My husband and I have been rewatching Ken Burns’ documentary on the Roosevelts. The stark contrast in how presidents behave in times of crisis is both illuminating and discouraging.
In my opinion, anyone who runs for president must have a healthy ego, strong self-confidence and not fear the limelight. These traits were clearly present in Franklin D. Roosevelt, as he saw the country through the Great Depression and most of World War II. These traits should not be confused with narcissism and a need for unquestioning adulation.
At one point, Gen. George C. Marshall disagreed so vehemently with FDR that observers were sure Marshall would be fired. FDR later appointed Marshall Army chief of staff in 1939, as the U.S. prepared for war.
The leader with strong self-confidence uses the strengths of those around him, while the narcissist is threatened by competence and disagreement.
FDR recognized that a strong central government works to bring a nation together by highlighting commonalities and he involved people through open and honest communication. He knew the importance of providing strong central leadership to generate solutions and he also knew that leaving each state to muddle through individually would not cure our nation’s problems. He helped our citizens understand that isolationism was unhealthy and he did this while keeping them proud of being American.
He knew that it would take Republicans and Democrats working together to make decisions that pulled our country out of the Depression and prepared for an inevitable war. All of this was done by keeping the focus on the people rather than on himself, by creating cohesion instead of chaos.
I’m not saying FDR was without flaw and certainly he made his share of mistakes. However, the contrast between FDR’s priority on citizen-focused solutions and our current president’s priority on himself is undeniable and disheartening.
Kari Ellingson, Cottonwood Heights
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