.
Think About It. Ambition. At an early age we are told that ambition is required for successful life. For a rewarding career, young people are told, they must get good grades in school while being more resourceful than their peers in order to achieve greater status along with the financial rewards that accrue. Some are told that they can even grow up to be president, with the assumption that this is a desirable and worthy goal. Can you imagine? Would you want to be President of the United States?
Of those currently contending, which do you suppose really believe they can make sense of the Washington maze, clean out the lost research mice (rats?), fumigate and put the place on a path to public service? And which do you believe have simply wanted to be president for many years? Consider Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Party affiliations not an issue here.
In 1979, anticipating the next year’s campaign, CBS interviewer Roger Mudd asked, “Why do you want to be president?”. The next Kennedy in line, Ted answered, “Well I’m, uhh, were I to make the announcement to run, the reason I would run is because I have a great belief in this country, that it is, there’s more natural resources than other nations of the world.” Perhaps less ambition than family expectation. A big bridge to cross.
On the other hand, still in the days we count as BC, a popular fellow leading a revered, functioning republic arranged to be named Imperator for life, and was then said to be too ambitious for the nation and himself. The result? He was murdered. However, the march to dominance continued until the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire while annexing a wide swath of real estate and stifling the freedom of 21% of the then world’s population . Maybe it really wasn’t a friend named Brutus who did him in as Shakespeare writes. And he does provide a melodramatic depiction. But it is just as accurate a picture as that of most serious historians.
A few years ago we saw many tributes to Robin Williams. One was especially arresting. In a moment lacking an outburst of manic, serial stream-of-consciousness, he paused to comment on the state of the nation’s politics. Speaking seriously of the method by which candidates funded their obscenely expensive campaigns, without laughing he simply noted that the wealthy donors expected a return on the investments in their candidates. Of course you know that, but it was a sobering reminder, especially for a professionally very funny man.
As usual I don’t have an answer, but I do have an opinion. Anyone who would run for President doesn’t understand the situation. Or if he or she does, I am frightened by the clearly insatiable need for power and the obvious blinding Ambition. Think About it.