If we elect a president and he disappears into his own world then all we've done is to elect a short-term king. Only he's a lame king because he's hindered by the democratic checks and balances in place.
You see, a president is two things. He's a representative. He represents our values, views, hopes and ideals. If all goes well, he takes these things with him into office and administers the country accordingly. But that's not ALL he is.
A president is also a leader. He must turn back around and speak with us. Consult with us. Show us the way through both word and example. I think we and they forget this. We seem to send our presidents off as if on a journey with best wishes and promises of support. And then watch from afar with fingers crossed. That's a sad surrender of our power. It is not okay.
We elect the president based on what we know. We know what the current issues are and how we'd like them to be handled. We know what philosophy we want day-to-day administration of the country to be based on. But we put our president in a position of knowing a lot of things that we don't know at the time. Mainly because they're in the future. Often because they're too sensitive to be publicized. On these matters we should expect our president to lead us.
We should elect a president who can come to us and say things like...
"Look, here's the situation. Based upon my knowledge, understanding and wisdom and upon the principles I promised to foster, I think X and Y are the things that should happen. For this to work, you will all need to do Z. Please join me in this and make the sacrifices necessary. This can work!"
...
"Hey, it looks like our efforts to bring about X have worked! This is great for everyone! We've organized a party! Enjoy!"
...
"Well, Y was a mistake. We pursued it for reasons A, B and C. It didn't work for reasons M, N and O and I apologize. Based on our new understanding, D is the solution. Please take heart and step up by doing E and F."
...
"This is a sad day. A very hard decision has had to be made and a lot of people are going to be hurt. X, Y, and Z are why we have to do this. It's a nasty flu shot, but will prevent the flu. We will do A and B to ease the pain and in the end we will shine again for our sacrifice and efforts."
The thing is, WE are the people and WE run this place. When we're left wondering, we polarize. Some of us can support a president in the dark and we do so with vigor and conviction. Other's of us become disheartened, confused, angry and tired and then react accordingly. We're not smart enough to always elect the wisest, most knowledgeable and capable president, but the system is set up with some protection for us from that. What we SHOULD be smart enough to do is to elect a president who can lead us, communicate with us, honor us. Be us.
When the president brings us along, we act as one. When the president won't or can't bring us along, we divide. I'm not being ignorant here. There will always be differences of opinion; there will always be dissent. But never so much as when we become detached from our president. And when we are attached to him, there's an atmosphere of communication in which dissent can act as a healthy and effective tool.
It takes someone with charisma. It takes communication skills and it takes honesty even when it hurts.
We may not even know it all the time, but we are comforted by someone who can talk to us, be honest with us, be strong for us, be sensitive for us. Be us. This isn't a feeling to flee from, to reason away. This is a collective wisdom inherited from the dying wisdom of previous generations. It's evolution. It's what works best. A true principle.
Mistakes are made, but if we make them as a people, we still win. Success is achieved, but when we achieve it as a people, we achieve it in glory. And the best peaceful way to be a people is to be well lead by a good president.
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