The Two Shall Become One

When a president takes office, he embarks in a marriage with the American people. In this relationship a president faces accusations and questions of moral corruption just like every relationship faces disagreements. However, presidents must navigate through stormy waters without a moral guiding light. While a basic agreement on morality existed in the past, presidents no longer can find widely accepted morals. Instead, they must handle these “moral land mines” through accommodation, appeasement, and appeal.1 Part of this includes acknowledging that the president’s marriage to the American people incorporates marriage to scandals, marriage to public perception, and marriage to the times in which one serves.

Since every president faces some type of moral accusation, success depends on how well he handles the issue. Moral issues fall under the follow categories of constitutional, financial, personal, political, tangential, and procedural and substantial.2 In response, the president can admit his error, change policies, alter personnel, blame others, or cooperate with authorities.3 Depending on how the president handles the issue, the marriage to scandal could prove detrimental. President Nixon’s experience with Watergate and his lack of cooperation creates a detrimental marriage as witnessed by the fact that Watergate overshadows Nixon’s foresight in domestic and foreign affairs.4 However, President Lincoln’s constitutional scandals concerning the suspension of habeas corpus, the imposing of naval blockades, and the establishing of martial law did not overshadow his presidency.5 He fought the constitutional challenges, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his position. Thus, his admirers today reflect upon him as strengthening the nation. 6 That being said, moral scandals can go either way, but they remain closely connected to the president. Notably, the pressure of scandal by association plagues Obama. While he tried distancing himself, his associations stick to him. Somehow, he must prevent these associations from taking center stage.

That being said, presidents must balance their marriage with public perception. Presidents suffer more damage if the accusations come from mainstream reporters as opposed to commentators and reporters outside the mainstream.7 The public gauges the seriousness of the accusation based on who reports the information. If extremist reporters break the story and the mainstream reporters refrain, the public may wait for more evidence. In addition, if the public’s perception of the president remains favorable, the scandals minimize in importance. For example, President Washington faced charges of illegitimate children, but he captured the American people and went down in history as one of the greatest presidents.8 Therefore, a president must balance the public’s perception and the weight of the scandal. This has been an issue for Obama. When the association scandals first came out, he pleaded the case of injustice based on guilt by association. While it appeared successful in the beginning when not many questions were asked, it seems that the weight of the scandal might require a more decisive action.

Lastly, presidents must understand their marriage to the times in which they serve. For Washington, he knew the importance of establishing a strong reputation for the presidency, so he carefully established what he considered proper precedents.9 This remains remarkably different from the cultural conflict that America now faces. Words strictly forbidden at one time now appear as always acceptable.10 This culture war exists between fading moral certainty and emerging moral relativism.11 Because of the culture war, Obama has more leeway in his responses. No clear cut solution exists.

The president must navigate stormy waters with hopes that everyone reaches the other side uninjured. Moral scandals prove hard to divorce from presidents, but they can be downplayed depending on public perceptions and the current times. Obama and others must be aware of these marriages and take heed.

Notes

1. Dunn, Charles W. The Seven Laws of Presidential Leadership: An Introduction to the American Presidency. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007: 101.
2. Ibid., 104.
3. Ibid., 118.
4. -----------. The Scarlet Thread of Scandal: Morality and the American Presidency. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000: 132.
5. -----------. The Seven Laws of Presidential Leadership, 107.
6. Ibid., 108.
7. Ibid., 118.
8. Ibid., 105. 
9. Ibid. 
10. -----------. The Scarlet Thread of Scandal, 114. 
11. -----------. The Seven Laws of Presidential Leadership, 116.