Remember the good old days when becoming president was the pinnacle of someone’s political career? They would serve for eight years and then retire to some faraway place, occasionally giving a speech here and there, but for the most part the priority was to play with their grandchildren. There was also the occasional unfortunate natural disaster causing two former presidents to get together and help raise money for the Red Cross or other charities. Once more, for the most part, you would never hear from them again either. Then along came James Earl Carter and his train wreck of a presidency in the late 70s. He was quiet through eight years of Reagan cleaning up his mess, Bush Senior’s “no new taxes,” and the many Clinton scandals. President Carter did the right thing and did not criticize former presidents with ability of 20/20 hindsight. So what changed? Why did Carter seemingly come out of the woodwork and start pointing fingers? The answer: Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton was able to figure out quickly that you can make a great living talking trash about George W. Bush. Bill Clinton wrote books, demanded $50,000 for a two-hour speech and before the smoke cleared on September 11, 2001 was already making it very well known that he made several attempts to get Bin Laden. If you ask me, Jimmy Carter was sitting back one day thinking about his failed presidency and lack of a positive legacy and realized he needed to make his mark. So he jumped on the “I hate W” bandwagon and went to work. He was able to say whatever he wanted without challenge. Not once did I hear him say what he might have done differently and the press never brought up his double digit inflation, gas lines, the “misery index,” the hostage crisis or the failed attempted rescue nicknamed “Desert One.” Instead, he was rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize.

Barack Obama once said that he would rather be a great one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. What does that mean? Does it mean he is going to do as much “damage” as he possibly can and the will of the people does not matter? If healthcare, the stimulus package and Cap and Trade are the legacy he is trying to build then I believe the answer is a resounding “yes.” So why would a president do something that could get him thrown out in four years? I think it’s because he can spend the next 10 years flying around the country giving speeches and talking bad about whatever administration follows his. It’s because Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have set a precedence that makes it no longer a bad thing to not get re-elected. The presidency is no longer the pinnacle of one’s political career; it is now simply a jumping off point. If you have popularity and the press on your side there is a lot of money to be made in being an ex-president. Until this attitude changes, former presidents will never just go home.