By CAROLINE WILLIAMS
The Catalyst Newspaper
I followed Elmo’s instructions on how to count to five with my fingers, and my cat, Buzz, was a leader in teaching me how to hide. Both Elmo and Buzz the cat served as my personal leaders. However, I would not advocate that either of them become president. Yet, it feels like that is similar to what is occurring lately in American politics. As many people are disappointed that Donald Trump is our president, we are all pointing fingers at any and every public figure who has served a personal leadership role in our lives. Unfortunately, figures of personal inspiration are not necessarily fit to lead a country.
Cartoon by Lo Wall
After giving an inspirational speech at the Golden Globes, Oprah was called on to run for president. Oprah is a magnificent human, and I believe she possesses some magical aspects to her being; she is able to make the impossible, possible. However, she is not a world leader. She is not well-versed in politics, and she is not fit to run America.
Imagine if Oprah said to the Army, as if on her T.V. show, “You get to send 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan!” While I realize that statement most likely would not come out of Oprah’s mouth, my point is that that is not what she is trained to do. We do not actually want Oprah to ever say those words. We love Oprah on a spiritual level, as a genius woman who turned her entire life around from childhood and now changes other people’s lives. She is not, though, a woman who we expect, or actually want, to serve as commander-in-chief, making decisions that greatly impact our entire country.
Additionally, part of what sparked the public’s idea of Oprah’s running for president was the speech she made at the Golden Globes. It was a tremendous speech, but, it was only a speech. The fact that one speech caused a nation to make a widespread decision only proves the dissatisfaction we hold with our current president. Despite the fact that Oprah’s speech was well-written, politically correct, and contained intelligent thoughts, she is not fit to run a country.
Sophomore Christopher Maurice said, “It’s contradictory, and hypocritical, for Democrats to complain about Trump and his lack of political experience, but, at the same time, support a progressive candidate who has never held any type of office.” I think his point really speaks to the heart of the issue. Many people, specifically Democrats, are incredibly unhappy with the current leadership role of President Trump, and we are grasping for any beam of hope that we know would be the opposite of President Trump. Yet, what experience do these personal leaders actually posses?
Oprah is not the only celebrity or public figure who may run for office. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Katy Perry, and Will Smith all have rumors surrounding their possible candidacy in the 2020 election. While each of those individuals would likely be nothing like President Trump with regards to their political views, they would hold a similar characteristic to Trump: lack of any political experience. So, while many people are eager to change the current political climate, it is important to understand that it cannot be done by simply suggesting figures who serve as leaders in their daily lives. Personal leaders are not the same as the political ones who are more fit to lead our country.