Hailing Caesar

George Will deftly examines America's unhealthy desire for a strong executive who promises to fix all that ails them:

Healy's dissection of the delusions of "redemption through presidential politics" comes at a moment when liberals, for reasons of liberalism, and conservatives, because they have forgotten their raison d'être, "agree on the boundless nature of presidential responsibility." Liberals think boundless government is beneficent. Conservatives practice situational constitutionalism, favoring what Healy calls "Caesaropapism" as long as the Caesar-cum-Pope wields his anti constitutional powers in the service of things these faux conservatives favor...

If you can name it, presidents are responsible for it. The name for this is infantilization. "The average American," said President Richard Nixon, "is just like the child in the family—you give him some responsibility and he is going to amount to something." Vice President Al Gore said the government should act like grandparents in the sense that grandparents perform a nurturing role."

Such demented talk encourages presidential candidates to make delusional promises—energy independence in eight years (Mike Huckabee), "an excellent teacher in every classroom" and "every school an outstanding school" (John Edwards, who presumably knows how every school can stand out when all are outstanding), a "perfect" nation (see above) and so on. The last presidential candidate to talk sense about the office was fictional. ((that's if you don't count this guy... -- Jemison)) In an episode of NBC's "The West Wing," the Republican candidate, who was not the hero, was asked, "How many jobs will you create?" "None," he replied, adding: "Entrepreneurs create jobs. Business creates jobs. The president's job is to get out of the way."

Indeed. Too many people forget the role of government is a negative one--to ensure that, as we exercise our freedoms, we don't abuse the freedoms of others. On its best days, government serves that function with minimal competance. Less competently, it serves as an organizing force for those functions we are unable to accomplish as individuals or voluntary communities (and these are fewer than the Feds would have you think, by the way). It is flirting with disaster, however, to start to look to the State for the basic provisions of life. Concerned with the alleged mixture of religion and politics? Then ponder this last note from the article:

In 1992, Gov. Bill Clinton promised a "New Covenant" between government and the governed. That, Healy dryly notes, was "a metaphor that had the state stepping in for Yahweh."

Expecting divine-like wisdom and provenance from the State is diabolically dangerous. There's only One whose arrival on the scene will signal all is being put to right. And despite our misguided faith in the 'wisdom of the masses,' He won't be elected to office. In fact, the last time He "campaigned," we killed Him. Just a little perspective.