One of the most popular listicles among Americans is ranking their greatest presidents. While others in the top 10 get hotly debated, US historians are unanimous on the top three: Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt and George Washington.
It is to Roosevelt – who led the US from the depth of the Great Depression in 1933 until the end of World War Two – that South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa has looked for inspiration. Appropriately, perhaps, given that SA is currently experiencing its worst economic slump since 1945 – FDR’s last year in office.
Yesterday, Ramaphosa distributed his equivalent of FDR’s famous “Fireside chats”, informal and conversational radio broadcasts where Roosevelt spoke directly to the American people. FDR appealed to fellow citizens for help (often starting with the words “My friends…”) evoking a flood of letters that helped prod reluctant politicians into supporting the president’s often unpopular agenda.
Instead of radio, Ramaphosa is sending out a weekly email he calls From The Desk of the President. I liked the debut edition – honest, informal, friendly and with enough meat to make it worth reading. But if CR wants to enjoy FDR’s success, his future efforts might need to be more from the heart than the head.
