Musing: The President Versus The Presidency

I have read that the British monarch uses the "royal we" because she speaks for herself and for the institution of the monarchy. In the United States we too can distinguish between the man who serves as President and the presidency during his term of office.

From time to time historians are polled for their opinions as to the greatest presidents. It seems to me that the question often confounds the quality of the man with the quality of the presidency during his term.

The normal answers for the best presidents -- Washington, Lincoln and FDR -- recognize men who successfully lead the nation during periods of great difficulty. That would seem to attest to the greatness of the presidency. However, each of these men overcame great difficulties during their lives prior to assuming the office of president, and each was the subject of great respect from their associates. They may also have been great men.

Think, however, about Jimmy Carter. I would hold that he is a great man, devoted and successful in doing good in the world, who rose from humble beginnings and has the world's respect. On the other hand, his one term as president does not seem to have been marked either by great accomplishments nor by great challenges; his was not a great presidency.

Bill Clinton might be an example someone whose presidency was better than his personal character. There is a supposed Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times". Fortunately, the United States enjoyed a period with few major challenges during his presidency, The Cold War was over and the new challenges of China and Russia had not yet fulminated; the United States was enjoying the peace dividend. While he left the United States in better shape than he found it, compare that with getting us through the Depression and World War II.