Cincinnatus Or Caesar?

Early in the Roman Republic, the city of Rome was surrounded by enemy armies and faced total defeat. The Roman Senate created the role of “dictator” under emergency powers in a new constitution. Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was appointed as dictator and given six months of unlimited power to save the city. Cincinnatus defeated the enemy in 16 days and promptly resigned his position to return to the “plow” and work in relative anonymity on his farm. 

When the new American nation was deciding on the powers and limits of its executive, there was a heated debate. Many wanted a powerful, almost regal, presidency that would give the new government credibility in the world. Others wanted executive powers to be restrained and limited by Congress. A sort of compromise ensued that was put to the test by the first occupant of the office, George Washington. Famously, after serving two terms, Washington chose the “Cincinnatus” approach and refused to run for a third term. Wrote Washington to a friend, "Prudence on my part must arrest any attempt of the well meant, but mistaken views of my friends, to introduce me again into the Chair of Government." He walked away and set an informal precedent for his successors.

After many later “imperial”, Caesar-like presidencies (e.g., Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms), the Constitution was amended in 1951—prohibiting any person from being elected to the office more than twice. So—at least in terms of succession—the Cincinnatus model has prevailed over that of Caesar.

The Blizzard Of '78 In Perspective

It was 48 years ago this month that Massachusetts (and most of New England) was paralyzed by a monster Nor’easter. Back then, weather forecasting was even more dicey than it is today, so skeptical Bostonians ‘poo-poohed’ the warnings of a major blizzard. When it did hit, hundreds of cars were stranded on Route 128, houses along the shoreline were blown to smithereens, and 100 people died. For a full week, the region came to a standstill. No driving, no work—pretty much no anything. They even had to postpone the Beanpot hockey final—with thousands stranded at The Garden. The whole scene was apocalyptic. 

The only person who seemed in control was Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis—who ten years later would run for President. He appeared daily in his command center, wearing his signature cardigan sweater, and delivering updates on everything from the operation of the T (which actually worked) to advising on walking to grocery stores for food. He was a calming force amid the chaos.

Fast forward to today, as another hellacious blizzard slams the Boston area. A few things are different now: better weather forecasting (I know, it’s hard to believe); less skepticism among area residents (also hard to believe); and pro-actively cancelling work and school—keeping people off the roads. We might still have power outages, stranded homeowners and falling trees—but we’re far better prepared than we were in 1978.

And, if all else fails, Mike Dukakis is still around to get us through it.