The Statesman and Discipline

The Statesman knows that before he can be an effective leader, he must win the battle over himself, the ability to say "no" to his impulses. Former President Harry Truman once said, “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves…Self-discipline with all of them came first.”

The Leader on the Inside*

The Statesman is not just interested in appearing to be a leader; he desires to be a leader on the inside. The Statesman wants to be a leader of character. Character is what you are on the inside and is usually revealed when you are under pressure. Character can be compared with fashion which is the "science of appearances" according to Steven Covey. A person focused on fashion wants to appear to be something that he is not.

The foundation of all character is discipline which is "the ability to say 'no' to our impulses." We can think of the development of character this way:

Our beliefs inform our thoughts
Our thoughts inform our actions
Our actions inform our habits
Our habits comprise our character

We could say that character is the sum of our habits. We need leaders who will not just make the right decisions, but will make the right decisions out of habit.

*Quotes from Steven Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership

Is America a Christian Nation?

The Statesman does not forget the foundation of his nation. For America, that foundation was Christian, as Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) reminds the House of Representatives.

The Statesman on Immigration Policy

The Statesman can learn from Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) who gave this short speech in response to the denouncement of American immigration policy by Mexican President Felipe Calderon. McClintock stressed that American immigration policy is not exclusionary and it has the purpose of ensuring that those that immigrate to America, do so with the intent of becoming Americans.

The Statesman is....a Woman

Our federal government has reached new levels of arrogance, foolishness and disregard for the Constitution. The biggest external threat to our budget comes from the federal government--oppressive health care mandates, job-killing environmental restrictions, and continual refusal to pay for costs associated with illegal immigration.~ Jan Brewer

The Right of Religion, Speech, Press, and Lying

The Statesman knows there's never a positive right to do the wrong thing. Recently the Ninth Circuit said that laws forbidding lying about one's Medal of Honor status are unconstitutional, inferring that there is a "right to lie" in the Constitution. Apparently, a recipient can turn a medal of honor into a "medal of dishonor."

Court Says Lying About Medal of Honor No Crime

He Being Dead, Yet Speaketh

Sometimes the words of the dead are more powerful than the clamour around us. Listen to a dead man giving us guidance from the grave.

Daniel Webster--Florida's Statesman

Perhaps you heard about the great statesman, Daniel Webster, of the nineteenth century. But wait, there's another one. We have our own Daniel Webster from the great state of Florida who is running for a U.S. House seat this November. A true statesman who is desperately needed today...

The Education of a Statesman

Ronald Reagan

How important is education in the life of a leader? In his book Greatness, historian Steven Hayward compares the educations of President Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. Hayward's conclusion is that we should focus on their education outside the classroom, their "informal education" as opposed to their formal training if we want to better grasp what made these leaders special. I have written an Hubpages article, The Education of a Statesman, that gives an overview of the topic.

The Retreat on the Southern Border

In a free society, the first duty of a statesman is to uphold his oath and protect the people of his land. The Obama Administration has abdicated that role. They not only refuse to protect our nation's borders, they threaten to punish those that would defend them.


And now, it's been awhile since I've heard of a greater national disgrace than I heard this morning. Apparently, our Border Patrol is fleeing certain areas of the southern border because it's too dangerous.
"Border Patrol Has Retreated from Parts of the Border Because It's 'Too Dangerous'"

The Easy Answer v. the Simple Answer

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.  There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers.  We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. ~ Ronald Reagan

What Makes a Great Leader "Great"?

What makes a great leader, great? Steven Hayward addresses this issue in his book Greatness. I have summarized some of his ideas in this essay.