“Mitt Romney’s ‘Hero’s Journey’” |
From Matt Lewis at Townhall:
Thursday, February 14, 2008 Mitt Romney’s “Hero’s Journey” Posted by: Matt Lewis at 6:00 PM Michael Reagan says Ronald Reagan would have endorsed John McCain; He’s right. As Michael notes:
In 1976 the Ford vs. Reagan campaign for the Republican presidential nomination got so heated it looked as if my father and Jerry Ford would never again talk to one another.
When it was over and Ford had won, what did Ronald Reagan do? He simply went all-out to help Ford win his re-election, as did I and as did my sister Maureen. My dad simply followed his rule of backing the Republican candidate no matter who he was.
Of course, as we have noted here on several occasions – Mitt Romney seems to be following the Ronald Reagan 1976 playbook. His CPAC speech has been compared to Reagan’s ‘76 convention speech – and now – his endorsement is being compared to Reagan’s support of Ford …
But while Ronald Reagan’s loss — and his re-birth in ‘80 — is a fairly recent model to use as a comarision, the archetype is almost as old as time. As Jung would put it, this entire narrative has long been a part of our “collective unconscious.”
In essence, whether he’s doing it consciously. or not, Mitt Romney is seeking to tap into a mythological narrative called the “Hero’s Journey.”
If you’ve read Arthur or the Odyssey – or have seen Star Wars or Rocky — you are familiar with the idea. Before reaching the “promised land,” a hero must first endure his “wilderness years.” This is essentially a right of passage or initiation (I’ve written that Mitt Romney finally passed his “Initiation” into the conservative movement.)
Of course, the last stage of the “Hero’s Journey” is when the hero reaches his destiny and in a sense, rises from the dead. If you’re a movie fan, this is the part when Rocky finally wins or when Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are given their awards. Or if you like politics, it’s the day Reagan wins after everyone thought he was finished in ‘76.
In Mitt Romney’s scenario, he becomes the Republican standard-bearer, and ultimately is elected president.
I was struck today, watching the endorsement, by the contrast in demeanor and presentation between Mitt and McCain. Mitt - positive, affable, and eloquent; McCain - dour, testy with the press, and looking old with a twitchy right eye as he listened to Mitt. As I’m still recovering from last week’s pull out, I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry at how absurd it was that Mitt was deferring to cranky McCain, pulling his delegates, and supporting McCain for President. It just seemed so backwards, so appalling, so frustrating, and so wrong. I tried to watch with an open mind, to listen to what Mitt was really saying, hoping that despite the endorsement, I’d find something to justify my intent to vote for Mitt at my upcoming county convention in Nevada, where I am a delegate. I’m still confused.
Anyone reading the comments of our incredible readers on the posts here today understands the pros and cons of Mitt’s endorsement, and of voting for McCain. I know why I should vote for McCain, I just can’t quite bring myself to say I will yet. What I do know is that Mitt is smart. Mitt is pragmatic. Mitt is about following the path that leads to him making a difference in this country. I understand that many of the pundits are already painting this as another Mitt flip-flop - Mitt doing whatever it takes to get elected. The way I see it, Mitt is doing what he needs to do, to put himself in the best position he can to effect conservative change in the country. When Mitt said, “I can’t wait to get my hands on Washington,” he really meant it. Mitt will do what needs to be done to get the job done. Some label this as a type of pandering. Again, I see it as the practical CEO delivering the goods (conservative leadership) to the customers (us). Mitt understands that talk is cheap. In order to be a change agent, you have to be in a position of authority to actually have the power to effect that change. The fact that Mitt has the humility and foresight to understand this is another reason I am a true Mitt supporter. As I said last week, I’m a Mitt supporter first and a Republican second. If I vote for John McCain, it won’t be for the good of the party, it won’t be to beat the Dems, and it won’t be because Mitt told me to. It will be because I believe it will help Mitt continue through his “Hero’s Journey,” all the way to the Presidency.
