Is there too much attention on the Presidency?

[Coastie]

While the President of the United States is arguably the most powerful man in the world, I wonder if there is not too much attention focused on this position. The government of our nation was set up with three branches, The Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary. The checks and balances set in place by our constitution were to insure that no single entity within these three branches would ever able to gain the entire control of our country or the legislative process.
Today the attention of our nation, the media and indeed the world is focused almost entirely on the presidency and has been for years. In the interim, the congress and judiciary blunder blithely along doing their utmost to reshape our country in the image of whatever it is they see as the ultimate utopian state.
Congress passes laws and when the outcome is good, accepts the credit. When the outcome is bad, or at best questionable, lays blame at the desk of the President (no matter who is in office) and the media goes along with it, or worse ignores it.
The Judicial branch picks and chooses among the cases brought before it and decide which will or will not receive judicial review. They do this regardless of the opinion of the public or how badly a particular issue seems to require an overhaul, and again the media says nothing.
What do you think?

[Vapodog]

Coastie, I think all three branches of the Federal Gov't should be watched and scrutinized like a hawk.

Unfortunately the press has as it's sole job the attracting of listeners and viewers to buy their sponsor's products.

The president gets severe scrutiny and folks like prominent senators and representatives get ignored because many folks don't even know the names of their reps and senators. I'd further venture that not one in a hundred can name the members of the Supreme court and nine in ten can't name a single one.

The press is smart.....they feed us what we want.....

[JagMagMan]

ORIGINAL: Coastie

While the President of the United States is arguably the most powerful man in the world, I wonder if there is not too much attention focused on this position.

I would have to agree that the president could be the most powerful man in the world, to a point!
He does have great influence over how votes go in Congress, especially if his party is in power.
His greatest power, is his power of appointment! Not only in appointing Supreme Court Justices, but many other Federal judges too! To me, this is the biggest reason to vote for the man that holds moral views, and gun views that you support!

On the other hand, the president does not have near the power over the economy, that we perceive!

[Coastie]

While the President does infact "appoint" Federal Judges and others, that power is tempered by the congress which must approve these appointments. The only legal way around this is by interim appointments during a congressional recess and these appointments are not permanent. I agree that the people appointed by a President reflect the values of that president, but without a congress willing to support thoe values, he is lost. The filibuster most recently by a handful of democrats proves this. Good people have been blocked from being appointed due to political reasons alone and the congress skates again.

[fng]

Ptttthhhh,

Jack Welch wields more power than the president or congress.

Unfortunately Jefferson spoke the truth about business and the United States.. very sad.