The bully's pulpit

President Theodore Roosevelt referred to his office as a "bully pulpit" meaning that, as president, he had a platform from which to push a particular agenda. And, boy did he push an agenda! Roosevelt, a Republican, was elected to the New York State Assembly at age 23. He quickly made a name for himself by battling corrupt machine politics.

A brief stint in the Dakota Territory after the deaths of his wife and mother caused him concern about environmental damage. His escapades during the Spanish-American War gave him status as a national hero.

On returning to New York he was elected governor and began regulating corporations and removing corrupt officials. The Republican party bosses in New York got rid of him by drafting him to the vice presidential nomination in 1900. Once elected, Roosevelt hated the office. But fate intervened in September of 1901 when President McKinley died from an assassin's bullet.

Suddenly he was the youngest person to serve as president.

Roosevelt was committed to raising the public awareness of economics and the role of the United States in world politics. He broke up the railroad conglomerate, blew up corporate trusts, and successfully mediated a strike by coal workers. He felt government should be more involved in regulation. This resulted in the Food and Drug Administration, regulated interstate commerce, and national parks. He praised investigative journalism for exposing corruption and greed.

Contrast his efforts to those of our current president. I would refer to Trump's use of the presidency as "the bully's pulpit." Regulation is now a dirty word. National parks are referred to as "government land grabs" and are now being opened for development and oil drilling. Environmental protection is sacrificed in the name of corporate profit. Roosevelt wanted the United States to have a larger role in world affairs. Trump wants the United States to look inward and put itself first. The media is scorned and labeled as an enemy of the state.

I am not blind to the faults of Roosevelt. His relationship with Congress withered during the last years of his presidency, and blocked further efforts for reform. His views on race were wrong. It is interesting that in his latter years he was known as a Progressive, and espoused greater government regulation and social welfare. Had he not died in January of 1919, he most likely would have been the Republican nominee for the 1920 presidential election.

I had hoped Trump, once elected, would become a more thoughtful, reflective, and humbled person. I granted him time to learn the office, but he doesn't want to learn. His childish temper tantrums and obsession with vengeance towards those he perceives have wronged him belittles the office he holds. His unwillingness to rise above petty disputes with sports stars, celebrities, and the press diminishes the presidency and our country in the eyes of the world. Unpredictability, regarded as a positive asset by many of Trump's supporters, does not promote stability in the world. It does increase the chances of war and economic disaster.

The country that Roosevelt served as president was much different than today. But there are similarities that should give us pause. Corporate greed, intolerance of the concerns of the poor, and ignorance of valid scientific concerns prompted Roosevelt to "speak softly and carry a big stick." If you are great, there is no need to tell people you are great. It should be obvious. But now we have the reverse side of that statement: speak loudly and often in vulgar terms, and use a big stick to knock down those that expose your past immoral deeds.

We do indeed have a bully in the presidential pulpit.

-- Devin Houston is the president/CEO of Houston Enzymes. Send comments or questions to [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.