Alpha Male
After watching Frost/Nixon again, I ended up researching the life of Nixon following Watergate. Unlike his predecessors he was not invited to state events after he left office, for obvious reasons. What was more intriguing to consider is how quickly any president leaves the news cycle once they leave the office. Bush is now in Texas, no longer on the radar. Bill Clinton shows up occasionally, but due to Hillary’s relevance more than his own. Bush Sr. and Carter do not appear to any great degree.
Beyond obvious political reasons, I think this is animal behavior on some level. President of The United States is possibly the most alpha male position available. Once the election is lost, or a term limit has been reached, the new alpha male is not going to let the former stay with the herd. He’ll be expected to find a patch of his own in the woods to live out the remainder of his days, occasionally invited to a perfunctory event and given some due. I think it must be a difficult situation for any president after so much attention. The act of winning the office assures they will never recapture anything close to the same level of importance again. In a way, they’d be better off if they chose to be rock stars.
Presidents get libraries.
Mick Jagger is still on tour.
