The presidential campaign is everywhere. It’s an evil seductress and I try to ignore it, but in spite of my best efforts, and I’m not proud of this, every once in a while it triggers thoughts.
Thoughts such as: Leading in the polls does not necessarily mean you’re a leader. The will of the people is not always a good thing. “Majority Rules” may not always be a good way to play. An angry crowd left unchecked can head off in dark directions.
Sometimes people need a leader to redirect their energy in a more honorable and sustainable way. Slavery and segregation come to mind; popular in their time, but not much to brag about in retrospect. They were each well supported by large segments of the population though. Internment of the Japanese during World War II; didn’t need that either.
Fanning fears and appealing to the basest and most self-serving human emotions is not a good measure of a leader; those seem more like the actions of someone who will follow wherever the crowd leads.
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