Would John Adams Get Elected President Today?

Most change comes by way of revolution. History is a great predictor of the future. We must learn from it and do better if we are to survive.

John Adams portrait

(OKLAHOMA CITY) - Probably the most under-appreciated President in history is John Adams. You may remember that he was the legal counsel for the enemy after the Boston Massacre.

When he was asked to defend the British soldiers, he was fearful it would hurt his reputation but he went ahead and did it anyway. I love that about him. What a rock star! He defended the soldiers who fired upon a mob gathered on King Street. He based the defense on facts and truth. He did such a great job you may recall 6 British soldiers were acquitted and the two that were found guilty were given a sentence of manslaughter. I have pondered Adam's obvious bravery. I admire his stance on principle. He was a very principled man.

President Adams was a devoted husband and father. He was a hard worker. I can't imagine he had a mistress(es) on the side. The love letters between him and Abigail are stuff of legend. If he had a skeleton in his closet, it certainly didn't rattle much. Yes, he was a mortal and, from what history tells us, was somewhat stubborn and humorless. Perhaps, even lackluster. Hey, everyone has their faults. But his stubbornness was also his boon. He stubbornly held to his beliefs and didn't sway to his audiences' tastes. He was sage. He was no ear-tickler, and I find that most refreshing compared to today's Presidential debaters.

Five years later when the colonists and the British were at war, like all revolutionaries at the time, he risked his life and possessions. He literally laid his life on the line for what he believed. On balance, I admire any person that currently aspires to the highest office in the land. I have a kind of respect and admiration. I do wonder if the people doing so today are more interested in the power and prestige that comes with the position. How do they push aside the obvious danger to themselves and their loved ones? Why would anyone really want to hold the most thankless job in our nation?

I know Adams wasn't thinking about book deals and a lucrative speaking tour after his service to his country. He quietly retired to his farm, Peacefield and unlike Jefferson died solvent and in the financial black. Throughout his life he lived modestly and worked a farm by employing freed former slaves. He wasn't a supremely wealthy person but lived within his means and that modality carried into fiscal responsibility in framing a young nation.

"Historian George Herring argues that Adams was the most independent-minded of all the founders.[69] Though he aligned with the Federalists, he was more his own party, disagreeing with the Federalists almost as much as he did the Democratic-Republican opposition.[70] Though often described as "prickly", his independence meant that he had a talent for making good decisions in the face of almost universal hostility.[69] Indeed, it was Adams' decision to push for peace with France, rather than to continue hostilities, that hurt his popularity.[71] Though this decision played an important role in his reelection defeat, he was ultimately thrilled with that decision, so much so that he had it engraved on his tombstone." - From Wikipedia.

Those times were as heady as these. There was opposing leadership and not without bickering and passionate debate, as we have today. Adams and our forefathers pushed through and miraculously laid the foundation for a most prosperous and wonderful country. I wonder who in the current contest for President would be most comparable? Among the current offering I am hearing mostly crickets.

We have morphed into a society that doesn't really value the principled person. Stories abound about the greed and corruption on both sides of the aisle. All the while, "We The People" have been apathetically sitting on the frying pan as the heat is slowly rising. We are cooking in our own juices. Will we be able as a nation to jump up and get out of the fire in time?

Adams would probably not stand a chance in today's contest. He wasn't a charismatic orator nor was he tall and handsome. He bore no resemblance to the prefabricated, smooth-talking (a couple of exceptions come to mind), robotic regurgitants we are forced to consider for the single most powerful position in our country today. He definitely didn't pander to special interests. Neither did he make backroom deals. Watching Gingrich, Perry, Romney, et al, campaign makes me cringe. I feel a strong sense of embarrassment and fear for our country should one of them get the nod.

We have a ping pong presidency. Blame is going back and forth between both sides of the aisle. Because there is so much hostility toward Obama, the other side might win, not because there's a qualified leader, but because of palpable, violent disdain for him. To elect an official leader by way of default is no way to shore up this now weakened Nation of ours.

Why is it in our humanness we always think the grass is greener on the other side? I can predict four years from 2012 a switch already in the works from whoever is elected then. Why don't we work together to slay our common foes and disregard party stances for a change? We did it ever so briefly during 9-11. What about a moratorium on elections for a season? We then could give focus to halting pending disasters; do battle until the Nation is righted. During Adam's time things were so tenuous, one incorrect move could have proven disastrous. Today, we are on a precipice, only our enemy is us and not the British.

Is anyone else thinking that times such as these are akin to the French Revolution (without the head lopping-off part)? That time in history was a drastic clearing of the table. About a month before Occupy Wall Street, I posted on my Facebook account a link to the French uprising and said sooner or later the American populous is going to rise up. I am not always such a soothsayer but for this one moment in time, I patted myself on the back. I can't say I really understand the focused direction of the Occupy Movement but I am glad for the exercise and passion. Most change comes by way of revolution. History is a great predictor of the future. We must learn from it and do better if we are to survive.

No person is 100% perfect but I want my leaders to stand on principle. In today's society it is very difficult to find such a person. For me, I am liking Ron Paul. He has an authentic quality that I don't find in the others. He is the most Adam's-like of the bunch. But I doubt he will win. The slanted-press seems compelled to throw the spotlight in all directions but his. He lacks the reality-star, Hollywood-like quality which has become the desire of today's media-drenched masses. I hope I am wrong.

(68) ^ McCullough p 471

(69) ^ a b George C. Herring, From colony to superpower: U.S. foreign relations since 1776 (2008) p 89

(70) ^ Chernow, Ron. "Alexander Hamilton". 2004. p647. Penguin Press.

(71) ^ George C. Herring, From colony to superpower: U.S. foreign relations since 1776 (2008) p 90

Always an avid reader especially with regard to American History. Having been reared near Manassas' Bull-Run and Fredericksburg, VA she has a fondness for Civil War History and West Point War Strategy. Coincidentally, she is the daughter and step-daughter of two Marines who fought in the Korean War. She grew up in the small civilian town of Quantico, Virginia surrounded by the Marine military base and Navy hospital. She has always viewed the soldiers in her family, as well as other soldiers, with high regard. As a teenager in the late 60's-early 70s she grew up in a time of civil unrest. "Question authority was de rigueur by most all American youth. Occupy Wall Street is very reminiscent of those formative, yet troubled years.

So, now that the rose-colored glasses have been crushed she is coming to write about the criminal activity of the pharmaceutical industry and to help others be enlightened before it is too late for them. She does not have any formal education in writing but comes with the strength and passion of a soldier.

Her web blog is: www.prescriptiondrugsarekillingus.blogspot.com