The iconic female Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher, passed away last week at age 87. Thatcher and former President Ronald Reagan will always be remembered as the stalwart conservative duo that shared a truly strategic vision on politics. While you may not agree with Thatcher's politics, her supporters and even plenty of her detractors attest to her conviction. Knowing where Thatcher stood was never difficult. Only a year into her premiership, she famously stood up to capitulating members of her own party, telling them, "the lady is not for turning." Thatcher's recent passing, combined with the fraction of lawmakers who seem solely attuned to political expedience, has made me wonder if there is not a stunning lack of leadership and conviction in Washington, D.C..
Perhaps the most striking and current void in true leadership lies in the "evolution" of many American politicians' views regarding same-sex marriage. After Vice President Joe Biden came out in support for gay marriage, President Barack Obama announced that his views were evolving a term being used by many politicians switching allegiance in this area.
However, it strains credulity that in 22 days, 14 senators suddenly evolved on the issue of same-sex marriage. Since Biden expressed his support of same-sex marriage, 24 senators, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Obama have all had some sudden epiphany that supporting same-sex marriage is the right thing to do.
It seems more likely that many of these politicians privately agreed with same-sex marriage but failed to publicly support it. If you believe that marriage equality is an issue of civil rights, failing to support it out of political expediency is pure cowardice.
Even more obviously, the shifting tide of public opinion on same-sex marriage, coupled with its popularity among the rising generation of Americans, makes supporting same-sex marriage advantageous nationally. The current crop of politicians waited until the opportune moment to support an issue that they are now claiming is about equality. At least someone like former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-PA., will unflinchingly let you know where he stands, even with a little vitriol thrown in on the side.
I am not saying that people should be uncompromising or that they cannot change their minds. After reading Will Portman's moving article in the Yale Daily News, I am hopeful that Sen. Rob Portman '78, R-Ohio, made his change of heart as the result of rethinking his positions after conversations with his gay son. I am also not arguing that opponents of same-sex marriage lack conviction. But the fact that nearly a quarter of the Senate, the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State all have a sudden change of heart is not a coincidence and is definitely not a sign of leadership.
On the other hand, Thatcher made it known that she was ending the burdened public works programs, and she zealously combatted the regulatory mess that was Great Britain of the 1980s. By the time she was finished, she had privatized many industries that probably needed privatizing, like telecoms and airlines, and some that did not, like electricity and railways. However, her convictions were firm and her support for them far from waning. Contrast this attitude with that of Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz., who desperately tried to push through immigration reform, only to disavow it during his presidential campaign, or with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah., who proposed the DREAM Act, only to come out against it later. Now McCain and the group of eight are once again trying to push the issue, but one wonders what happened to these lawmakers' convictions when former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla. was sounding the alarm for immigration reform.
Looking at the current budget mess, both presidential candidates expressed support for the Simpson-Bowles framework while neither voiced their support when the plan was released. Instead the President and Congress were content to kick the can down the road, which led to budget showdowns, the fiscal cliff and the current sequestration. A real leader would admit that our budget crisis can only be solved through entitlement cuts and increased tax revenue a tough pill to swallow.
Thatcher resigned in 1990 after challenges from her own party and her insistence on the unpopular poll tax. In hindsight, she might have faired better by being less brash. But at least Britons could trust in where she stood.
