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Monday, January 17, 2004 Volume VII Number 3

Generally, when it comes time to inaugurate the Commander in Chief, the nation celebrates as one.  It’s as it should be.  The loser concedes generously and pledges support.  This is the protocol of democracy.  Inauguration is intended to be not only the induction of the victor, but a celebration of the Presidency itself.  During the hotly debated Constitutional crisis of 1787 through 1789, many of George Washington’s loyalists argued that he should be crowned Monarch of the new nation, mainly because they believed the powers of Congress were too broad.  They thought their leader, like the King of England, ought to enjoy absolute power.  Washington never agreed.  He firmly believed that the Monarchy he just defeated in the Revolutionary War could never be a model for governance in the New World.  He preferred the Presidency.  Limited power.  Limited term.  Elected periodically by the will of the people.  He became the first.

And so the Presidency has not only survived, but flourished for more than two hundred years.  Inauguration is a moment of celebration for a system that made the United States the most powerful nation on planet Earth.  The Office is much greater than its occupant.  But that celebration was curbed in January of 2001.  The wounds of an election gone awry were still fresh.  The bitterness and animosity deeply ingrained, sensitive to the touch.  It was a cold and rainy day in Washington, DC.  It matched the nation’s mood.  Republicans could not celebrate freely in the face of persistent debate.  Democrats stewed in open resentment.  There was no national consensus.

Michael Moore’s version of it took shape in his “documentary.”  Bush won in 2000, according to his film, because the Supreme Court was dominated by his father’s appointees and Florida was governed by his brother.  Simple as that.  He pulled a nepotistic power maneuver and voilá, victory!   (Moore’s film, now an Oscar candidate for Best Film, will not appear in the Academy’s Documentary category, mainly because of a decision by Moore to release the film to Pay-Per-View.  It begs the question - is it really a documentary?)

It wasn’t until the first LF that followed the attacks of 9/11 that I spoke about the President again… this time, considering his real inauguration to have occurred right there on the rubble of the World Trade Center, megaphone in hand, rescue crews in place, when he galvanized the nation in resolve to fight terror, avenge the fallen and protect the American people.  That’s when he became Commander in Chief.

This week will be different.  The nation is weary of the politics of personal attack.  The Presidential election of 2004 proceeded without much controversy.  The media held back – no early predictions.  (I went to bed election night not knowing who would win.)  When the results became clear, the defeated candidate made a gracious concession speech.  The winner sounded gracious, too.

And during the campaign, the nation joined in shared grief over the passing of a great leader.  During the week of farewell to former President Ronald Reagan, the nation remembered something of the power of one person to stimulate goodness and charm and authenticity in the political arena.  We decided that we like it there.

So perhaps it is time for a real celebration.  Not...

* * * * * *

And that’s as far as I got.  The cell had a message.  An offer is in.  Our house is in escrow.  The heat’s on.

On this Tuesday morning, you are a leader.  Keep that in mind.

As for Carolyn and me, we’re house huntin’.

Posted in Valley Center, California

© Copyright Kenneth E. Kemp 2005

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