Bob Dole, a Republican presidential hopeful passed away this Sunday, 12/5 caused by an ongoing battle with advanced lung cancer. President Biden came forth to speak on the unfortunate passing of Dole regarding him as an “American statesman like few in our history...among the greatest of the generation. And to me, he was also a friend whom I could look to for trusted guidance”. Dole was a war hero who was critically wounded in battle which resulted in numerous health problems. Previously surviving prostate cancer and a leg infection, the seemingly indestructible Dole’s passing were unexpected, to say the least. Dole was the Senator of Kansas for 27 years and had two stints as the Senate majority leader, although he is perhaps best known for being the unsuccessful opposition to Bill Clinton’s campaign in 1996, which was his third attempt at the white house. Dole was remembered as a social professional that could always break congressional tension with his humor. As a former soldier himself, Dole also advocated for the nation's veterans serving as co-chair of a 2007 presidential commission that investigated Walter Reed Medical Center, which specializes in treating wounded Navy Seals.
Bob Dole^
In his youth, Dole was born into the Great Depression. Following the coming of WWII, he enlisted and wrote his memoir: “One Soldier’s Story”. Dole’s humanitarian quality is best represented in where he suffered a major injury while carrying a fellow soldier to safety. The next 39 months were spent in and out of hospitals which ultimately earned him two purple stars, and two bronze stars, along with an oak leaf cluster for his outstanding service. His other honors include receiving the Congressional Gold Medal which is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.
Personally, I believe that a man such as Bob Dole who was forged by his nationalistic, and humanitarian past created a man who was able to seek out good for his country. As Dole has heavily contributed to the states such as being the Republican leader of the senate for 11 years, his passing sure has left a hole in congress. With the passing of older political figures who have lived through the larger conflicts of our past, the decision-making and morals of modern politicians bring questions. Dole’s was a role model of what an “ideal” American was made to be, and his lasting impact as a good man in congress has left a positive influence even after his passing. Surely this golden retriever of an example
Do you think the next Kansas Senator will be as qualified as Dole?
What problems or benefits do you see coming from Dole’s passing?
What makes a senator candidate appealing in your eyes and why?
9 comments:
I think the next Kansas senator will be qualified in their own way. Senator Dole was experienced and a war hero in his own unique way. His personality and history showed that he cared for people and even would sacrifice his life for someone else and personally this is hard to find. I see a few problems perhaps, a lot of people must have favored dole, he was in office for a long time and changing from his time in office to someone else may arise some challenges but we won't know until we see. We may see a new senator and a younger individual come into office. Personally, a senator that I would like is someone who is knowledgeable about the history of the country and the state they are representing but also young, knowing what this generation wants and will voice their goals and wishes. They are open to listening to others
The next Kansas senator may be just as qualified to fill in Dole’s role, like freja said, but I think that many can’t match his experience levels in terms of what he's been through and witnessed. Because of this experience, he was able to bring a different perspective and I do agree that a hole will be left in congress because of that. We can be hopeful that even though an important figure has passed away, a new senator will be able to bring in new views to congress.What makes a senator candidate appealing to me is probably experience. We want someone who will be able to do the job well. Along with that, someone who appeals to the views that we do is important. You want someone who will help bring what you want to this country, someone who will vouch for you in congress.
When someone like Bob Dole has spent so much time in the senate, 27 years, they accumulate an immense amount of experience with their office - forming relationships with the senators year after year, passing legislation, and gaining knowledge about policy. It is always sad to see such a skilled and experienced politician pass away. The next senator from Kansas will most likely be not as skilled, at least initially, because they are new to the post of senator. However, in time, they will accumulate experience and skill of their own, provided they are able to get reelected each year, which is generally likely for an incumbent although not guaranteed. The new senator will have to form relationships and learn how to be an effective congressperson, most likely already having prior experience in elected office or law.
The factor that distinguished Dole from another senator with comparable seniority is his military service, which gave him a unique perspective in Congress and a more favorable view in the public eye. The senator that precedes him will most likely will not have this experience and therefore might not be as unique or influential in Congress.
Dole's passing will weaken the Republican party as he contributed his experience and skill to passing legislation that supported his side, when he was in office. His military service and work for our nation will not be forgotten.
Bob Dole served in the Senate from 1969 to 1996. In his 27-year tenure, he became a major player in the Republican Party, serving as Senate Majority leader for over a decade. Kansas is currently represented in the Senate by Jerry Moran and Robert Marshall, both of which are Republicans. Moran, a lawyer by trade, has served since 2011, and Marshall, a physician, was just elected this year. Neither have Dole's "qualifications" (seniority, veteran status, Senate leadership experience), but they may gain similar level of recognition with time.
