During the period I was in the Secret Service, I had the unique opportunity to witness history in the making, one step away from the most powerful person on the planet. It was a significant time of change in U.S. history, as we moved from the bucolic fifties to the turbulent sixties and seventies.
The five presidents I had the privilege to serve could not have been more different: Eisenhower, the revered general; Kennedy, the charismatic, young intellect; Johnson, the unreserved, deal-making politician; Nixon, the calculating, opportunistic introvert; and Ford, the ordinary man thrust into power. Yet there was one thing they all had in common: an enormous ego.
Each of these men faced challenges they could not have predicted or imagined. I saw how each of them had to dig deeply into their past experience and character to make critical decisions that affected the whole world.
Eisenhower was a visionary with exceptional organizational experience and strategic intelligence without any emotional distractions. He ran the administration with military precision.
Kennedy was rhetorically gifted, an eloquent public communicator with the capacity to inspire. His wise actions in the Cuban Missile Crisis made up for his early blunders in the Bay of Pigs and the Vienna Summit.
Johnson had an intimidating, oversized personality and the political skill to muster support for major domestic policies. But his massive military intervention in Vietnam, combined with an unrealistic vision for ending the war, became his unfortunate legacy.
Nixon had some major first-term successes—an opening to China, accommodation with the Soviet Union, and an end to the U.S. combat role in Vietnam—but his emotional flaws and insecurity led to his disgraceful downfall.
Ford was an ordinary man intent on doing the right thing. But his pardon to Nixon divided the country yet again and cost him a second term.
I saw their strengths and weaknesses as each wrestled with life-and-death decisions.
No one person has all the qualities necessary to be a perfect leader in every situation. America’s voters carry the responsibility of choosing the best person to lead our nation, and whoever that person may be, there is one thing for certain: they will face challenges that cannot be imagined at the present time.
As we choose our next commander in chief, we can, and must, learn from the mistakes and successes of our past presidents.