Monday, February 17, 2014

A Day for Presidents


Today is the annual generic confection that was whipped up to honor American presidents. It is an example of More is Less. The losers get placed on the same platform as the so-so, the pretty good and the great.

We'd be much better off if the holiday were scrapped and the nation returned to recognizing the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

I've studied the presidency for years, beginning when I was a student of government and accelerating while researching a book on leadership. Setting ideology aside in order to avoid bias, a helpful measurement is whether a president avoids making elementary mistakes. For example, passing major legislation or taking the nation to war without significant bipartisan support is an elementary mistake; a violation of Presidency 101. So too is having a decision making process that excludes dissent and filters important information or an ultra-collegial one that wears out the chief executive.

The White House staff has grown enormously since the days when Louis Brownlow's committee completed its famous study of FDR's White House, a place of no small amount of chaos, and declared, "The President needs help."  [Incidentally, one of the most powerful bureaucrats in American history was FDR confidante Harry Hopkins who lived in the White House and worked from a card table.]

Structure matters but character and competence matter far more. My feelings on this day can be summed up as follows: Cut the staff, change the day, honor Washington and Lincoln only, and don't feel compelled to put a picture of James Buchanan (or his modern-day equivalent) on your piano.

2 comments:

John said...

But, but, but...
How will we sell more tires and stuff?

Michael Wade said...

John,

I often associate great presidents with mattresses.

Michael