Seeking the Next President

As Richard Nixon grew more wounded, the nation writhed in discomfort. The government still functioned but leadership became addled, incomplete. As the next President, Gerald Ford stated after being sworn in as President, “Our long nightmare is over.”


Suddenly we had a new president and life went on. We all got back to work, no longer distracted by a national crisis.


Today we face the same crisis – a leader consumed with controversy, investigations, and legal woes. We are in a constitutional crisis. A major one made more important because of the divisiveness of our times. A nation split among itself on what constitutes fact is a nation much distracted.


We must get back to work. International issues beg our attention. Partnerships and alliances of long- standing need mending. Strong fresh visioning of a functioning global community needs constant ideas and energy. And of course, our nation needs fresh visions to fuel our progress into the future.


Vision. An image of what we hold dear. A picture of the possible. This requires leadership. And acute thinking.


Our current leadership in Washington DC is not thinking future or keen visions of what the nation needs and hopes for. We are distracted. Mired in the muck of partisan politics when we need to be on a higher level of aspiration.


So, who will lead us forward? We need someone, or a team of someones, to find our way forward. Who will that be?


I don’t think it will be someone with a past high level of leadership, or someone of significant age. We will need someone who has energy, vision and fairness woven deeply in their DNA. We need someone who respects the concept of ‘government of, for and by the people.’ We require someone who is undisputedly honest and forthright. We need someone who can feel emotion in the open and demonstrate authenticity.


I don’t know if such a person exists among the people now saying they are interested in running for President.  I do know we have a few old people who may not survive their first full term. I know there are younger persons without the experience or wisdom it will take to be an effective President. So how do we identify the best people for the job? How do we help them become the leader we need them to be?


For one thing, we do not need to be nasty and demeaning. Just honest and factual. Respectful, too.

There are some good candidates in the Democratic Party. Not all of them are suitable for the office. Some are. Others may be but we haven’t yet seen all they can do in the job. Republican hopefuls for the office of President are not in view because the sitting occupant has the presumed candidacy. If he resigns or is removed from office, then who among the Republicans is suitable for the role?


We are living a national nightmare. Nothing is normal. We must find a solution to this situation. How? When? Where will the wisdom and will come from for this solution to emerge?

March 7, 2019