If I were POTUS, I would treat the job of POTUS similarly to being a CEO. Part of the perspective of a CEO is to operate a company with a long term vision and plan. The larger the company, the longer term the plan is. The United States of America deserves a very long term perspective. While the POTUS is just a temporary employee, the job of POTUS is to help direct the country with a vision and plan for a long and healthy future well beyond the tenure of the POTUS. It does not matter that the person doing the job of POTUS is doing so as a temporary assignment, the job is for the unending future of the United States.
If I were POTUS, I would develop a vision for a long term future based on long term planning. We have lost the focus to a point where the next election is the goal. It is such a shame too, because if someone doing the job was obviously taking care of the country for a long term future, the election would take care of itself.
If I were POTUS, I would focus on whole country solutions, not on regional or industry solutions. We need balanced plans that provide the greatest benefit for the United States as a whole. This approach includes pursuing alternatives for regions and industries where a whole country solution's may have an adverse impact to mitigate that impact. For example, say we have a region with an industry that may not be sustainable indefinitely or may have a negative health impact regionally and further away. Instead of just saying "no" to the industry or limiting it so much that it cannot continue, I would endeavor to provide incentives for transition of the industry to other foci or for other industries to locate in the region to keep the region prosperous.
Certainly, flexibility is paramount. The needs of the country change. The opinions of the citizens change. The world theater changes. And with different political balances in our government at different times, the approach to policies can change quickly and radically. With this reality creating a long term plan is probably more challenging than for any other entity. However, even large, international corporations develop long term plans. To not create a long term vision and plan is not serving the best interests of the people.
To create a long term plan for the United States we need to continually evaluate our ways of living and our business practices. We cannot just keep going what our grandparents did. Everything is not necessarily sustainable. The question is whether or not our grandchildren be able to do it. How about seven generations from now? And if not, how do we change things to provide for a long term future. We need to plan how we are going to maintain all that we wish to maintain in a way that is well thought out and sustainable. I am not willing to bet my grandchildrens lives that something will “work out”. We should change our practices long before an industry blows up because there is nothing left to support it. This planning is essential to the continuity of the United States.