Can politics and leadership exist at the same time?

: How can politics and leadership be unable to exist at the same time?
I have a debate coming up this week and the topic is “That Politics and Leadership are mutually exclusive” I’m on the affirmative side so I’m agreeing with the statement. So essentially what I have to say is that politics and leadership are unable to exist at the same time. I’m having some trouble coming up with some points to prove this theory. For example I am unable to explain how Julia Gillard (Prime Minister of Australia), or Barrack Obama for that case are not leaders. Please help, I’m really struggling to come up with something!!
Thanks 🙂

Answers and Views:

Answer by xpatinasia
Your premise is false but, since you believe it, you’d better start developing a great argument.

Answer by letfreedomring
The only thing I can come up with that is right on target is how Mitt Romney’s medical plan for our country is the same as Obama’s.

Now that he is running for president, politics is involved and he has to convince every one that his plan is some how different then the democratic plan.

Mitt Romney may have had the country in mind and was trying to think like a leader but politics got in the way of what he wanted for America, now what he originally thought was best for America is now bad for us because it was implicated by a democrat.

Answer by red top
you are wrong on all counts they can and do exist together

Answer by All Star
LOL GPS debating topics are such crap. I’m on the negative. Basically, the negative side of this topic has the complete easy road for this debate, the only way they would possibly lose is if they absolutely suck. Basically the point is to harp on about bad cases of leadership especially those bound by the military. Good Luck

Edit: Decent points ?, but how can you say they are the same when politics is the ‘business’ involved in government and leadership is ‘the process of social influence’, i.e setting an example. Many politicians are good politically but cannot lead, thus are not party leaders.

Were you dissing or praising BBC? ..soggy sao

Answer by Bwe
watch out. BBC boys are looking at this

Answer by ?
You could

A) come up with a very narrow definition.

“The definition of politics is the activities and affairs in managing a state or government”

B) Talk about how politics and leadership are essentially the same thing as both mainly involve the individual’s ability to read his/her group’s dynamics.

again this is a very narrow view.

C) you could define leadership as having a vision and that Julia Gillard and her government/caucus etc. do not have a vision. Use dry sarcasm if taking this point.

D) “Firstly, I think the reason that Bligh’s performance has been so widely praised is due to the fact that she’s been in a position to avoid politics entirely, and simply focus on leadership. It’s a sad reality, but it seems that the two concepts are virtually mutually exclusive. But whereas Bligh was in a position to do this, I don’t think the same can be said for Gillard. Her position as a national figure doesn’t really afford her the luxury of setting aside national concerns, even for a local issue as profoundly affecting and tragic as the Queensland floods.”

this seems quite useful. just by typing it all into Google. ^^

Good Luck and which school are you from?