A lot of people probably think I’m crazy when I say that Jon Corzine might run for president in 2008. I’ve speculated about this a number of times, and that has occasionally provoked scornful comments. What makes me speculate about his candidacy? To me, his rise in politics has been meteoric: elected US Senator, then Governor of New Jersey, all within about seven years. This came after a hugely successful career in business. His rise reminds me of that of another New Jersey governor, Woodrow Wilson, who had a successful career outside of government, followed by a meteoric political career.

Once the political bug has bitten someone with a huge ego, as it seems to have done Jon Corzine, the presidency is a natural goal. People like this often don’t seem content to just serve their country. They also have to seek the top prize, so to speak. I don’t mean to impugn the motives of anybody. I’m sure that most of the people who seek the presidency really do want to serve their country. But I’m also sure that a lot of people are also going for the top job, in sort of an Everest way, because it’s there, and because it seems attainable. It may be impossible to separate ego from presidential politics. And each presidential candidate has his or her own unique mix of desire to serve and desire to achieve. I think Jon Corzine’s desire to achieve might impel him into a run for the presidency.

Other factors include: I think Corzine left the US Senate and ran for Governor because it seems easier for Governors to be elected president than it does for Senators.

Everyone knows about the shutdown of state government in New Jersey. The dust has pretty much settled on that now. What is the upshot of the whole thing? Jon Corzine has come out of the fracas as a VERY strong leader with increased approval among voters in his state. In fact, one article says that voters like his bully tactics. Of course he still has a lot of work to do yet in New Jersey. But he’s a hard worker, and he gets things done. I have often said that our country needs another strong leader, in the mold of FDR, JFK, LBJ. Is Jon Corzine such a leader? We'll have to see.

Will Jon Corzine run for president? I don’t know. Should he? I don’t know. Could he? He certainly could. He has a large bank account and a large ego. Both of those factors could lead him to seek the presidency in 2008.


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