There Are Great Life Lessons to be Gleaned by Watching Politicians and Reading Political History
That’s Wilfrid Laurier from Quebec. He has no future. He does nothing nowadays, but sit in the library, day after day, reading books.
- A journalist commenting in 1884. Wilfrid Laurier became Prime Minister in 1896.
There are great life lessons to be gleaned by watching politicians in action or by reading political history. This should not be surprising, since politicians are recruited from our own society, and they have the same life issues as everyone else. In fact, many issues they grapple with are universal in nature and people around the world also grapple with these same issues in some form.
The foregoing quote underscores a great universal lesson. Success often flows to those with grit and determination who do not let setbacks hold them down. Laurier is just one of many politicians who languished in opposition for years, but through diligence and patience was able to eventually achieve power. Sir John A. Macdonald, Mackenzie King, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill all experienced major setbacks during their careers, although they are remembered more for their victories and successes. Dalton McGuinty is a recent example: few expected him to be successful, but through discipline, hard work and openness to advice, he was able to bounce back and achieve two back-to-back majorities.
Another great lesson is that “you dance with the one that brung ya”. The Canadian political system is one that usually does not reward politicians who switch party allegiances. People here tend to admire loyalty. Brenda Stronach came across as an opportunist when she left the Conservatives for the Liberals who had promised her a cabinet seat. Compounding matters were her public criticisms and complaints concerning her former boss, Stephen Harper. This was not a smart career move in a small place like Canada. Not surprising, she did not last long in politics.
Pierre Trudeau, on the other hand, received a lot of flak when he promoted a good friend, Jean Marchand, to a prestigious position (although not a particularly challenging or important one). His friend had earlier been in a traffic accident involving alcohol, and critics were outraged. There was no political benefit to helping his friend, but Trudeau, who knew his friend needed the prestige, felt that he could not let him down. This was not a wise political decision, but this action suggests that Trudeau was a warmer, more loyal and more compassionate person than his critics claim.
One lesson we learn is the need for self-control and prudence in one’s conduct and speech. We have all watched political careers disintegrate over serious misconduct. However, because everything is often public and magnified in politics, some politicians have lost their jobs or have experienced major setbacks over relatively minor mistakes or miscalculations. Howard Dean, for example, gave an awkward ending to a speech that became known as the “Dean Scream” which was overplayed in the media. Although the “Howard Scream” may have been due to a bout with the flu, it contributed significantly to his defeat in the primaries. It hardly seems fair that he should suffer so much over such a minor matter, but that is the nature of politics. It is also a reminder of how things can go badly in our own lives due simply to bad luck or hasty decisions, and it stresses the need for caution and discretion in our own private lives.
Another lesson actually flows from some of the aforementioned ones. Jean Charest and Francis Fox were two politicians forced to resign from cabinet for misconduct. Yet, they were able to revive their careers. Jean Charest went on to lead the federal Tories and later became Quebec Premier. Francis Fox was also able to enjoy a political resurrection. It may not have been the political career he originally wanted, but he was saved from a political death. We all make mistakes. The lesson here is that sometimes people will cut you some slack, if you are honest about your failings, if you have been a good worker and colleague, and if you have gone the extra mile for the people you serve.
These are just a few of the many lessons we can learn just by watching and reading about politics. And there are bound to be many more valuable lessons we can learn just by observing politicians in action in the forthcoming years.
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Tags: Churchill, Dalton McGuinty, Francis Fox, Great Life Lessons, jean charest, Laurier, trudeau
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