Barring a surprise at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland later this month, the race for the presidency is set. So this seems a good time to step back and consider just what it is that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are fighting about.
I don’t mean where they stand on the issues, or whose vision is more compelling. I mean the office itself. The modern presidency is unique—and pretty far removed from what our Founders envisioned. It’s worth understanding what’s at stake as you watch these two people campaign for it.
As Americans we have an odd attitude toward the presidency. On the one hand, we’re leery of executive power, and often of the government the president symbolizes. Yet we’re also fascinated by the person who holds the office. When I was in Congress, if I had contact with the president, swarms of reporters would want to know every word he'd said. And people back home had an insatiable curiosity—about the president, his family, what they wore, where they traveled, how they treated people. Americans invest a lot of energy and attention in the president, whether they like or abhor him.
And it’s not just Americans. The president is not just the central player in our own government but also in world affairs. Anywhere you travel, you'll find people who are curious about the most visible American on the planet.
