In a sense, President Washington was the new nation's political fault-line and all eyes were watching for the first sign of slippage. Of course, this backsliding would probably start with the president, with the slow conversion of the national executive into something increasingly monarchical. And, America had just divorced itself from its own monarchical past many people assumed that the fragile new nation would probably-eventually-fall back into what it had known before: monarchy. There was no modern model for a republic, and ancient republics had been extremely fragile, apt to collapse into monarchy or tyranny. It was a challenge with potentially enormous consequences, because everyone assumed-including Washington-that if he failed at this task, he could potentially bring the entire experiment in government crashing to ruin.
PRESIDENT WITH HANDS OFF LEADERSHIP STYLE HOW TO
There was no precedent for this office in a world full of kings, leaving Washington the monumental task of figuring out how to act like a president. The United States was an experimental government, led by a new, experimental type of executive officer. Of course, the Constitution sketched the outlines of the position-its powers and limitations-but the actual nature of the job (the tone of the office the ways in which the president would interact with other national officeholders or with the people of the United States the workings of the cabinet) were up for grabs. One of his main challenges was that, in many ways, Washington had to create the presidency. the paper for I felt hurt, that he was not first in every thing. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing Masters, and that this first of Men, had read off, his address, in the plainest Manner without ever taking his Eyes From. When he came to the Words all the World, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. e trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, tho it must be supposed he had often read it before. This great Man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the levelled Cannon or pointed Musket. Just read this account of his first address to Congress just after taking the oath of office in 1789, as witnessed by Senator William Maclay. He was sometimes awkward, embarrassed, or nervous. He wasn't always sure how to handle things he sometimes made mistakes. Yet in fact, Washington as president could be a very savvy political player, and he certainly had a whole host of feelings and reactions as a very real person in a very difficult situation. I think that in the minds of most Americans, when the Revolution ends and George Washington is no longer a general, he somehow becomes a block of marble at the head of our government-the ultimate figurehead-not really doing much and certainly not feeling much as a real human being. America as a new nation and America as a fragile nation: Both ideas had an enormous shaping influence during Washington's presidency, a period of his career that, oddly, doesn't usually receive much attention.
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