Our president does not suck, part 1
Unlike many other countries of the Developed Mac Daddy Championship Portugal is kinda proud and happy with its current President
This is not to say that other developed countries hate their Presidents, to the contrary. In Brazil, f. i., Jair Bolsonaro has an unbelievable approval rate for whatever he’s doing there at the moment. I’d guess Trump can be proud of the same thing. But these are Mac Daddy countries whose President plays an active (and angry and violent and very menacing) role, unlike Portugal’s political regime.
Even so… our President does not suck. At all.
BACKGROUND
Name: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
DOB: December 12th, 1948
Achievements: Law Graduate with Primus Inter Pares honors at Universidade Clássica
ANTE-PRESIDENCY CAREER AND NOTORIETY
As a youngster Marcelo lived in a more vibrant Portugal than nowadays: people from all around the country actively and aggressively discussed our future (now present), marching, shouting, reporting and basically fighting an oppressive regime that left us stuck in the dark ages.
Today, times are different, democracy is enjoyed (and very much enjoyable, I would say) but, during the 60s and 70s (with Cold War, Nam or Beatlemania and what have you absolutely out of our reach and radars) Portugal was a shameful reflection of its political, economical and social mirror from times past
Marcelo grew up in a dictatorship but soon realized that wasn’t the way his adulthood would be savored. We talked political back then. Like…
even after graduating with excellence in of the… ‘One Ring’ courses one of the utmost educational and political influence, he turned to the weapon the regime hated more, probably more than commies: he was a “bloody journo”. Worked briefly on a newspaper (I think he even founded or co-founded another), wrote pieces, started venting his thoughts and opinions on printed format. Tried to go ‘viral’, with a meaning, with a purpose.
The older (or baby boomers) crowd will remember him as such: a brilliant soon-to-be lawyer who kick-started his career as a lowly journalist.
WHEN PRESIDENCY FIRST GOT INTO HIS RADAR
Marcelo likes no conflicts. Just like Portuguese Kings and Dictators before him he can be proud of his vision and adaptability when facing the most challenging of political… challenges.
He foresees when others just can’t smell, one, two, ten miles away. D. Carlos. Salazar. Celo Boooooy: “I run a tiny ship, please don’t overboard us; btw send us some cash pleeeeeeeeeease”. That’s just Portuguese Diplomacy for Dummies. The revised and more modern version. Back then, like 12th century, Diplomacy wasn’t even a word…
I have no idea when Marcelo, in his innards, started to think about the White Ho, Belém. I think it was way sooner than we might suspect.
WHAT MADE HIM: TV
I always underline that, without TV nobody would know about his face or career or whatever he thought or said. This is a small country, TV has a huge ‘penetration factor’ (I know nothing, I’m not a journalist) and plays a big role shaping minds and opinions our biggest cities.
So, Marcelo, despite being an active journalist/Law teacher/brilliant lawyer, was an average politician — so ‘diplomat’ he lost (almost) every election inside and outside his party and against the competition — for what… 20 years and he showed no killer instinct…
In fact, he felt the need for no ‘kills’ at all. An “as long as everybody’s happy and thumbs up me” approach that certainly earned him 0 political grand victories and means everything these days.
From Trump to Xi, Jair to Vlad, you pick, I really don’t care.
He talked big though.
He lost spectacularly but never lost his speech.
His magic touch with words and analysis.
TV gave him what he lacked outside Lisbon, Porto, Setúbal, Braga: TV celebrity status. He was a ‘semi-celebrity’.
When his political commentary ‘show’ debuted, millions of people danced to whatever music he played.
Gotta give him some credit: he played loads and loads of songs…
BELÉM IS JUST RIGHT THERE
As a pundit he was in his jacuzzi because he had nothing, literally nothing to lose. Now in his 50s, wiser and always playing the ‘political catenaccio’ (wrong analogy, catenaccio won, he actually didn’t:), he turned to what he was probably born to do: trash talk.
Whoever was in charge… got his hammer. Right in the face, at prime time, with shares rivaling live football matches. His popularity skyrocketed. People saw Marcelo at his game, in his prime. He wasn’t a politician anymore. He was a glorified opinion maker who was automatically green lighted to make his political comeback.
No losses anymore.
Just give him the best house with the front seat to the country.
OUR REGIME
is not Presidential so he has limited power. He can’t do s#it compared to Jair, Trump, Vlad and Xi
but what he did do, when he finally told everybody he was running for presidency, was meaningful to every Portuguese around the country and scattered through this Planet (believe me, we’re a few): something very different was about to happen in our boring, gray and uninspired Presidency format.
He probably didn’t say any of this (remember, he’s a born diplomat, he does not shoot to kill) but, comparing to what we had before, Marcelo was a breath of smith. Full of kisses. And hugs. And way more touch with his fellow countrymen.
People already knew he had a way with words.
They just didn’t expect to see a politician’s heart.
SPECS
Marcelo speaks fluent English, German, French and Spanish. Yeah, I know, it’s like the ‘European’s Basic Tool’ but we’re talking about someone who coined the soundbite “I sleep 4 hours and I’m okay with it” (or whatever). This is a dude in his 60s/going on 70 that thinks faster and knows way better than Musk, Cuban, Ferriss, Kawasaki and others that quote and invest for a living but add socially nothing to our daily lives.
Read a book by Marcelo and you’ll take out something… valuable?!
Read any Sunday-emoji by these Digital Demi-Gods and it’s the copycat parade. Analogies are not applicable here since none of these folks have political ambitions (although some people are getting behind Mark Cuban, it almost trended on twitter): they are hounds for easy money, faster growth and general happiness, focusing on the I instead of the WE.
A political representative is not supposed to have any of these attributes. I mean, the modern and shameless does. Check one, check two…
- Trump does not give a f#ck;
- Jair couldn’t care less.
More ellaborate, informed and intelligent folks like Xi and Vlad are all about the “people first, money second” at first glance but those play on a different league…
Marcelo is also mad about books, probably because of his academic career. At his inauguration we could see his heart in pieces: he was suffering inside, he honestly cared a lot about his workplace, his students and colleagues. A teacher is supposed to be like that: inspiring. Passionate.
Just like a president we never had, right in front of his people.
His path was written, revised and dotted then.
Marcelo was soon to become the MVP for our country’s current social and economic status.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Without public rivals that could beat him — again, Belém is a pretty ‘Prezflix and chill’ workplace — Marcelo finally found his favorite swimming pool. Or part of the Tejo.
He had nothing, absolutely nada to lose. His estadista reputation preceded him.
His respect for (and opinions of) the Constitution were probably impossible to argue against.
His party finally got ‘rid of him’, so to speak (he didn’t win or lose big, he was just… annoying, the nerd).
In 2016 he was finally given Portugal’s front seat and there’s no doubt that he has been playing it like Uehara or Mehldau in front of the piano. Oh, he’s also a hardcore Catholic.
We may not have much in here but never, never disregard, belittle or despise the POTPR because
he’s kinda awesome!
