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Throughout Stanley Renshon's' book, High Hopes: The Clinton Presidency and the Politics of Ambition, the president's ability to govern has to do with three main concepts: ambition, courage, and integrity. Proving this, Renshon believes that the presidents psychology explains everything. 'By examining the range of choices available to the president as well as those he selects, both within and across circumstances, one can begin to discern the underlying patterns of psychology that shapes his behavior' (4). I tend to agree with Renshon when he states that Clintons' psychology has a lot to do with how he reacts to a given situation and performs all tasks bestowed upon him. 'The term character is derived from the Greek word meaning 'engraving'' (38). It can be defined as a trait or distinctive combination of traits.
Bill Clinton's personality, beliefs, and attitude are a very distinctive part of his character. As Renshon states, 'Character shapes beliefs, information processing, and, ultimately, styles of behavior. It is therefore deeply embedded in the foundation of psychological functioning' (38). The three elements of character that Renshon states as being the 'core' factors of a persons character are: ambition, character integrity, and relatedness. Ambition is a strong element is one's character which can be defined as; a persons achievement and self regard. I tend to disagree with Renshon, when he states that their is a danger with ambition, it 'reinforces their sense of being special...
it may facilitate their grandiosity' (40). According to Microsoft Bookshelf ' 95, grandiosity is someone or something that is characterized by the greatness of scope of intent. Renshon says that childhood grandiosity is the foundation of adult ambition and that this is all instituted by a person's parents. I believe that a person's ambition is something that should be elaborated on more often. It shows a person's moral and ethical beliefs. A person's integrity is an important element when shaping a person's ambition and relatedness, according to Renshon.
Throughout the book, when Renshon refers to a person's integrity, in actuality he is referring to their honesty and how well they adhere to commendable values. The reason he is using the vocable, character integrity is, the term shares the same perspectives but uses a more 'psychologically grounded perspective' (41). He believes that ideals are an important part of the word integrity's definition. He states that they are the framework for interpersonal and personal ethics, they show how a person conducts themselves when dealing with many different types of situations, they are a person's goals. 'Ideals are aspirations that are often easier to hold in the abstract than they are to live by the face of real-world temptations and disappointments' (41).
I feel that one's ideals are obtained early on in one's life. In Clinton's experiences, those who influenced him and prepossessed his ideals the most were his mother and stepfather. A president's integrity, or lack of, suggests his basic motivations, skills, and ideals into an coherent understanding of who he really is. When one speaks of relatedness, I feel that they are referring to one's relationships with others and how it is formed.
Renshon used a very interesting quote from Freud, which he first stated in 1921. The contrast between individual psychology and social or group psychology, which at first glance may seem to be full of significance, loses a great deal of it's sharpness when it is examined more closely... In the individual's mental life someone else is invariably involved, as a model as in object, as a helper, as an opponent: and so from the very first individual psychology... is at the same time social psychology as well (q.
in 46). Through the use of this quote, Renshon was able to prove that from the start, 'analytic theory stated that the others are always central to an individual's psychological development and functioning' (46). Every since Clinton was a child, he was always involved in many activities. He had to always come out on top and be the best of the best, he was always full of ambition.
Throughout his presidency, Clinton has also shown to be a very ambitious man. After an intense three hour meeting with the president, Alan Greenspan said, 'He wouldn't need a chief of staff. He would be his own. The president-elect was not only engaged, he was totally engrossed (56).
Even though I feel that having a lot of ambition is a positive quality in a person, I have noticed that there are also a few downfalls to it. Renshon feels that there are four skills that have facilitated Clinton's ambition. They are: a high level of physical and emotional energy, the ability to invest in one's work, a high level of understanding, and the ability to express one's self and to engage in meaningful conversation. Renshon says that, 'a president who feels he can or must do everything will not be able to delegate and will have problems setting appropriate limits for himself and others' (57). He also states that since the president is so motivated to be unconditionally involved, he runs the risk of overextending himself both physically and psychologically.
Another complaint that has been made about Clinton's ambition, is his need and ability to 'wing it. ' Critics say that since Clinton is so intelligent, he has a great advantage. This great ability allows him to rely on his ability to pull something together at the last minute, and has been fairly dependable in the past. However, Renshon feels that for a president this a potentially dangerous psychology. Intelligence is not equivocal with good decision making, or the level he applies himself, these are matters of judgment and character. Intelligence also doesn't guarantee that a situation is always going to go the way it was planned. Just because he is president, doesn't mean he won't make mistakes, but it alleviates the chances that it will reoccur.
Understanding that once in a while he will make mistakes, although he is not the type of man to openly admit it, Clinton began his term by stretching the limits of government. In the recent past we have learned again the hard lessons that there are limits to what government can do-indeed, limits to what people can do. We live in a world in which limited resources, limited knowledge and limited wisdom must grapple with the problems of staggering complexity (66). I feel that this quote has more to do with Clinton protecting himself and all of his decisions throughout all of his term, instead of admitting there was a problem. Taking his ambition to the limit, Clinton proposed that he was 'a president who would return to traditional values and who, in discussing the importance of personal responsibility, seemed to be conveying an appreciation of the limits of government' (67). This new approach that Clinton swept his nomination away with, is commonly being referred to as a New Democrat.
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