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Observing the leading candidates from the two major political parties, Jeb Bush for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats, I am wondering whether either really wants to be President of the United States.
The expectations for both candidates are high, and both have seemed at times less than enthusiastic. Let’s look at the campaign of each thus far.
Jeb Bush has been ramping up his fundraising and campaigning since the beginning of the year. None of this has been official until today, when he announced his candidacy. Waiting until now was a strategic decision – allowing Bush to raise unlimited and undisclosed money through his super PAC – but he has been making public appearances and media interviews in anticipation of the official start of his campaign.
The energy, enthusiasm, and passion (affected or not) typically exuded by presidential candidates seems missing for Bush. In his public appearances and interviews, his facial expressions and body language are more indicative of a man going to his execution than one who is soliciting support from the multitudes. He also seems defensive when responding to challenges from his more conservative rivals. In today’s announcement, Bush showed more enthusiasm than in previous appearances, but can he sustain it? There has been an expectation that he will run for President since his second term as Florida governor ended in 2007. One wonders if his run is more about continuing the family legacy than his own desire to be president.
Hillary Clinton has run an atypical campaign since formally announcing in a YouTube video on April 12. Yes, a YouTube video. The announcement was followed by a two-day road trip from New York to Iowa, purportedly to allow her to speak with “ordinary Americans”. The press was in full pursuit, attempting to ask questions about her email and charitable fundraising practices. On this trip and afterward, she seemed to avoid not just the press, but also any contact with people outside of carefully stage-managed events.
On June 13, she “relaunched” her campaign in New York City with a speech in front of about 5500 supporters. Her delivery was enthusiastic, but her unscripted contact with voters and the press remains minimal. It’s possible that she is simply playing defense, since she currently has no serious competition for the nomination and doesn’t want to be questioned about her record and ethics. It could also be that she simply doesn’t like campaigning and is interested in being president, but not running for president.
Hillary is under much more pressure to run than Jeb. In addition to the family expectations, she has millions of very dedicated followers who have been waiting 8 years for her to make another attempt to shatter the “glass ceiling” and become the first female president. It’s would have been very difficult and uncomfortable for her to make a decision not to run, knowing the disappointment it would have caused among so many.
Another factor is her age – if she is elected, she will be 69 years old and the 2nd oldest president when first taking office, after Ronald Reagan. Campaigning for president is an exhausting endeavor, and requires all of the candidate’s energy and dedication. Most candidates in recent history have been first elected when between 45 and 55 years old. Reagan, like Bill Clinton, was energized by his contact with people and loved the person-to-person interactions. Hillary, on the other hand, is less extroverted, and would likely find those interactions exhausting on a daily basis.
It’s still early, of course, but neither Bush nor Clinton will end up in the White House unless they show the nation that they truly want it.
