“Give the people what they want.”

The following is an excerpt from Part Two:

I get home and excitedly pass the information to Sid. A few days later, I run it by my probation officer. Alexis is a pleasant, devoted woman, close to my age. She is the type of person that I would like to stop by and visit with a homemade potpie or some Tollhouse cookies. Because of the relationship, I can never do that. Her reaction to my proposal is not favorable.

“You can go ahead and do that if you want but you’ll be wasting your time. I won’t recommend it. You need to be in counseling for many, many years before we could even consider something like that.” It makes no sense whatsoever; I have no choice but to accept her decision. When I think about it afterwards, I come to the realization that she takes that stand not because it is logical; certainly, it is anything but. She feels required to assume the stance because it is what the public demands.

FDR, one of the most beloved US presidents of all time, was sensitive to public perception. Appearances determined his inauguration to the presidency. He was a presidential hopeful with polio, confined to a wheelchair. He had no chance whatsoever of being elected to the prestigious office if he appeared even mediocre. Most of the country, however, was unaware of his plight because of the image he projected. The public saw neither a wheelchair nor infirmity. He was the picture of power and strength. He walked tall, using the strength in his arms to support himself with his son by his side as a brace. That is what he projected. That is what the public perceived.