The 50th anniversary of the Watergate Hotel break-in is Friday. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum is kicking off two days of programming with Thursday evening's keynote speaker focusing on leadership qualities.
"My work is about the celebration of the American presidency as an institution that can be a bulwark for democracy, against socialism on the left, against authoritarianism on the right, and we need to bolster and treasure and revere that institution. But I also recognize that there have been some people who held the office who have not lived up to the standards that we require the office. And so, my message is really what about leadership in the executive having the right leaders to take this country through the 21st century and for hopefully many centuries and beyond as a beacon of democracy and freedom to the rest of the world."
Tevi Troy is Director of the Presidential Leadership Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center. I asked Troy, for voters who ultimately make that decision of who will be the leader, what in your mind is the criteria?
"I think it's a great question. It's one I've been giving a lot of thought. So, I think if you can have a leader who has great communication skills, who has a vision, who can articulate it to both sides of the aisle, who stands strong in a crisis, who can handle infighting on his team while still being willing to hear different points of view and who is a curious leader, I think that would be the person who would serve us well in the 21st century."
The Ironies of Watergate and Three Presidencies: Nixon, Ford, and Carter — and Beyond begins Thursday, June 16th at 7pm at Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.