I don't see any benefits from Dole's passing, other than perhaps hiss relief from the suffering caused by cancer. He was a great politician, and clearly had the skills to work across the aisle and get things done. Dole's passing will end up weakening the Republican Party, as they lose a reasonable and well-respected voice, and will also likely contribute to the increased partisanship and polarization occurring in our current political culture.
I do not think that the current Kansas Senators, Jerry Moran and Robert Marshall, are as qualified as Bob Dole, and I don't think that they have comparable leadership qualities. Part of what built Dole's reputation was his leadership, and these two Senators are not following in his steps. Additionally, I think that losing Bob Dole as a leader in the Republican party will increase the polarization, and will allow for a new, more conservative person to fill his "position". For when I am eligible to vote for a Senator, I will be looking for candidates that have experience in politics, such in the House of Representatives, or in the state government. Whatever it may be, I feel that this experience is crucial, because they should know how to accurately represent constituents views, and how to work with other politicians.
Considering open seats in the Senate are typically filled by currently experienced politicians, perhaps a governor or house representative, I believe that the next Senators will be qualified. Just as qualified, however, might be an overstatement. While current Kansas Senators Moran and Marshall have experience, because former Senator Dole was such an active member of the government and for three decades, an official with just as much knowledge around policy is highly unlikely. I also agree with Julien’s point that in many ways, Dole stood out from other senators because of his military experience. After experiencing an injury during WW2, leaving parts of his arm and hand without feeling, Dole committed much of his career to advocate rights for Americans with disabilities, as seen through his advocacy for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. While one might argue that Senator Dole’s open seat would pave way for a new senator to advocate new prevalent policies, given our current polarized climate, an open seat for Kansas would more likely be filled by an official with similar extremist views current Senators Moran and Marshall.
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/06/1061896298/former-sen-bob-dole-who-fought-for-disability-rights-has-died
In response to #3, it's difficult to define a certain set of qualities that the "ideal" senator candidate should possess. Generally, I think senator candidates have experience in government and policy, strong oratorical skills, effective communication abilities, and great interpersonal skills. These may constitute baseline skills that most people going into politics probably desire. Other qualities, like possessing strong moral compasses, integrity, patriotism, diligence, etc., are sought after in ideal candidates but difficult to define in real individuals seeking to hold office, as individuals are influenced by their own ideals, party alignments, biases, etc. and have their own unique strengths and shortcomings.
Dole is unique in that he was not only highly respected and experienced, but his military experience and advocacy for disability rights can't necessarily be "replaced" by any new senator candidate. Thus, while there is no true image or set of qualities that can define the ideal candidate, many people come close to embodying that image through their unique backgrounds and talents.
In response to number one, I definitely think that while the next Kansas senator will feature their own strengths, such as being closer to the constituency and their needs because they were likely part of the constituency more recently than Dole, they will be lacking in the experience and expertise that Dole boasted. However, both come with their pros and cons and whatever the case may be, Congress will continue one, albeit in mourning. I think that this passing of senior members is indicative of the need for term limits in Congress, as it would allow members to spend the last years of their lives with loved ones under far less stress and also allow Congress to move with the voters instead of becoming sightly outdated with time.
As for the third question, I feel that Senators should have a strong balance of political experience as well as morals and people qualities (integrity, honesty, kindness, and good-hearted). I think if a candidate is intelligent and experienced, and innately a good, non-selfish human, then they are suitable for the Senate as they will truly vote for bills they feel are in the best interest of their constituency due to moral obligation, as sill as it may sound. For me, someone moderate is also important because I don't want someone extremely polarized who isn't willing to vote against their party in Congress for the greater good. Someone who can't stand up for what's right and is constantly obligated to move along party lines doesn't feel very ideal to me because they'll simply contribute to the polarization that Congress already suffers from.
Considering the experience he carried for his role in the senate, detailed in this post, it is hard to think of many people more "qualified" than him in the world. While reading about congress from the textbook, I was constantly astounded by the unending complexity it dealt with, for which years of experience would be invaluable. Although, a new perspective and set of abilities can be comparably valuable and beneficial to congress and the nation overall. In the same way, there is experience (especially considering his service in WWII) that the next senator could never have, as well as vice-versa, the new senator will bring things Dole could not have. Regardless, it will take quite some time to fill the hole left by Dole's passing. Those ideas also apply to the third question; experience can be very valuable for a senator, but a new perspective can have its benefits too.
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