Chris Cillizza writes The Fix political column for The Washington Post. In a recent column he writes it is well-nigh impossible today to be a popular and successful president. He list some valid reasons why the presidency is a tough job.
On the other hand, I've lived long enough to remember when people said this exact same thing about the presidency following the Nixon-Ford-Carter debacle. It was received wisdom. Then came Reagan who made it look, if not easy, at least achievable.
Our problem with the presidency is not the job, it is the flawed characters we've elected over the last several cycles. The grueling marathon that running for president has become seems to dissuade the competent and the sane, leaving us with supreme egotists whose every pronouncement begins with the word "I."
