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| Jacob Abrahamson Class of 2017 |
Since the 2016
elections, I have found myself reflecting more on the meaning of political
leadership than ever before. As I get
older, I have looked back more on the lessons given to me in McConnell Center
seminars and have made time for myself to apply these lessons to political
realities. In many ways, the beginning
of this election cycle feels like a lifetime ago. In the absolute barrage of misinformation and
pointless rhetoric found on social media, I have seen a few reasons to be
hopeful, but I have mostly been given reasons to be pessimistic about the
political process. However, deep down my
experiences have shown me that people are inherently good, and I firmly believe
that the United States can recover from this societal rut we seem to be stuck in. While I do not think that politicians can or
should solve every problem, I do think that if we set high expectations for our
leaders, we can start electing individuals who inspire us to be better, to work
toward community, and to solve the big issues that seem to keep people
apart. I refuse to accept that our
differences are that great, but I do think that a political class has found it
politically expedient to tell us that they are.
Since I was in
high school, my favorite genre of books and movies has been political
biography. I can point to numerous
instances of reading about a leader and feeling inspired to pursue a career of
public service. I read an account of
Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign nearly every year
because it gives me hope about having political leaders in this country. During an election year much more divisive
than 2016, yet with eerily similar issues, Kennedy travelled the country
speaking to groups that had never been spoken to by a presidential candidate
before. In his speeches, with this one as perhaps the best example, he spoke hard truths to large
crowds and knew that politics in the United States is about much more than
issues, it is about the spirit of our nation.
He may have learned this from his elder brother, who also inspired
regular people to care about our political community. These are just two examples of a long line of
inspirational throughout American history.
I doubt that future generations will be able to look back at our America
and feel as inspired as we do when we look back at certain political leaders in
our history. Maybe it is an impossible
task, but I do not think that means we should not try.
When I think about
how we have to make this effort, my mind often circles back to The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis,
known well to many McConnell Scholars.
This little book is a wealth of insight, and one aspect of it that
speaks to me is his discussion of men without chests. Lewis worries that educational systems, or
upbringings in general, no longer inspire children to be great. If a child has heroes they look up to, maybe
as an adult they will hang on to some of that aspiration and optimism and use
it to make the world a better place. I
am blessed that I was exposed to individuals throughout history who have
inspired me to be a public servant, yet I worry that people either no longer
have leaders to look up to or are no longer given the opportunity to do
so. I think this is a small part of why
individuals like Bernie Sanders were so popular with people of my
generation. He was real, and he meant exactly what he said. He gave young people an image of someone to
look up to. I disagree with him
fundamentally on most issues, yet I still follow his career closely because I
find him fascinating and I think his dedication to service is a model to young
people. It seems as if everything we are
shown on our computers or televisions is so negative that Americans need to be
reading histories of great political leaders or uniting behind a sports player
that does incredible things. I could
very well be naive in saying this, but I think we could all use a little more
inspiration in our everyday lives if we are to avoid becoming, as Lewis put it,
men without chests.
I said above that
I was given some hope by this election cycle, so I do not want to ignore
that. I hope this blog can serve as a
starting point for people to reflect on their own heroes or how they can act in
a way to foster community. My personal
favorite presidential candidate of the cycle was Ohio Governor John Kasich, who
I thought had a keen ability to rise above party interests and speak to all
Americans about a long-term vision for the country. Love him or hate him, I think it is hard to
ignore that he offered an inclusivity of vision that very few other candidates
even attempted to offer. I have also
been following Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse very closely since he came out as a leader
of the “Never Trump” movement. He is a
different breed of politician--or perhaps an old breed that we no longer see
that often--and whether you disagree with him or not, his Maiden Floor Speech at the Senate is a must-watch for anyone who
wants to think deeply about political leadership. People seem to be getting very interested in
Sasse for his brilliance, wit, and ability to pierce through rhetoric to talk
about what he really believes in. So,
while this election has certainly got me down, all is not lost for our
political system. The problems are deep,
but there are people out there trying to solve them, one slow, arduous step at
a time. That is enough to inspire me to
help.
Jacob Abrahamson, of Bowling Green, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar studying history and political science.