that ballot. I know whom I would choose and urge my family and friends to do the same.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WestmountMag.ca or its publishers.

Feature image: The Signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, by Francis Bicknell Carpenter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons