Fraternity Lessons Obama Missed

fraternity lessons obama missed

Ronald Reagan was in a fraternity (TKE).  Both George Bushes were in fraternities (DKE).  Even Bill Clinton was in a fraternity (APO – I bet those were wild times).  Barack Obama was not; and he missed the following life lessons because he was not in a fraternity:

Accountability

If your current fraternity president blames all your fraternity’s problems on the last president, chances are he is going to get his ass kicked.  If you are the brother at the head table and something isn’t right, it becomes your problem.  You own it and fix it.  That is what leaders do.  Leaders don’t shift the blame on others to make up for their own shortcomings.

Humility

When your fraternity president thinks he knows more than the people he is serving, there will be a huge backlash against your fraternity’s leadership team.  When the president of your country pulls the same stunt (Obamacare), there will be an even bigger backlash (the 2010 mid-term elections).  Of course, what do you expect out of a guy who wrote two memoirs and accepted a Nobel Peace prize before he accomplished anything?

Honesty

You cannot get away with changing your story in a fraternity house.  The brothers will sniff out a lie faster than a pledge can say the Greek alphabet.  Unfortunately, you can get away with it if you are the president of the free world.  Last time I checked Guantanamo was still open (thank God), those making less than $250,000 had their taxes raised, troops are still in Iraq well after March 2009 (thank God)  and there are still earmarks in bills that Obama has signed.  Those are just a few of many broken campaign promises from 2008.

Loyalty

Being in a fraternity teaches you to be loyal to your closest friends.  You pledge a lifelong commitment to each other, and that bond will not be broken.  During Obama’s election, he was quick to sell-out all the shady characters (Ayers, Wright, Rezko) who helped him get to where he is.  It is obviously easy to question his associations with those individuals.  It is equally questionable how quickly he will turn on his friends.

Paying Your Dues

In a fraternity, you don’t get elected president as a freshman.  You have to slowly work your way up the fraternity ladder by proving yourself along the way.  Doing so benefits everyone in the long run because eventually you have the experience necessary to become successful as president.  No one wins when your president is training on the job.

Integrity

Presidents are constantly challenged to do the right thing when it isn’t the easiest thing to do.  If fraternity presidents try to ignore or cover up issues, the chapter gets busted and put on probation.  If the President of the United States ignores his responsibilities, Americans die.  Four Americans died in Libya because of Obama’s inaction.  At least two Americans died because of Fast and Furious.  When the president isn’t strong enough to stand up and make the tough decisions, bad things always happen.

Perspective

When Obama was elected in 2008 he only won the election’s popular vote by 7% despite the incumbent party putting up a loser candidate in opposition. AND that candidate picked a running-mate who was vilified by the media, AND this was during a time of two unpopular wars, AND this was during the worst economic condition of our lifetime.   It is probably safe to conclude Obama getting elected in 2008 was a fluke.  The last time the stars aligned this perfectly for a president was when Jimmy Carter was elected.

Of course, if all this produces another leader like Ronald Reagan it might be worth it….

Ronald Reagan Fraternity
Ronald Reagan Fraternity

Recent Posts