I Cogitate
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Sad State Of The Presidency
What is it about the presidency that attracts the damaged individuals we have experienced in recent history? The parade of this country's 'best' into the White House has been a litany of individuals who have personally needed placement in such an exalted position far more than this country needed such delusional individuals in the Oval Office. Instead of getting the best and brightest, we have suffered from governship of the less than ordinary and downright bizarre.
Take Richard Nixon. Who would even want this guy as a friend? His paranoia ran so over the top it is utterly amazing he could find someone to marry, let alone produce two children with him. When someone as defective as Henry Kissinger worries about the mental health of his boss and fears the launching of a nuclear war--how low have we've gone? Nixon was a guy who should have been confined somewhere and immersed in long term therapy.
Jimmy Carter was about as honest and decent as a president could be but was in way over his head in influencing and moving a nation towards the goals he wanted to achieve. A micromanager, he seemed clueless about leading a country. Carter is a Sunday school teacher and he probably shines in that role. His work for Habitat For Humanity is also the brightest beacon of any ex-President.
How about Ronald Reagan? A certified loner with no deep friendships ('cept Nancy) despite his affable image, he was one who had no qualms about making up 'scripts' to fit the moment. Having never left the United States during World War II, his telling Israeli government officials about the horrors he experienced liberating the Nazi concentration camps is an all-time classic. He obviously touched a lot of people in this country deeply (witness the national outpouring of grief during his funeral) but he had far too many moments of detachment from reality for someone residing in the most powerful position in the world. Psychologists would have enjoyed a field day with Reagan.
Bush 41 made it appear that the presidency was simply another item on his lengthy resume of government employment. It was the next step up so, of course, he should be promoted. His presidency seemed akin to being a caretaker for the country as he neither possessed or professed any great vision for his term. But he and Carter probably were the least psychologically damaged individuals in recent history to reside in the White House.
Bill Clinton's troubled family history molded him into wanting to be liked by everyone--a terrible trait for any nation's political leader. His inveterate chasing and abusing of women ended up distracting and negating him from far greater accomplishments. Despite possessing the greatest talent and potential of any recent Oval Office inhabitant, he's another dream case for psychologists.
Then there's George Bush 43. Of all of these recent presidents, he most needed the position in his battle with personal demons. He HAD to reach the same professional achievement level as his father but also HAD to be different once there in order to escape a lifetime of standing in dad's shadow. For Bush 43, being different than his father is psychologically more important than being right. So many of his actions result not from what he can intellectually defend but, more accurately, what he psychologically NEEDS to do. Although he is intelligent, he has been the foremost contributor to a 'dumbing-down' of government where 'reality' is created, packaged and sold, rergardless of facts and figures.
Jesus may have changed the heart of Bush 43 but it is more accurately put that Jesus aided his sobriety. For the acceptance of Jesus as his personal saviour has had no other demonstrable change on Bush 43's personality. He remains a cardboard cutout, tough-talking caricature.who professes moral rectitude and compassion when it aids him politically and professionally, while remaining peevish, vengeful and dismissive towards those who disagree and fail to toe his personal party line.
Most (maybe all) management consultants would agree that modeling the way and providing a vision that becomes shared is the best practice modus operandi for any leader. That is 180 degrees from Bush 43. He 'knows' what he wants (what his ego requires) and the ducks line up accordingly, or else.
Savor this Bush 43 cauldron of insecurity and hubris on display from Bob Woodward's 'Bush At War':
"I'm the commander, see, I don't need to explain. I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation."Add two anecdotes from journalist and biographer Mickey Herskowitz and you have all the insight needed on Bush 43:
"He (Bush 43) said to me (Herskowitz): 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief'"and
"he (Bush 43) told me that as a leader, you can never admit to a mistake...that was one of the keys to being a leader."Bush 43 needs to quit reading biographies of Sam Houston and the like and focus on 21st century leadership textbooks. Image is NOT everything.
And how many of these individuals would have made outstanding corporate CEOs? It seems that so many of those elected to run this nation were unqualified to even lead a company.
Bill Clinton is the strongest CEO candidate, if he could have remained disciplined and focused long enough. None of the others possess CEO capabilities.
In fact, Bush 43 is reminiscient of Al (Chainsaw) Dunlap, former head of Sunbeam. Dunlap had Wall Street worshipping at his feet, being credited with turning Sunbeam around via laying off employees and shuttering manufacturing plants, Then it was determined that his means of righting the ship was inflated sales figures and fraudulent accounting.
Bush 43's current credibility rating is sagging into Dunlap territory because his charade, any charade, be it about Iraq, personal integrity, Social Security, on and on, invariably comes face to face with reality.
Not that this country hasn't endured alcoholics, egomaniacs and slaveholders since 1776, but will 2008 reverse this trend?
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