This is not a post telling you who to vote for. That decision is, and hopefully will always be, yours to make.
This is, however, an exploration of our views on what is good for our country.
In every era, certain values are more desirable than others. In a time of much chaos, people seek a leader who brings peace. In a time of division, people look for someone who can bring people together.
When it comes to what makes a good president, the personality traits that are favored seem to change about as frequently as the campaign seasons. Though people seem to always like a dynamic speaker, and it doesn’t hurt to be well-liked.
Nonetheless, there is a pattern of what seems to be considered good, but only in retrospect.
Looking back, the presidents that have become known as the most effective were the people who could rise to the occasion to meet the need at the time. They met the moment and made the decision that was most aligned with the future. Holding on to the ways of the past has been proven ineffective again and again.
When it’s all said and done, most of us would rather be Netflix, not Blockbuster. As challenging as it was at the time to let go, I threw away all my CDs in favor of streaming my music.
Because the future is coming. It’s always coming, whether we like it or not.
There seems to be a giant chasm between those who still long for the “good old days” and those who are looking enthusiastically toward the future.
Likewise, the divide between parties looks like it keeps growing. But we must remember the candidate who is elected will become the president of the county and all its residents, not just those who belong to one political party.
And how many of us can recall the parties of past presidents? Seriously, without googling, who knows which party Calvin Coolidge belonged to?
On the other hand, we remember what people did or what history tells us they should have done.
Thus, the real measure of whether someone was a good president boils down to, “Did it work?” Did their plan work? Did their agenda help the people it was supposed to help? Did they achieve the goals they set out to achieve? Were those even the right goals?
History is the biggest decider. Whether the president of that era fell on the wrong or right side of history seems to be a major factor in deciding their efficacy.
Some of the worst U.S. presidents, according to historians, died in office and could not complete their tenure (see William Henry Harrison). Others were in favor of slavery (see Millard Fillmore or John Tyler), which it turns out lots of folks later disliked. Who woulda thunk?
Some of the others who topped the list of the worst were responsible for decisions that led to negative financial repercussions for the country (See Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression). It turns out people don’t want things to get worse. Go figure.
In 2021, C-SPAN surveyed almost 100 presidential historians to learn who they saw as the best of our country’s leaders. The historians ranked each president on qualities such as vision, public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management and their pursuit of equal justice for all.
Not surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln topped the list. Lincoln is often credited with keeping the union together, which people think was good, and abolishing slavery, which most everyone now agrees was bad. Ronald Reagan entered the list at number 9 and Barack Obama came in at number 10.
A really good president, like any successful leader, eventually becomes both invisible and ubiquitous. When their presence is not seen, their influence remains. Often the results of their leadership last for years after they have left their post. This makes picking a good president even more important.
Since we are the ones voting, the ball is now in our court. The ballot is in our hands. Will our choice stand up to history’s test?
Contact Editor-in-Chief Camike Jones at 317-762-7850 or camikej@indyrecorder.com.
