The Dignity of the Office

Well, wouldn't you know it? Soon after I declare former U.S. Presidents would never act as panelists on a game show, the current President shows up on Late Night with Jay Leno! At least the ensuing debate was all about the proverbial "dignity of the office." Some people were all worked up about the new President not sufficiently upholding that dignity. Listening to Pat Buchanan talk afterward about the President’s egregious action, you'd have thought President Obama had peppered Leno with a series of fart jokes.

And then, thinking about the dignity of the office, I go to a local mall over the weekend and there's Canada’s current Minister of Transportation, formerly Minister of the Environment, with a booth set up to meet citizens in his local riding. It was another one of those "I'm not in Kansas anymore" moments.

Unelected, members of the Cabinet in the States don’t have to gladhand. Nobody walks into their local Sears and says, “Oh look, isn’t that Condi Rice passing out a flyer about her qualifications. Let's ask her about fixing that nasty pothole down the block.” No sir. The President’s cabinet are his knights of the round table, answering to no one but their lord and master. Sure the President can appoint fools—remember Michael Brown, head of FEMA during Hurrican Katrina (not quite a cabinet posting I know)—but the President also has the ability to bring in some serious talent.

Canada draws its Ministers, however, from the elected MPs of the party in power. It can be a rather shallow pool to fish in. Yes, there is some talent present, but generally it seems there are more positions available than talent to go around. Inevitably some minister not up to snuff does something that makes it clear why they’re not up to snuff. They return to the backbench and somebody else gets their kick at the can.

I like the democracy represented by the Canadian ministers, but sometimes—when I hear about Obama’s cabinet--I wish there were a bit more kick-ass talent and experience up here. Then again, there’s something heartening about seeing the Minister of Transportation out and about doing what democracy, with all its shortcomings, requires of any citizen who would seek to govern.