By Vincent L. Hall
“There are three things that history tells us a president must have. They must have a sense of proportion, a sense of humility, and a sense of dignity.”
– Jon Meacham, speechwriter for Pres. Joe Biden
This is all about the next President, Kamala Harris. Although I have to get to her in a roundabout way, stay with me.
When my bonus, Hailee Hall, informed me that she was bound for Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, I began studying the school. After discovering the astronomical cost, the search was on for their notable alums, professors, and the like.
My friend and brother, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, was there, in residence. Church friends Reverends Juan and Stacy Floyd-Thomas were moving from Bright Seminary at TCU and route to the campus. My mentee, friend, and brother, Damien Durr, the Executive Pastor at Friendship-West, graduated from Vanderbilt as well.
But one other outstanding qualifier came to my attention right away. Hailee Hall would be matriculating on the same campus where one of my writing heroes was on staff. Jon Meacham is the only talking head on cable news who demands my strict attention.
Here is how his website summarizes him.
“Jon Meacham holds the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University, where he is also a distinguished visiting professor and co-chairs the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & Democracy.
A biographer and contributing editor at Time, he lectures widely in the United States on history, politics, and religious faith and is the Canon Historian of Washington National Cathedral. In 2020, Meacham was a visiting lecturer at American Baptist College in Nashville, Tennessee.”
Strangely enough, Durr is an American Baptist College grad that Meacham thought enough of to mention in his short bio.
Alright, alright! I hear you. So Vincent, what the hell does that have to do with you pledging your support for Vice President Harris in the upcoming November election?
So here it is.
When Joseph R. Biden, my hero and the best president America has seen since LBJ, announced that he would pass the torch, I immediately thought of something that Meacham said on MSNBC years ago.
It was a prescription for a president while simultaneously disqualifying Donald Trump for the seat—even though he was sitting in it. As Meacham and the Morning Joe cast bemoaned another one of Trump’s incessant incidents that highlight his ignorance and arrogance, these words fell from his mouth. I rewound the segment several times to record it all, but here is the crux of his caveat.
“There are three things that history tells us a president must have. They must have a sense of proportion, a sense of humility, and a sense of dignity.”
A sense of proportion speaks to a leader’s ability to meet each moment with appropriate force or restraint. Nuclear reactions are not a strategy; they are meant to be a last resort.
You don’t leave the G7 because some members have yet to pay their share. You don’t demonize immigrants at large for the failings of a small few.
VP Harris understands, appreciates, and respects Meacham’s theory of proportion.
If you ever wanted to know what lacking a sense of humility looks like, just follow the ever-bellowing, blowhard, lifelong narcissist with a red tie four inches too long. Carly Simon’s 1972 hit “You’re So Vain” is custom fit for Donald Trump. You’re so vain (you’re so vain); I bet you think this song is about you, Don’t you, don’t you?
Kamala Harris knows her value and self-worth without using it to “Lord over” others. That gets my vote.
Finally, a president or any leader must have a sense of dignity after having a sense of proportion and humility. Kamala Harris has it, and Donald Trump never will.
America needs to be reminded what dignity, grace, and class mean. Dignity can’t be found in cars, clothes, or credit; it can only be realized in character.
I am voting for Kamala Harris for the same reason I would vote for Joe Biden. When it comes to a commander-in-chief and the leader of the free world, this nation needs a soul.
Business and commerce have proven that they will handle their own.
We need servant leaders who craft policies that have a heart for humanity, liberty, and justice for all—not just the red or blue states, but all.
Kamala Harris has what we need!
A long-time Texas Metro News columnist, Dallas native Vincent L. Hall is an author, writer, award-winning writer, and a lifelong Drapetomaniac.
