My Presidents: Those Who Did and Those Who Didn't Make It

This chapter analyzes the motivational research studies on presidents. The author was invited to psychologically treat the Vice President. They spent over 4 hours in the private dining room, discussing motivations of voters and what, specifically, could be done to help him win the election or first the nomination. Throughout the interview and lunch the author was worried about lack of secrecy. The Vice President's major complaint was that people kidded him about talking too long. He asked the author whether, if he used a stopwatch and then sent to all journalists an accurate timing of his speeches, this would help. Too often we behave in our daily life like poor politicians. Maybe it is a hopeful sign that many of our present leaders seem to have gone in the other direction now, by stepping down voluntarily from their pedestal, and by presenting themselves in a more modest and human fashion.