The Willingness to Give Up Power: A look at Washington and Obama | Eastern North Carolina Now

    George Washington is widely regarded as the most important man in American History, and rightfully so. Not only was he a fierce warrior, but a natural leader and a fountain of wisdom. His heroics in the Battle of Monongahela in the French and Indian war commanded a deep respect from his countrymen that eventually led to his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the struggle for independence. While his accomplishments in that conflict should hardly need reminding, it's difficult not to get chills thinking of the courage Washington demonstrated when he and his men crossed the Delaware under the brutal conditions of Christmas 1776 to earn the first major American victory of the war, or when Washington put his military genius on full display, baffling British General William Howe to take back Boston. In 1783, several years after Washington's forces had triumphed at Yorktown and with America's independence from Britain confirmed, the General did something unprecedented. Instead of making a grab for totalitarian authority, Washington gave up power. The decorated General returned to his farm, resigning his military commission to the Continental Congress.

    However, we all know that this wasn't the last position of power General Washington would hold. After the Constitution was ratified in 1789, Washington was unanimously elected to be the first president of the United States. He held the office with dignity, authority and most importantly a firm respect for the Constitution that he had sworn to defend. Despite being offered a third term, Washington decided that two was enough, longing for a quiet retirement to Mount Vernon. Thus again, Washington peacefully handed over power to the elected John Adams, shattering the historical trend of great leaders becoming corrupted by their own authority. While Washington's list of achievements are considerable, this is irrefutably the greatest contribution he made to his country. Where history had been stained by tyranny, Washington showed the American people that a chief executive could show restraint. and more importantly, that federalism and liberty could co-exist.

    Today we see a much different picture being painted. Two hundred and twenty years from Washington's last term, a historic election is unfolding in front of our eyes. This shift hasn't come in a good way either, with one candidate a pandering, pathological liar, holding ideas hostile to the principles of liberty, and the other a loose cannon with no clear principles and an overzealous streak for the theatrical that has turned our politics into something more closely resembling reality television than a substantive contest of ideas. Perhaps more disturbing than the candidates themselves, however, is the need our current president feels to involve himself in the election at every possible turn. With our economy barely moving and the terror threat from ISIS more apparent than ever before, President Obama has reportedly cleared the majority of his October schedule in order to campaign for Hillary Clinton. He has taken every opportunity he gets with the media to bash Donald Trump, recently calling the GOP nominee "Unfit for office", and arguing that Republicans should find a way to replace Trump. CNN Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley argues, "It is unprecedented in recent American history the way President Obama has been lambasting Trump as being a dangerous menace to America." While it is hard to disagree with the notion that the GOP nominee has said some highly objectionable things, it is unthinkable to me that President Obama could criticize him from a perceived moral high ground. Not only has the president endorsed one of the most corrupt people to ever seek the presidency in Hillary Clinton, his own record of unlawful actions and a lack of transparency has stained his own administration. Whether it be the recent discovery that his administration illegally and secretly paid a 400 million dollar ransom to Iran, his targeting of Conservative groups through the IRS, or the unconstitutional executive actions on immigration, his ever-apparent authoritarian streak has led many to the conclusion that our President isn't necessarily as concerned with the health of the nation he governs as he is the preservation of his legacy. While each of the scandals listed above took place with the end goal for the administration being political gain, his involvement in this election cycle only further reveals such motivations, only this time, they come in the form of a fight for a practical third term through Clinton.

    This shines a light on the contrast between our first president and our forty fourth, and perhaps even indicates the emergence of a new and more dangerous type of presidency. Where Washington understood that the most important action he could take for the Republic was to demonstrate that power could be peacefully transferred, Obama is clinging onto whatever he can grab to stay in some sort of power. He has even recently said himself, "I'm being forced out." Though not said in any serious context, it reveals his underlying feelings on the transfer of power that is about to occur. His deep involvement in this general election is unprecedented, and shows no signs of slowing down. Despite this, the president's charisma and likeable demeanor have kept his popularity among the public at bay. However, it is indisputable that the beast he now fights in Donald Trump is a direct result of his own failures, in both foreign and domestic affairs. At this point it should be clear that the uplifting words and smooth tone are just a front, an effort by the president to project himself as something he is not. Conversely, a brief study of Washington's life makes clear that he was a man that didn't have to project a front. His record spoke for itself. Before the presidency, he was a war hero, and Obama a community organizer. That alone should speak volumes on who should be more willing to pass the torch. My ideological objections to our current president notwithstanding, it would be refreshing to see him develop a Washingtonian penchant for leadership, and perhaps even retire with some of the quiet dignity that our first president did.