After a night of sleep where my roommates and I remembered to turn on the heat, we started our day hearing from Dr. Genovese at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He talked of the need for skill, strength and good judgement to be possessed in order to be a “great president.” Dr. Genovese also talked about President-Elect Obama possessing the three traits and how he has been trying to tone down expectations. With this he said, “Getting elected is easy, governing is the hard thing.” I’d imagine this to be true, especially under the trying times we are currently experiencing.
David O’Connor from the United States Secret Service talked briefly about the history of the agency, particularly about how it started out to prevent the forgery of money. It wasn’t until 1968 with Bobby Kennedy’s campaign that presidential candidates began to be protected. He said covering Pope Benedict XVI’s state arrival last April was his favorite event that he has covered. I related to his attachment to the event because I was there as well.
Marc Pachter from The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery shared various presidential portraits and talked of how the portraits are the strongest visual which can show what the president really was about. Mr. Pachter also talked about the need for 1st class intellect and temperament for a truly great president. He argued that no president has shown those characteristics but both presidents George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt were able to have a 1st class temperament and a 2nd class intellect.
Next we heard from Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel who write a column in The USA Today titled, “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” Both men entertained the audience by making jokes about the extreme views of both the Republican and Democratic parties. Mr. Beckel said something that resonated with me. ”You can do it in America. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” I truly believe it’s the experiences we take advantage in college that will launch us to places we never thought were possible.
Once our morning sessions were done we headed over as a group to Union Station and ate at the food court for lunch. We then headed to The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). I wasn’t quite sure what to think about this think tank. We were greeted with numerous paintings and prints done by people who are currently in prison. After hearing the arguments of NORML, I asked a question relating to the portability of those who use marijuana for medicinal purposes as they travel to a state which does not allow the use of marijuana. The site visit was definitely interesting and worth the trip.
Later in the afternoon I met up with a friend who I know from a past internship. We went to the top of the Washington Monument and grabbed a quick bite to eat at Cosi. While the days are long, I’m finding each day to be better than the next. As Mr. Beckel said, “You don’t change Washington, Washington changes you.”
