Webster’s New American Dictionary defines hubris as exaggerated pride or self-confidence. Of all the political sins, the one that has effected, and continues to effect, each party is the sin of hubris, especially, at the presidential level. You see it in many forms during a presidential campaign and after the candidate is selected. All the key staff members of the winning candidate are looking for the location of their office in the White House. The closer the office is to the President’s office, the more power, both perceived and actual, that individual has. There is an incredible amount of jockeying that goes on and friendships that may have existed go down the drain when ambition and hubris meets opportunity.
Let me give you a few examples of how hubris has made a difference in our politics and continues today. Back in 1972, the race for the presidency was between Nixon and McGovern. However, during that time, the Democratic Headquarters at the Watergate was broken into by individuals who were associated with the Nixon campaign. The evidence is clear that Nixon knew nothing about the break-in and no way authorized it. It made no political sense because the race for the presidency was over. Nixon won 49 of the 50 states. It has been alleged in recent times that part of the reason for the break-in involved several key Democratic committee members who were disliked by the Nixon White House. It was believed that the burglary might find some evidence of their physical or personal wrongdoing. As this issue became public, the Nixon White House had several choices to make. The first, and the one that made the most sense, was to say that they knew nothing about it. If these people did something wrong, they ought to be prosecuted and the White House would stand by whatever result came out of our legal system. The second choice was to try to cover-up the act and thus become part of the break-in. The White House thought it was more powerful than the Congress and the Press. It acted from hubris and so ended the presidency of Richard M. Nixon.
My family had a small taste of the hubris of the Nixon White House during the inaugural ceremonies in 1972. I had been one of the Nixon Youth Co-Chairpersons during the election, along with Julie Nixon Eisenhower and George H. W. Bush. Because of this, I and my family had been asked to one of the premier “inaugural balls” and I received special instructions to go in the back way where we might have a chance to see the President personally. We got all dressed up; my wife Marcia and two oldest daughters, Julia and Lynne, looked beautiful in their dresses. Julia was fourteen and Lynne was eleven. We arrived at the back entrance and walked towards the ballroom in the hotel. We were stopped by security guards. I showed them my congressional identification and the invitation from the inaugural committee. They called for several of the Nixon representatives, relatively young men, who came out to clear me. They looked at my credentials and invitation and said, “They can’t come this way. This is only for the VIP’s.” We had a brief conversation and they turned their backs on me and walked away. We were all dressed up with no place to go. Marcia said that there was no way she was going to attend the celebration and wanted to go back to the apartment. We took Julia to the Youth Ball and left her with a friend. Marcia, Lynne and I went back to our small apartment and got a pizza. I sat in my tuxedo pants and shirt and ate the pizza as we watched the party go on.
We have seen the hubris bug bite the Democratic candidate for president, Barack Obama and his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Senator Clinton was so far ahead of Obama in money raising and in polls that she ran the campaign as the nominee, not somebody running for office. Her campaign, early on, made a decision not to go into the caucus states because they were the smaller states and their votes wouldn’t be needed as Clinton was going to wrap up the nomination early on. After Iowa, the campaign changed and Clinton’s decision not to go to the caucus states cost her the nomination. You would think that the Obama campaign would have learned from the Clinton campaign. However, they have made a decision which may cost Obama the election.
The decision not to select Hillary Clinton as the Vice Presidential nominee was based on hubris. Clinton had run a poor campaign but towards the end was the better candidate and had momentum. She got close to 18,000,000 votes and did well in the Midwest among the middle-class, labor unions, blue collar workers and, especially, women. This is where Obama is the weakest. I have written for some time that if Obama took Clinton, the race would be over. Obama would win by close to 60%. Just think if Obama had picked Clinton, what choices would be left for McCain? Realistically, none. The selection of Palin would not have been much of a blip as the Democrats had already occupied the high road with an African-American and a woman on the ticket. Polls have indicated that some women are changing from Obama to McCain. You can’t be sure if this is temporary or will be a permanent change. This is a self-inflicted wound and a problem that Obama should not be facing.
There are a little less than 50 days to go and a lot can happen. Remember, in politics a day is a lifetime.
