A Machiavellian Campaign

[A ruler] should do what is right if he can; but he must be prepared to do wrong if necessary.

--Machiavelli 55.

In his letter to the Lorenzo de’Medici, Niccolò Machiavelli presented with what, he claims, is his most valuable possession: his political views. Machiavelli’s The Prince reveals the secrets of a good ruler including, but not limited to, having masculine strength, skill (both military skill and leadership skill), intellect, foresight, and awareness of opportunity, essentially, virtù. However, Machiavelli also tells de’Medici that it is important to appear to have these qualities even if they, in fact, are non-existent. Looking back on the last presidential campaign, I see how President Obama and Senator John McCain drew from some of Machiavelli’s points as the basis for their campaign.

The principal foundations on which the power of all governments is based (whether thy be new, long-established, or mixed) are good laws and good armies. And, since there cannot be good laws where there are not good armies, and since where there are good armies, there must be good laws, I will omit any discussion of laws, and will talk about armies.

--Machiavelli 38.

Senator McCain’s underlying theme throughout his campaign was that he was in the military. "was his military service" would be a better way to phrase that. His international diplomacy was his main weapon when running against President Obama. As Machiavelli says, “no ruler is secure unless he has his own troops” (Machiavelli 45). He also reminds de’Medici throughout this work that "a ruler meeds to have the support of the populace, for otherwise he has nothing to fall back on in times of adversity" (Machiavelli 33). In a time when the world is at war and there is a peak of the number of citizens enlisted in the armed forces, the "people" are military families. McCain used this to his advantage by playing the soldier card and proclaiming to Americans that he knows what they are going through and, with his international diplomacy and military skills, he will bring America to victory with a safe return of the troops.

People are by nature inconstant. It is easy to persuade them of something, but it is difficult to stop them from changing their minds. So you have to be prepared for the moment when they no longer believe: Then you have to force them to believe.

--Machiavelli 20.

Obama also received the support of the American people by portraying himself as a role model. Coming from a non-traditional childhood and facing struggles that many Americans face today, President Obama became an icon of hope for the young generation of Americans. During the campaign, whenever a rumor arose that created doubts amongst his constituency, President Obama was able to overcome it and make people believe in the "change" by orating eloquent speeches. These speeches not only highlighted the intelligence that Machiavelli wrote of but showed his capability to have foresight by discussing the future and his future plans and inspire others to think ahead and become politically active. His generosity towards others was highly publicized, displaying a compassion for the people.

So a ruler need not have al the positive qualities I listed earlier, but he must seem to have them [...] if you have them and never make any exceptions, then you will suffer for it; while if you merely appear to have them, they will benefit you. So you should seem to be compassionate, trustworthy, sympathetic, honest, religious, and, indeed, be all these things' but at the same time you should be constantly prepared, so that, if these become liabilities, you are trained and ready to become their opposites. You need to understand this: A ruler, and particularly a ruler who is new to power, cannot conform to all those rules that men who are thought good are expected to respect, for he is often obliged, in order to hold on to power, to break his word, to be uncharitable, inhumane, and irreligious.

-- Machiavelli 55.

Once Election Day has come and gone, the presidential campaign has ended and the votes are being tallied up, the games begin. The President must keep in mind the promises he made to his voters but he also must focus on pressing issues and fulfill his primary job of protecting America from internal and external problems. In order to do so, he may have to relinquish some of the promises he made or some of his personal opinions on the matters his faces and provide a solution that is best for the country as a whole.

Although written in the 15th century, Machiavelli's The Prince is still relevant in today's political climate. The strategies that he recommends are still used by today's greatest politicians. The points that Machiavelli make are logical points, though some of them are hard to hear or read because it goes against the moral principles that most people were taught from their early childhood days. Politicians should use most of the points Machiavelli makes but keep in mind that he was not writing for a ruler of a democratic nation, so certain points he makes about maintaining one's reign is irrelevant. When a person is elected president, that person does not necessarily need to "lay [the nation] to waste" and start afresh, rather institute policies that are unique to the new leadership while maintaining the integrity of the nation (Machiavelli 17). As with practically everything in life, take the experiences of others with a grain of salt. Although history may repeat itself, don't blindly follow the suggestions set by others.

Resources:

Machiavelli, Niccolò, and David Wootton. "The Prince." Selected Political Writings. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1994. 5-80. Print.