Presidential Prowess

Today we celebrate two Presidents of the United States who stand out above the rest.  We used to celebrate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln separately, but when we added a day to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., we put the two presidents into one day.  Would they mind sharing a day?  I would hesitate to guess.  Washington was not a man to put himself on a pedestal.  He deeply loved his country and he was a soldier—he did what needed to be done.  History has painted him as a reluctant President, one who remained for a second term in order to keep his fragile country together rather than do what he wanted to do, which was spend his lest years on his beloved plantation in the bosom of his family.  He might even be surprised by the ongoing adulation he is honored with.

Lincoln is another story—he actively sought out glory.  He was an attention seeker and a showman from young adulthood onward.  He was smart and quick thinking, and he liked to show that off.  He might be a bit put out that his special day was usurped.  

How would Lincoln feel about our current president?  They share some personality traits, to be sure.  Would Lincoln be surprised that we had elected a black president or would he be surprised that it took so long?  Lincoln’s task was daunting—the North and the South were born out of two different ambitions, and they never really fit nicely together as an independent country.  They stuck together post-Revolutionary War for practical reasons. It was easier to establish one country, no matter that the values were not overlapping, rather than establish two independent countries, one born of religious freedom, and the other seeking economic wealth.

Our current POTUS is a socially and politically moderate man who has incurred the wrath of the Republican Party from day 1.  They are still in shock that he was re-elected—how did this happen?  When the Republican led House refused to do any work, the people put blame where it belonged—on Congress.  There is no place for compromise it seems—perhaps it is early days to give up on this, but I hope we see a lot more independent action from the president.  His legacy is secure—he is the first person of color to lead the country, no one will forget that.  When people in the future look back, they will see that we were not ready to elect a black man in general, but rather that we were ready to elect this man, and all the racism, both conscious and unconscious that was stirred up hindered his path to change.  So now it is time to think about what he can accomplish on his own.  He is a smart guy , and the blueprint he would leave us with would be well worth having.