To Take An Organization Off The Rails, It Takes More Than One Leader
By
Leonard Zwelling
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/opinion/mark-robinson-maga-trump.html
For the most part, my basic belief system is one of a conservative Democrat. I believe in a strong American defense force.
I also believe that there is a place for government in bettering the lives of the less fortunate. My belief system is not represented by either of the two major political parties at the present time. Like so many Americans, I feel abandoned by main stream politics.
In both the case of the Democrats and the case of the Republicans it has been a series of weak leaders and the complicit actions of those around them that has led to this place. This is what makes the current choice for President so hard. It is exactly what Peggy Noonan says it is, Awful vs. Empty. Donald Trump is awful. Kamala Harris is empty.
David French identifies a new factor that people can use to make the decision between Awful and Empty. That factor is Mark Robinson.
If you have been in hibernation (or estivation if you are in Houston), Mark Robinson is the current Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. He is running to become the Governor. CNN was able to find evidence of Mr. Robinson’s posts on a porn website called Nude Africa where he claims to be a “Black Nazi” and that “Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it back. I would certainly buy a few.”
Mr. Robinson, who is Black, has denied having made the posts, but CNN is sticking by its story. As the French article points out, these comments are consistent with others Mr. Robinson has made in the past. Mr. Trump has enthusiastically endorsed Mr. Robinson and has not yet reversed his endorsement after the CNN story.
The point I want to make is that the awfulness of the MAGA conversion of the Republican Party is not just due to Mr. Trump. It is the fawning obedience of people I used to believe to be reasonable to the MAGA viewpoint. I simply do not believe that Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and Joannie Ernst do not know how awful Mr. Trump is and how damaging his policies are likely to be for the country. Of course, this is not to say Kamala Harris will be any better. No one has a clue as to what she will do if she is elected. She has yet to answer a single question with a straight answer about policy.
But we know for sure, that what has happened to the Republican Party took more than just Mr. Trump and his vilification of immigrants and desire to weaponize the Justice Department while politicizing the entirety of the Executive Branch of government. All Republicans save Dick and Liz Cheney and Adam Kissinger are complicit.
The same fate will befall the Democrats if they allow Ms. Harris to continue as an empty pants suit. Why should anyone vote for the Democrats? Are they expecting to win on abortion alone?
This gets me to the overriding point of this post. When an organization, whether a political party or an academic cancer center, goes off the rails it is more than just poor leadership at the top. It takes an entire village of inept subservient under bosses to reduce the effectiveness, efficiency, and excellence of the organization. It has happened to the Republicans. It may well happen to the Democrats who are being led by a figure who has never won a primary or even earned the right to be President.
I think the same is true at MD Anderson with a president without the credentials to lead a research-driven cancer care delivery system and a group of people under him who are equally unqualified for their jobs.
If the Board of Regents really cares about MD Anderson, it ought to bring in outside auditors to review the science, patient care, finances, and most of all faculty well-being under this leadership group. I believe that they will be found wanting and would be replaced quickly.
One can hope.
