"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind
him in other men, the conviction and the will to carry on….The genius of a good
leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace
of genius, can deal with successfully. "— American writer,
reporter, and political commentator Walter Lippmann (1889-1974), "Roosevelt
Has Gone" in The New York Herald
Tribune (April 14, 1945).
Lippmann, longtime dean of American newspaper
columnists, wrote these lines right after the death of Franklin Roosevelt, who,
after three full terms in office and part of a fourth, seemed like an irreplaceable
figure in American politics. I leave it to you, Faithful Reader, to figure out
whether the current occupant of the Oval Office will pass the test that FDR
aced. Or if he’s capable of it.
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