Comments on: Office politics: 10 tough presidential decisions

Comments on: Office politics: 10 tough presidential decisions http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/ Smart Conversation about the Constitution Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:04:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8530 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8530 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8531 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8531 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8532 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8532 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8533 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8533 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8534 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8534 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8535 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8535 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8536 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8536 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8537 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8537 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8538 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8538 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

]]> By: Jim Foster http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/office-politics-10-tough-presidential-decisions/#comment-8539 Jim Foster Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:31:37 +0000 http://blog-dev.constitutioncenter.org/?p=6544#comment-8539 It’s a good list. I think somewhere you have to add Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Clearly Lincoln and his supporters wanted to do it. But, the concern was whether it would drive some remaining slavery states and supporters out of the Union. Also, it made it much clearer that the Civil War was largely about slavery, and not just a fight for state’s rights. This also might have sowed dissension among those who didn’t want to fight to free the slaves. A very tough decision.

I might replace Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan with this one. Although Truman’s decision was momentous, in the end I think it was the only one he could make. He was faced with the prospect of losing a million lives during an inland invasion of Japan and probably extending the war for one or two more years.

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