By Tripp Henderson | Staff Writer
In the wake of the last 10 years of the American presidency, what it means to be a great president has become a foggy idea on the horizon of our minds – something unfamiliar and out of reach.
Holding the highest office in the land requires that person to act as though they do. It means being a leader of utmost integrity and character, someone that Americans can look up to regardless of party affiliation.
I’m not naive to the idea that the three things that help one become president: wealth, influence and power, is a trifecta not often found in a model citizen. And while imperfection is inevitable in the Oval Office, I believe we can do better than we have in the last decade.
In a 1975 interview with 60 Minutes, Ronald Reagan said, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
The president should do more than guide the national agenda; they should set a precedent of integrity and foster an environment of unity. If the president can do that, we will be able to create, grow and innovate like never before.
Character and leadership should never be sacrificed on the altar of advancing a certain agenda, and regardless of whether you agree or disagree with their policy, President Trump and President Biden have both fallen short in this regard.
Biden lacked the well-spoken nature of Ronald Reagan, the class of John F. Kennedy, the strength of Theodore Roosevelt, the influence of Abraham Lincoln and the empathy of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
He was, in all regards, a weak leader, and if you don’t believe me, ask Democratic leadership why they replaced him with Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Trump is equally flawed, and perhaps this manifests most in his outlandish and often cringeworthy comments in press conferences, speeches and Truth Social posts.
For example, at a rally in South Carolina, The Guardian reports that Trump said, “The windmills are driving the whales crazy.”
It’s hard to distinguish that comment from those of my drug-induced neighbor yelling on his back porch in the middle of the night. The only difference is that my neighbor has been arrested three times, which is one less than Trump. I think they both believe they won the 2020 election, though.
Trump’s shortcomings are not limited to unhinged comments, but also extend to being a convicted felon, demonstrating apathy in the January 6th attack on the Capitol and pardoning the perpetrators.
Both parties must be willing to acknowledge the faults of their leaders and demand more.
A president’s lack of character is dangerous to democracy. As trust erodes between people and the president, so does participation in civics, the backbone of our nation.
According to Pew Research, only about 17% of Americans trust the government and about a quarter feel that neither party represents them well. Poor leadership has surely contributed to that mistrust.
It is unfortunate that the leaders who are supposed to reflect and represent our great country have fallen so far short in doing so.
I like to use the analogy of a ship.
A ship has a captain, and that captain determines the direction of the ship, but ultimately, the decision to follow that course belongs to the crew. Similarly, a country is not defined by its captain, but by its crew.
I have faith in our crew.
Our crew is one that has always prevailed in rough and turbulent waters.
The first of our crew navigated to the shores of America in search for land of opportunity and freedom. When Britain posed a threat to those ideals, they rose and fearlessly defended them.
When we lost our direction in the seas of the Civil War, we rose from the depths of division to recognize the evil and injustice of slavery and chose to pursue a prosperous future that included all our crewmen.
When the horrors of Nazism gripped our allies, we sailed in on the winds of liberty to defeat evil and alter the course of history.
When terror hit American soil on September 11th, 2001, we hoisted our colors high from Ground Zero against the stormy and sorrowful weather of tragedy.
We don’t always get along; we are far from perfect, and we have our fair share of bumps and bruises, but I would say we have weathered our struggles well.
To steal a line from Mr. Johnny Cash’s iconic “Ragged Old Flag,” this crew has “been through the fire before, and I believe [it] can take a whole lot more.”
We are not a nation of one person, but of a multitude. So, crew, it’s about time we pick a worthy captain. One who can courageously lead us even during high seas, who reflects the values our high flying colors represent and who will chart us to a better tomorrow.
