COLUMN: Think Again – When leaders refuse to leave

Timing is everything in politics. Political success often has more to do with timing than with skill.

For example, Justin Trudeau become Liberal leader when Canadians were starting to tire of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. Nine years later, Pierre Poilievre became Conservative leader at time when people were blaming the Trudeau government for the high cost of living. Trudeau and Poilievre are both skilled politicians, but they also benefited from good timing.

However, getting in at the right time is one thing—knowing when to leave is another. Party leaders have an unfortunate tendency to stay in office one election too long.

We saw this nine years ago when Harper lost the 2015 election. Had Harper stepped down earlier, he would have been able to retire on his own terms rather than have the voters do it for him.

Now we see the same thing happening to Trudeau. Polls shows that Canadians are fed up with his government and are eagerly waiting to throw him out of office. With the Liberals down by 15 to 20 points, it’s a virtual certainty that they are going down to defeat.

However, Trudeau insists that he intends to lead his party into the next election. Unless he changes his mind, Trudeau will likely suffer the ignominy of defeat. Circumstances have changed since Trudeau rode into power in 2015 with his “sunny ways” theme.

Even more striking is what is happening in the United States. Joe Biden is 81 years old and is, by far, the oldest president in American history. Even though the signs of cognitive decline are apparent to anyone who watched last month’s presidential debate, Biden insists that he will be the Democratic candidate this fall.

Watching Biden repeatedly stumble over his words during that debate made me wonder how he can possibly serve out the remainder of his term, let alone another four years. Being President of the United States is a tough, gruelling, and demanding job. It’s not the kind of job for someone experiencing cognitive decline.

And yet, Biden refuses to step down. If he insists on running, he will almost certainly be defeated by Donald Trump. Democrats are understandably concerned about this prospect, which is why an increasing number are asking Biden to reconsider his decision.

What is it about being in power that makes it so difficult for politicians to leave? The simple answer is that there is no other job like being in office, particularly when you are at the top. By all accounts being leaders of their respective countries has become core to the fundamental identities of Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden.

Going back to everyday life is hard when you’ve been at the pinnacle of power. Even if they later get cushy corporate board positions or lucrative public speaking opportunities, these things still aren’t the same as being prime minister of Canada or president of the United States.

This is why it is so important for political leaders to have good advisors who are willing to tell them things that they don’t want to hear. Unfortunately, Trudeau and Biden have surrounded themselves with sycophants who shield them from bad news. If all they hear is how wonderful they are, they aren’t going to see the need to step down.

Thus, while timing is important in politics, so is having good counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety.”

If you are thinking about going into politics, much sure you surround yourself with good counsellors. You will need them to tell you when it’s time to leave.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and a Steinbach city councillor. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.