President Obama is creating a legacy — just not for the country’s future.
Obama is creating a legacy for himself. He wants to be remembered as an inspiring and transitional figure, and he’s going to make people pay damn attention to him.
Obama has created a new group called Organizing for Action as a way to promote his policy agenda now and after he’s left office.
According to a McClatchy Newspapers article, however, some Democrats aren’t happy about the new organization and are wondering whether the president is “in it for himself.”
Indeed, the president’s new organization has no plans to “share money, resources or the priceless Obama email list with the Democratic National Committee or campaign committees that help elect members of Congress, governors or legislators,” the article states.
Gilda Cobb Hunter, a South Carolina legislator and a member of the DNC, said in the article, “There’s only so much money to go around in Democratic circles. There’s a limited pool of resources. Why can’t we strengthen one entity?”
Let’s just keep in mind that Obama is not doing anything illegal or wrong here. In fact, he’s not doing anything that any other politicians in his position with vast, nearly unlimited resources would do.
The fact remains that most, if not all, politicians seek office for power and influence. Despite their campaign slogans, they don’t care about you, their district or the country at large.
I am always amazed when I hear people talk about greedy corporations run by selfish, profit-seeking individuals who only focus on making money. In fact, some think most wealthy people are just self-interested actors who look to increase their “shares” of the pot (even though wealth is not a zero-sum game, but that’s neither here nor there).
Yet, when these same wealthy businessmen, lawyers or career politicians enter public office, many people automatically assume they are in it for higher interests such as a sense of public duty or to help the needy.
But as economist James M. Buchanan Jr. stressed, politicians are humans like the rest of us. We should not only be cynical toward their motives, but we should automatically expect that they are in it for themselves.
How do the largest companies receive special favors from the government? Because government officials are self-interested, well-connected to special interests and generally want to increase their purview of power, companies engage in “rent-seeking” behavior in which they attempt to curry these special favors and monopolistic rights.
Indeed, it is a growing state that fosters more rent-seeking, lobbying, campaign contributions and attempts to influence election outcomes that favor one company more than another.
These activities — and I cannot stress this enough — are not unique to one party or politician. President Obama is just as guilty as President Reagan. Senator Elizabeth Warren is just as guilty as Senator Marco Rubio. It is the nature of the beast that is the state and its various institutions.
Furthermore, one should also keep in mind that those attempting to enter public office are seeking a position with vastly more power than even the largest corporation. Governments have the power to wage war, to force citizens to pay taxes, to put people in prison for disobeying arbitrary rules and regulations and even to determine who should live or die.
Anyone with humble or pure intentions would not dream of having such authority and control.
Obama’s display of self-interest in creating a legacy does not make him more or less human than any other politician. We are just fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a politician’s true nature.
Justin Hayes is pursuing a master’s degree in political communication. His column appears on Wednesdays. You can contact him via opinions@alligator.org.
