No matter how active an individual claims to be in politics, the discourse and opinion surrounding the office of the President of the United States is arguably the most watched and scrutinized of any public office. According to Thomas Hollihan, in his book Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age, the election of the President in the United States is crucial to national identity. “Presidential elections are thus the most important moments in our election rituals. They mark the time when the ideological divisions that identify the two major political parties and that most sharply define our sense of purpose and commitment and that chart the course for our future will be most sharply revealed.” (Page 22)
Through the years, Americans have faced numerous crisis and conflicts as well as times of peace. The American people have shown what qualities they view as most important for the President to posses. As recent generations have seen, to be an effective leader is a matter of one’s own opinion. We have learned that sometimes the most popular candidate does not always win. We have also learned that sometimes the most effective policies are those that lower the approval rating of the President. So by what standard does society measure the President? Is honesty the preferred quality? Or does our country prefer an individual of focus and who is indifferent to conflicting views? Do we as citizens find our own identity in the demeanor of our Commander In Chief, or do our political affiliations dictate our views of the office of President?
In 1932 The United States faced perhaps its greatest crisis ever. Not only did the nation face an economic problem unlike any before, but a growing threat lingered across the ocean to the East. The Nation seemed to have found hope in New York Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Considered by many to be one of our greatest presidents, his popularity over the course of his four terms was unparalleled. According the Roper Center at the University of Connecticut, his approval rating never dipped below 54 percent. Hollihan states that “our presidents are the embodiment of our national identity.” (Page 23) In contrast Ronald Reagan also thought to be very popular at his time, dipped to 35 percent in 1983. So what qualities made Roosevelt’s popular? In our most trying times it was Roosevelt who answered America’s call for action. In response to the Great Depression, he created the New Deal programs which the Library of Congress states “New Deal programs helped improve the lives of people suffering from the events of the depression. In the long run, New Deal programs set a precedent for the federal government to play a key role in the economic and social affairs of the nation.” Many of these programs, including Social Security, exist to this very day. Thanks to Roosevelt’s accomplishments in his first 100 days, we now measure the course of a presidency’s future based on their first 100 day performance. Or were the words of President Roosevelt in the nation’s darkest moments what makes the mark of the president?
On December 7th, 1941 The United States saw its largest attack from a foreign enemy in Hawaii. Roosevelt framed the day and the attacks on Pearl Harbor as “one that would live in infamy.”
For a long time prior to the day, Roosevelt found it hard to articulate the words for why The United States chose to remain “neutral” in the beginning of the Second World War. But in a moment of great mourning and sorrow Roosevelt addressed the nation with words that gave no mixed meaning or intention.
“No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.” - historyplace.com
Roosevelt’s ability to make a stern statement increased the Nation’s confidence and support for whatever his cause would be, showing his ability to lead.
Flash Forward 30 years after Roosevelt’s death, the years of democratic ideals dominating the presidency had been replaced by the election in 1968 and re-election in 1972 of Richard M. Nixon. Much like Roosevelt Nixon saw early approval ratings in the 60s. Many know that Nixon is the only President to ever resign from office. Nixon watched his approval drop in record numbers due to his involvement in the Water Gate scandal. Upon his departure of office, his approval rating sunk to a record low of 24, despite being re-elected by a landslide in 1972. His mere involvement in the scandal changed the public’s opinion so greatly that his call for impeachment was imminent. Despite the low approval rating, Nixon has been heralded for his diplomatic work and was well known and respected as Dwight Eisenhower’s Vice-President. As president he promised “Peace with honor” when it came to the Vietnam conflict. Nixon’s first term saw the landing of men on the moon; a goal set by the Kennedy administration, as well as his establishment of the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency and authorization of the Clean Air Act.
Despite his multiple accomplishments, Nixon’s troubles overshadowed his triumphs. When the president of the United States is no longer able to uphold the beliefs and ideas of society, his role is put into question.
“When American’s elect a president, they elect a ‘king, a high priest, and a prophet.’… As a priest he enacts the rituals of our ‘civic religion’” according to Hollihan. “The presidency is a symbolic institution, and the president’s actions affect the daily lives of U.S. citizens and people throughout the world.” (Page 23) So, no matter how good a president’s deeds are considered to be, if one action is taken under their watch that is considered detrimental to the nation, then their complete legitimacy as President is challenged.
