OPINION:
Not many people noticed, but a couple of weeks ago, a handful of Republican contenders for president gathered to debate in Greenville, S.C. It was a motley crew. They reminded one observer of the aliens in the bar scene from “Star Wars.”
The president is supposed to have the most powerful job on Earth, and that might be true. But these days, it’s also a position that few people of real substance want. Judging by the ragtag group in the running, the presidency is more like a consolation prize than a cherished aspiration.
Some of the best people have dropped out. The latest to leave the field is Mike Huckabee, who, unlike most who remain, at least has a following and a defensible philosophy. He chose the comforts of TV stardom rather than take on the tough task of trying to lead the nation. Sarah Palin is likely to do the same.
Who can blame them? Anyone who wants to challenge President Obama will be pilloried in the press for shortcomings large, small and, sometimes, completely made up. Their personal lives will be laid bare and their policies will be distorted, abbreviated and held up to ridicule. Every penny they’ve made and every word they’ve uttered will be analyzed and misinterpreted by people who are eager to cause them harm.
But that’s not the worst of it. The brutality of the campaign will be nothing compared to the responsibilities the next president will face. America is a fading power. It is no longer the leader of the free world. Its runaway federal spending has crippled its ability to accomplish its aims. The next president will have to manage decline, which is the hardest and least-fulfilling executive challenge.
Whoever wins the next time around - Mr. Obama or his Republican opponent - will have to lead a historic retrenchment. No fate can be worse for a politician - a person who, by definition, thrives by pleasing voters. The next chief executive will have to beg for austerity and hope for understanding.
That seems highly unlikely given how partisan Washington has become. The slightest misstep or disagreement is instantly subjected to hyperbolic attack. Not a day goes by that one side doesn’t accuse the other of demagoguery - an accusation of which both sides are clearly guilty.
The president’s biggest problem will be the budget deficit. In preparation for raising the federal borrowing limit this year, both parties are heating up their rhetoric but also are preparing a face-saving retreat. They will need to make it look like they’ve dealt with the skyrocketing debt even though, in all probability, they will not be able to do so. The choices are just too unappealing to sell.
The truly tough decisions will be postponed until after the 2012 election and will be laid in the lap of the next president.
Only someone with a gigantic ego and perhaps a death wish can long for such a burden. The reasons that the deficit is not about to be solved in the short run are the same reasons that make it difficult - if not impossible - to solve in the long run. The issues don’t go away. They only get more intractable.
The sad part is this: The nation needs leadership now more than ever. What America hungers for is someone who can make sense of its troubles, present a vision that is brave but attainable and is able to give citizens enough hope to make the pain seem palatable.
Such an extraordinary person may well be in front of our eyes. That would be lovely. It also would be a surprise. So far, the contenders do not appear to have what it takes to make the leap.
Presidential elections are more rote than inspirational these days. Recent history tells us that a political party gets to keep the White House for at least two consecutive four-year terms and then has to relinquish it because the American people get tired of the same old thing. Mr. Obama probably will be re-elected unless the economy tanks again or some terrible reversal occurs in foreign affairs.
He may be the perfect person to lead the country in these troubled times. Certainly he has learned a lot about being president during his first three years. But no one in his right mind will volunteer to take the office - and responsibility - he holds.
Only a crazy person wants to be president.
Jeffrey H. Birnbaum is a Washington Times columnist, a Fox News contributor and president of BGR Public Relations.
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