The Need for Passion

            Today, career politicians are lifted up and desired because of their experience, knowledge of how politics work, and their ability to adapt with the changes in political leaders and society. The problem with career politicians, however, is that all they know is politics. How can a career politician, especially one who is acting president, make decisions for the poor, and the common farmer, and the everyday American if his/her experience, and sometimes passion, is for politics and governmental affairs? Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father of America, got wrapped up in politics but he had a passion for agriculture and gardening that kept him down-to-earth and sober minded. Presidents today should have a certain past time or passion that is not revolved around politics in order to keep themselves down-to-earth as well. Many presidents in the past as well as modern presidents today have had a passion for something other than politics that have allowed them to enjoy life and keep them sober minded on the eve of tough decisions, downed economy, and war.

Thomas Jefferson loved agriculture and gardening. He did not enjoy his political role after America had won its independence and therefore was always thinking of his home of Monticello. He wrote to his daughters constantly, asking every detail of the gardens. He wanted to know when a plant died, when a flower bloomed, and gave clear directions on what to do with every aspect of the gardens. When Jefferson was president and was stuck in New York, he did experiments of plants on window sills. Even the decision of purchasing the Louisiana Territory and to send Louis out to explore the land was a result of Thomas Jefferson’s passion for agriculture and desire of the United States to become and agrarian society. For the country to become and agrarian society, Jefferson knew that more land was needed and was ambitious to explore the area. When he sent out Lewis, he made sure to prepare him both in knowledge and in skill and ability so that the expedition would be a success. How sublime the United States became known as because of Jefferson’s decision, influence by his passion for agriculture, to take this necessary risk. Now, the United States is the number one exporter of agriculture.

            Thomas Jefferson also felt a need to get away from politics and used his love for agriculture to do so. During his time in Europe to make trade agreements and treaties in order to reopen up trade with Europe, Jefferson and Adams toured the well renowned English gardens. The two gathered details and interests in the gardens for their own gardens as well as using the time to still enjoy their love for gardens while they waited for the political leaders in London to come to a decision. Jefferson used what he learned in Europe to the United States to fight Hamilton on his manufacturing vision for the country, like changing the way rice was cultivated in the South. To relieve their headaches from debates and other political disputes, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, even to an exploration through the Hudson River Valley. Now, Jefferson did use their trip for political purposes as well, like promoting the sugar maple tree orchards for self-sufficiency in sugar and forming political allies against Hamilton and other anti-federalists, but it was still a source of refuge for him to enjoy nature and gardening. Thomas Jefferson felt in prison in his last years of office and longed to return to his plantation and garden of Monticello.  He claimed “never did a prisoner, released from his chains, feel such relief as I shall on shaking off the shackles of power” (Wulf 173). Jefferson did not want the power of president and that is needed more in the leaders of today, for a person most fit to lead is one who does not want the power and responsibility in the first place.

            Great presidents throughout the United States’ history and modern presidents today have had certain passions or pastimes like Jefferson’s love for gardening and agriculture, which I believe helped give them refuge from the stresses of politics and allow them to remain sober minded decision makers. A few specific examples are Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Politicians are pressured not to be perceived as slackers, however, I would argue that having certain passions and pastimes are important for politicians to have and fulfill while in office.

            President Dwight Eisenhower had a passion for golf. During his eight years in office as president, Eisenhower played about 800 rounds of golf (1,000+ Reasons, 2013). He was always trying to improve his game and said “If I don’t improve, I’m going to pass a law that no one can ask me my golf score” (1,000+ Reasons, 2013). Eisenhower used the golf course to form relationships with other leaders like Jefferson did with his trip through the Hudson River Valley, making his playing guests generals, representatives, senators, businessmen, and Richard Nixon. According to Arnold Palmer, President Eisenhower’s “visibility, coupled with his passion for the game, were the inspiration for literally millions of people picking up the game for the first time.” After his election in 1952, club members at Augusta National built a cabin for him with room for Secret Service. Ike’s Pond was named after him from Eisenhower walking through the woods and told Clifford Roberts, cofounder of the home of the Masters, he had found a perfect spot to build a dam for fishing (Ike’s Contributions, 2009). He also was put in the Hall of Fame for golf, though he never played competitively, and Eisenhower put in the first golf Course at the White House.

            Despite his heart attacks, intestinal illnesses, and mild stroke, Eisenhower could not get away from playing or watching golf. It is through his passion for golf that Donald O’Kieffe performed the first colonoscopy in Washington D.C. O’Kieffe was an American student in Cuba who was evacuated when Fidel Castro took over. He did not do much for his career until 1968 when Eisenhower had his second heart attack. O’Kieffe shared Eisenhower’s love for golf which is why he was asked to determine if watching golf on TV was bad for Eisenhower’s heart, diagnosing that watching Arnold Palmer play golf was. O’Kieffe settled in D.C. after observing Eisenhower and had many more political patience. In 1972, O’Kieffe had the only equipment needed for a colonoscopies and performed them before the scopes were made available commercially. Even with his passion for golf, President Eisenhower was still a well renowned political leader to the U.S. and free world and was a key leader during World War II.

(Collins, 2012).

