Our family Christmas tree will never be featured in a magazine. An eccentric mix of Star Trek, Disney, regional, retro, and family crafted ornaments has a theme: us. Our tree features presidential ornaments this year. Look closely and you’ll find Garfield, Lincoln, Grant, and Teddy Roosevelt. Why?
This is a good time to recall what unites us. It’s a good time to recall leaders who could inspire. Garfield embodied the virtues of a Christian gentleman, Lincoln died to set men free, Grant protected us on the day of battle, and Teddy cared more for people than plutocrats.
God bless them, everyone.
Prince Harry and Other Heads of State
Americans do not have a monarch, though sometimes we seem to crave one. It feels as if it might be easier to swear allegiance to a person, to defend Her Majesty, than to defend a piece of paper: the Constitution.
Americans follow the British royal family as if they were still our own. I am betting that Prince Harry’s recent engagement to Meghan Markle makes him more popular than any of our politicians just now.
Sometimes we tend to treat our President as if he were a constitutional monarch, an elected head of state. We think of terms, not reigns, in American history—but the outcome is the same. We recall a President of little consequence like Millard Fillmore, for example, but forget a great statesman like Daniel Webster when we remember that such-and-such an event happened during the Fillmore administration.
When the President throws out the first pitch at a baseball game, he is not just a member of a political party. He is one of us.
Whatever your party, I think everyone can agree that Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama were both good heads of state (in different ways). They understood the ceremonial parts of the job and were capable of giving a non-partisan speech.
Other Presidents have struggled with this role. Andrew Johnson and George H. W. Bush did not have the touch. Jimmy Carter was as bad at being a head of state as he is good at being a former head of state.
What My Presidential Ornaments Teach Me
The evolution of the President’s political power as head of government has not been good. We have put too much power in his hands, including the power to destroy life on this planet. The respect we give the President as head of state, combined with his great power as chief executive, has led to growing power in the office. The President does have some power over the economy, though this can be overestimated, and so we are tempted to boo the man when he throws out the opening pitch. The Queen, on the other hand, is not blamed for a bad economy. She can still cut ceremonial ribbons without fear of catcalls.
This is dangerous. We need a figurehead and a chief executive. We must either do better at telling the roles apart, and at distinguishing those roles from the person holding the office, or we must amend the Constitution.
People who fantasize that the First Lady (or Gentleman!) need not be given an official role do not understand human relationships with powerful people. The genius of our Constitution was to give us a “royal court,” and to renew its members every eight years. We get a new “royal family” ever decade! A weakness of the Constitution was to give one man, the President, great powers as well as great honors.
George Washington could handle both. Few since his time have been fit, so on our Christmas tree this year we honor those who have done well. The presidential ornaments on our tree celebrate our loves while recognizing that there is no place in our celebration for a James Buchanan ornament—an administration that should not be forgotten, yet cannot be celebrated.
Where will Mr. Trump fit into history?
God save the Republic and our President.
Rachel Motte edited this post and wrote the sub-headings.
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