Almost every president since has come under some fire for the follies. In the later part of the decade, President Gerald Ford became the target of even further public scrutiny. Ford was known to be a college athlete who took an unfortunate spill getting off of Air Force One. This was lampooned by Chevy Chase of Saturday Night Live.
Ford:
Chase:
Not only is the president expected to uphold the highest values of society, he is also expected to carry himself in a manner that garners respect from the world over. The President’s ability to command such respect was put into great question once Jimmy Carter took office in 1977. Although Carter was considered to be very articulate and well mannered, many thought this to be a sign of weakness. In his “Crisis of Confidence” speech which delivered to the nation in response to the growing concern of energy and the current state of the country.
“These ten days confirmed my belief in the decency and the strength and the wisdom of the American people, but it also bore out some of my longstanding concerns about our nation’s underlying problems.
I know, of course, being President, that government actions and legislation can be very important. That’s why I’ve worked hard to put my campaign promises into law, and I have to admit, with just mixed success. But after listening to the American people, I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than energy or inflation. I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy.
I do not mean our political and civil liberties. They will endure. And I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might.
The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways.
It is a crisis of confidence.
It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.
The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America.”
Carter makes many concessions in this speech. By doing so and admitting to the short comings of not only the Government but also of the American people themselves, Carter alienated himself. The man that the nation had wanted so bad after the scandals of Nixon, had been done in by his very qualities that Americans respected… His honesty.
In the 1990s the Unites States saw a similar situation to that of Nixon regarding moral conflict arise. During the Presidency, Bill Clinton was accused of having an affair with an intern named Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton appeared to be the perfect example of a down-to-earth everyday man that American’s craved. We wanted a fast food loving “good old southern boy" with charm and charisma that would bring change to the 12 years of Reaganomics and class division. The President again seemed honest and trustworthy. He even admitted to using Marijuana.
However, when the ethics of the President came under fire, the highest office in the land saw disenchantment from the people it served. The questioning of the President’s moral fiber challenged the nation’s opinion of what characteristics the president should posses. How could an honest down-to-earth man have done such a horrible thing, especially as the President?
The President in many people’s eyes should uphold the very ideals that society lives by. So how did George W. Bush get elected? Was it out of sheer fear of having another immoral liberal corrupting the Office of the President? Or by the faults within the electoral process itself?
| | George W. | Albert A. | Ralph | Electoral votes | |||||
| | Popular | % | Popular | % | Popular | % | R | D | G |
| Total | 50,456,002 | 47.87% | 50,999,897 | 48.38% | 2,882,955 | 2.74% | 271 | 266 | |
What seemed important is that he was a church going father of two, who seemed committed to family values, a far cry from the “perverted” Clintons. He was heralded as a “Compassionate Conservative” or as Robin Williams saw it “like a Volvo with a gun rack.” But again the nation had found a stern leader, a man of conviction who wouldn’t take "no" for an answer. Unfortunately, his popularity, an approval rating average of 49% according to Gallup, was unable to rise due to his inability to articulate his thoughts in a correct manner. He became well known for his “Bush-isms” and became the subject of public scrutiny unparalleled by any other president in history.
Again, the office of the Presidency has shown that it has become increasingly hard to appeal to all voters. Whether it’s Bush’s lack of rhetorical prowess, or policies enacted in order to combat poverty, the President will never be able to please everyone.
Throughout time, our society has questioned and re-assessed what exactly the office of the President entails. Is he a Fiscal and Social leader? Is he there to lead by example in times of tragedy and great duress? Should he be vigilante in his words and stick to his guns, or do we fault him for his honesty when it scares us? Perhaps the will of the people as well as the increased media coverage has created such an environment that no matter what the President does, his failures no matter how big or small will be forever scrutinized. This leaves only our own moral compass to offer the true guide. No matter how much we try to deny it, our perceptions of what our president should be will always find conflict with what our President is.
I leave you with this:
George Bush On Global Warming - Spoof By Will Ferrell - More amazing videos are a click away
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