Presidential Character - Does It Matter?

George Washington was one of our more Godly, righteous and morally upstanding men that served as a General and President. Testimonies abound to his piety. Here are some quotes on his character: “I never knew so constant an attendant in church as Washington.”- Rev. Massey. Nelly, his daughter, said, “I should have thought it the greatest heresy to doubt his firm belief in Christianity. His life, his writings, prove that he was a Christian.” General Porterfield stated he, “found him on his knees, engaged in his morning devotions.” Alexander Hamilton punctuated this statement by adding, “Such was his most constant habit.” Hundreds of testimonials attribute a moral piety and strong, sound character to Washington. (All of the above quotes can be sourced from George Washington’s Sacred Fire.)

I have been following the Republican Candidates in the run-up to the Iowa Caucus; I have been amused by the mudslinging going on as part of their efforts to separate themselves from the others. Aside from the theatre that they present, it has raised an intriguing question, “Does character matter?”

Americans have always been a people that hold their leaders to a higher standard of comportment than we would normally hold each other in the everyday work, live, and play world that we inhabit. We have, for generations, demanded moral purity from our Presidents, and yet, there are discrepancies that defy explanation.

Gary Hart and John Edwards were two Presidential contenders who were discarded by the electorate because of their philandering, while men like Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy were unfaithful to their spouses and seemingly fulfilled the demands of the Office of the President. Kennedy was assassinated, while Clinton had to survive Impeachment proceedings. President Grover Cleveland, while a lawyer, was presumed to have fathered a child out of wedlock. However, a review of Cleveland’s life and behavior reveals a man of sound moral principle who was recognized for his honesty and integrity by both Republicans and Democrats. As President, Cleveland had a remarkable career that would rate him as a success.

President Jimmy Carter was a man of unquestioned moral standing and very religious in his beliefs. As a President though, he was,“considered a better man than he was a president.” His inexperience, indecisiveness, and ineffective responses to domestic challenges in the American economy have relegated him to a poor ranking as a President. Contrast this to his successor, Ronald Reagan, who portrayed strength, a positive attitude, charisma, and a will to make America strong again. Reagan ranks high as a President and garners praise and affection, even today, at the mention of his name. The thing about Reagan though, that seems to be overlooked, is he was a man who, at one time, had been previously married and divorced; and this at a time, in American society, when divorce was a taboo.

Today, in the lead-up to the 2012 elections, we have a President who hasn’t received any vetting to the depth or degree that the Republican candidates have received. We know absolutely nothing about Barack Obama when it comes to his personal background. We have no reliable information regarding his educational performance, his previous life before Michelle, or his friends. Regarding the Republican candidates, we have two candidates, in Santorum and Bachmannn, who have stellar personal backgrounds, are staunch conservatives, and cannot seem to catch fire with the Republican base. This conservative pair, with pristine personal credentials, offers a strong conservative vision for America and, yet, run in the single digits in the polls. Romney seems to be like one of those light beers that we want to drink, but it’s low on calories and substance, and  leaves us wanting more. Trying to get a grip on Romney is like trying to nail jello to a wall. While a man of high character, he is also a moderate who has flip-flopped on some major conservative voting issues, passed a liberal health care law in Massachussetts, and tries to be all things to all people. Rick Perry hasn’t had any major character issues, but he has had a mixed bag of performance. He has brought a better employment picture to Texas, yet his big turn-off is his stance on immigration. Ron Paul shows some sense when it comes to the domestic budget and money policy. However, in this writer’s opinion, he’s a dangerous liberal on foreign policy, believes America brought on 9-11, and wants to gut the U.S. military. He runs to the left of President Obama, and that shows how far-off base he truly is. Now we come to Newt Gingrich; Gingrich was, at one time, Speaker of the House. He lead the push that helped balance the budget, cut taxes, implemented welfare reforms, and forced Bill Clinton to adopt the Republican platform. He also took liberal stances on health care reform, global warming, and received substantial amounts of money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also has two previous marriages that ended in divorce, both exacerbated due to unfaithfulness.

Republicans have some clear choices. They can choose a liberal such as Paul, a moderate like Romney, strong conservative purists such as Santorum and Bachmann, or they can choose a man like Perry or Gingrich, largely conservative in their beliefs, and in Gingrich’s case, a man with some personal baggage.

What I find interesting is this; while I believe Americans prefer their leaders to be more in the mold of a George Washington, a man of high unquestioned character, I also believe that the American voter will, in exceptional times, overlook character failings because they are worried or fearful about their current life circumstances. In those moments, it becomes a “gut level” vote of who they believe can turn things around and can get America back onto surer footing domestically and internationally. Who can argue that we don’t live in exceptional times filled with worry and doubt? In tumultuous times such as we live in now, it comes down to this – Who do you trust to bring America back to its previous greatness, to make things better for all Americans?

Submitted by; Joe O'Neill