         

 John F. Kennedy’s passion and love was for sailing and the open sea. Kennedy started sailing as a young boy and won some events. He not only moved into the White House but also in the Presidential yacht, which he renamed Honey Fitz after his grandfather. According to Special Assistant David Powers, JFK would slip out of the White House to go spend a few hours on the yacht for some peace and quiet. He also spent many holidays like Easter and Christmas on Honey Fitz as well. Honey Fitz was not a sailing yacht, however, so Kennedy bought a 62 foot yacht that he had found at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, naming it Manitou. Like Jefferson’s use of his agrarian passion to remain close to his family, Kennedy bought Manitou because it was a perfect yacht for his family to spend time together on. He put the latest communication equipment on the yacht so that he could stay in contact with his office and Russia while sailing.  JFK’s favorite boat, however was a 26 foot Wianno Senior called Victura, which was a 15^th birthday gift to him from his parents. Kennedy taught many people to sail on Victura like his wife Jackie Kennedy. Sailing was always on Kennedy’s mind like gardening was always on Jefferson’s. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy doodled pictures of Victura on many historic documents. Even on his last night before being assassinated, Kenndey thought of sailing. The hotel staff was cleaning his room when they heard the announcement of his assassination and found a hotel paper by his bed that had a picture of a small sailboat similar Victura drawn on it.

(B. Hampton & K. Hampton, 2010).

I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the seas changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came (Kennedy, 1962).  

For George W. Bush, his pastime has changed from smoking cigars to painting. He smoked cigars during his time in office, which I am sure helped relax him and gave him time to think while dealing with the war in Afghanistan and on terror. After he retired from office, he was anxious for a pastime, so John Gaddis, a Yale historian, told him to read Churchill’s book Painting as a Pastime. It started as an app on his iPad that allowed him to draw pictures, which were mostly stick figures to send to his family to say good night and good morning. Laura Bush showed them to a friend who thought they were creative, and, therefore, George Bush hired an art instructor.  According to his wife, George Bush is very determined and paints for hours each day. Just recently, George Bush painted a picture of Jay Leno and gave it to him on “The Tonight Show.” Bush enjoys painting and said that painting has changed his life. Like Jefferson’s return to Monticello to seclude to his garden, George Bush secluded to painting.

(Updegrove, 2013).

Today, the current president, President Barack Obama, has a passion for basketball and a pastime of golf. Like Eisenhower’s promotion of golf and Jefferson’s promotion of agriculture, President Obama has done much to promote the game of basketball.

He has played the game of basketball since his father, who left him and his family, gave him a basketball for Christmas 40 years ago. After being elected president, he gathered a few high school buddies, got the key to the old gym, and they played a pickup game. David Maraniss, in his biography on Barack Obama, wrote “basketball is central to his self-identity. It is where he found a place of comfort, a family, a mode of expression, a connection from past to his future” (Maraniss). Golf is now becoming Obama’s second passion. He has plaid over half of the 80 weeks he has been in office playing golf that he is starting to be compared with Dwight Eisenhower (Bedard 2010).

(Jackson, 2012).

            It is because of these passions that presidents and political leaders in the past have been able to stay sober minded decision makers. Many people lift up and desire for career politicians, but if all you care about and enjoy is politics, can you really make sound decisions for the citizens of America as a whole if you are not able to enjoy the simple pleasure and freedoms of America in the first place? All of these men, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Bush, Obama, and especially Jefferson are or were important leaders of this country but have never forgotten to retreat from the wranglings of politics and replenish their mind by a simple passion or pastime in order to truly make important decisions with a clear mind. As Eisenhower once said to another politician, “young man, let me tell you something. You are going to work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week for the government, and you are going to think you are doing your job. Here is what I want you to know. If that’s what you do, there is no way you’ll be able to do your job” (Natta, 2003).

References

(2008). 1,000+ Reasons To Like Ike. Golf Digest. Retrieved from http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/2008-04/ike

(2009). Ike's Contributions to Golf Recognized. The Associated Press. Retrieved from http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=4289487

Bedard, Paul. (4 Apr. 2010). Golf Becoming Obama's Passion. Washington Whispers. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/08/04/golf-becoming-obamas-passion

Collins, Sonya. (11 Apr. 2012). How a Passion for Golf Sent a Slacker on His Life’s Course and to President’s Bedside. Yale Medicine Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.sonyacollins.net/2012/04/11/how-a-passion-for-golf-sent-a-slacker-on-his-lifes-course-and-to-presidents-bedside/

Hampton, Brad, and Kim Hampton. (21 Oct. 2010). John F. Kennedy's True Love. YachtPals. Retrieved from http://yachtpals.com/kennedy-sailing-boats-9161

Jackson, David. (10 June 2012). Obama's Lifelong Passion: Basketball. USATODAY. Retrieved from http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/06/obamas-lifelong-passion-basketball/1#.UpvHzMSkofU

Natta, Don V. (2003). First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush. United States: Public Affairs.

Updegrove, Mark K. (19 Apr. 2013). President George W. and Laura Bush Reflect on the Twins, Bush's Newfound Passion for Painting, and More. Parade. Retrieved from http://www.parade.com/5964/markupdegrove/president-george-w-and-laura-bush-reflect-on-the-twins-bushs-newfound-passion-for-painting-and-more/

Wulf, Andrea. (2011).  Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.