A Different Kind of Politician Rises to The Occasion

A couple weeks ago I started watching the regular updates by my governor. It's like night and day from what I see at the national level. My gov is a Dem, used to post on DK before he ran for congress I think, I didn't read much there then so I don't know.

His name is Polis, kind of an affable slightly heavy, slightly balding middle aged guy. He speaks like an Obama or Bill Clinton in that he speaks in complete paragraphs, with well thought out ideas and in an organised fashion. He's real easy to follow. Every day he gives a complete run down of how our state is handling all aspects of the covid 19 thing. He is thorough and knowledgeable. He speaks at length. He exudes competence.

Take a listen to any of his daily reports. He does answer a few questions from the press but that isn't the objective, what he is doing is giving a daily update to the citizens of his state. I never ever notice anything political in what he's saying, nor partisan, if you didn't know him and what party he was in you'd have no idea by what he says.

Both times I've watched him he includes a quote from scripture in his opening remarks. I know he's Jewish as in heritage, I don't know if he's religious or not, it's the kind of quoting that seeks to touch our commonality of our Judeo Christian culture. I'll tell you what, it's pretty doggone reassuring. Here's a very bright knowledgeable unassuming moral man in charge of our state when we are faced with some serious issues.

Some of us might die, or we might lose family, many are overnight facing extreme financial stress. At least we know that in our state, we have someone coordinating what resources we do have to help us to make it through this thing as best we can. One can't ask for much more from a government.

I wish there were more like him.

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Comments

Granma's picture

Nice to know there are a few competent people in leadership positions.

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10 users have voted.
travelerxxx's picture

Tell you what, ban nock ... ole buddy. I've got a hell of a deal for you today! We here in Texas would like to offer you a deal you can't refuse. Here it is:

We'll trade you – even up! – both our dear governor AND our lieutenant governor for just your governor. It's a hell of a deal! Our governor, and lately especially our lieutenant governor, are rather famous. Compare to the rather unknown leader of your state. You can't lose!

But wait! There's more! Today only! We will toss in – at no extra charge! – a former US president. This president can actually earn his keep as a house painter. You can't lose I tell ya!

Act NOW!

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dystopian's picture

@travelerxxx to sweeten the pot... there is an up and coming Bush, is or was recently the Railroad Commissioner, which controls most of the energy biz in Texas. We will throw him in too! Two Bushes! Plus a Gov, and a Lt. Gov. How can you say no???

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

travelerxxx's picture

@dystopian

Yes! RR Commissioner Bush the youngest, too! It's a Thursday Special!

Hurry! This deal won't last!

Call now!

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mhagle's picture

@travelerxxx

Living in Texas . . .

That Dan Patrick really takes the cake. He has sucked for years, always working to dismantle public schools.

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

travelerxxx's picture

@mhagle

Yeah, if I had a dart board here at the house, a photo of Dan Patrick would cover it. His nose would be the bullseye. My dear wife is a retired Houston public school teacher. Patrick is loathed here.

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janis b's picture

I hope the plans your state have carefully considered to try and avoid medical resources from being overwhelmed, is successful; as well as the measures that support paths for teachers and students, and others that support the life and economy of your state. Thank you for posting this video.

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earthling1's picture

Polis oozes competence.
Thanks for posting that.

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7 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

If not, is he pandering to the religious?
If he is, is he trying to exclude those citizens who are not religious, or those who do follow a religion but not one of "the right ones"?

There's a lot of literature that has been written over time, there's no need to keep returning to the the book of dogma of a single religion to find some pithy quotes. Besides, if people need to hear religious talk, there are a lot of tax-exempt buildings they could visit that are meant for that kind of thing.

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@MichaelSF to any politician who quotes the Bible, much less to start a serious press conference.
Serious.Press.Conference. is government in action. I believe in the separation of church and state.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

janis b's picture

@MichaelSF

I really don't understand the religious reference you pose.

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@janis b on our courthouse doors, through out the walls on every single office in our courthouse. And we have a small population of Muslims and Hindis, and a hand full of Jews.
How must they feel entering the courthouse, the courtroom, to seek Constitutional mandated justice?
The Christian Right locally celebrates this, brags about it, and all politicians cower to it and turn a blind eye.
It is just so wrong.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

mimi's picture

@on the cusp @janis b

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@janis b

Both times I've watched him he includes a quote from scripture in his opening remarks. I know he's Jewish as in heritage, I don't know if he's religious or not, it's the kind of quoting that seeks to touch our commonality of our Judeo Christian culture. I'll tell you what, it's pretty doggone reassuring.

That's what I was addressing with my comment. Unlike ban nock, I find gratuitous religious verbiage from politicians to be less than reassuring. There are too many wannabe theocrats in this country, and even if that governor doesn't fall into that category his actions give them cover for their "this is a Christian (but we'll let Jews tag along until Armageddon) nation" rhetoric.

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mhagle's picture

@MichaelSF

Maybe he will expand to include other sources?

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

magiamma's picture

So far so good. First in nation to shelter in place.

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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

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mhagle's picture

My 18-year-old son and I were discussing this the other day. Who is there who can take over for Bernie? No one. And this is Bernie's last hurrah sadly.

But now we hear that there are leaders rising up out of the ashes.

This essay makes my day. Thanks!!

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3 users have voted.

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

gulfgal98's picture

Ron DeSantis to finally issue a stay at home order. The order has a LOT of exceptions as to what are essential services and even allows for the attendance of church services. People from all over the state were calling for him to do so for weeks and there was even a recent national article calling him out for not doing so. Florida is a state in which a significant portion of our population is extremely vulnerable due to age alone. Only California has a larger elderly population.

Our local county commission shut things down as much as possible well over a week ago. Because Tallahassee is the capital city, many of the govt. offices are still operational. During the time DeSantis dithered, spring breakers flooded the beaches, thus possibly contributing to the spread of COVID 19 both within Florida and into their home states. And the beaches are still officially open.

Gov. Polis of Colorado is very impressive in the way in which he is presenting his updates to the people of Colorado. He has effectively outlined the steps that the state is taking while emphasizing the importance of social distancing.

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4 users have voted.

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy