Theodore Roosevelt on Criticizing the President

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

Theodore Roosevelt in the "Kansas City Star", May 7, 1918

What would Teddy have said about the State o the Union message last night

Salty said:

What would Teddy have said about the State o the Union message last night

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He would probably have said, I didn't have any idea the leaders of our great nation could separate themselves so far from the truth.

I think he would have been shocked at what he seen and would have been calling for a rope and hangman.

But that's my opinion, a MAGA guy.

What would Teddy have said:
A) those dems who refuse to attend the State of the Union
B) When Trump ask them to stand up if they believe that the job of the US is to protect American citizens

Salty said:

What would Teddy have said:
A) those dems who refuse to attend the State of the Union
B) When Trump ask them to stand up if they believe that the job of the US is to protect American citizens

Click to expand...

The 73 who refused to attend were making a statement. They were wrong in my opinion - if I were a Democrat, which I am not - I would have been in attendance out of respect of the office of the President, stood and cheered at the appropriate times and sat at the appropriate times.

Those that came were looking for a fight. A big one. JUST LIKE TRUMP WAS. I didn't watch, but saw some clips on Fox News [sigh] the next day.

What Trump actually asked was not is it the job of the government to protect American citizens. He asked "if it was the first job of the American government to protect American citizens over illegal aliens."

Donald J. Trump KNEW they would not stand up no matter WHAT he asked. He could have asked -

[1] Stand up if you like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla!!
[2] Stand up if you don't want to die tonight!!
[3] Stand up if you love our country!!
[4] Stand up if you want $1,000,000!!

Their collective rear ends would not have come out of those chairs no matter WHAT he said to them. And he KNEW that. And they showed their tails and stayed true to their hatred of Trump.

That's why he goaded them, baited them, manipulated them with a loaded question and thought he made himself look grand and them insane.

I think they are all deluded and unhinged.

Scarlett O. said:

I think they are all deluded and unhinged.

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Both sides have acted badly at State of the Union Speeches in this century. I recall Joe Wilson, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Taylor Greene doing so on the Republican side when a Democratic President was speaking.

The United States would be so much better off if it returned to the Articles of Confederation of 1781 as its Constitution and if the American people would stop voting for any candidate of the failing two-party paradigm.

The American political system needs a total reset from what the Republicans and Democrats have developed during the 21st century.

I remember when Joe Wilson yelled "Your Liar".
He might have been correct - but that was not the time or place to do so.
If I remember correctly, he was forced to apologize.

FWIW - Joe is now the 36 ranking member of Congress.
He is one of the 5 who initially entered Congress in 2001