What if Barack Obama established a Presidential Advisory

The words of Tony Campolo ring with the yearning for unity and counsel: “What if Barack Obama established a Presidential Advisory Committee that would meet once every couple of months, bringing together the former presidents for a conference in order to seek their collective wisdom? There is a wealth of experience in former presidents that generally goes untapped.” In this vision lies the ancient truth that rulers are strongest not when they stand alone, but when they draw upon the memories and judgments of those who walked before them.

The wisdom of elders has ever been a treasure to civilizations. In the councils of tribes, the gray-haired chiefs were revered because they had suffered storms the young had never seen. Their counsel was the anchor that kept the ship of the people from drifting into ruin. Campolo reminds us that nations, too, have such elders—men who have borne the crushing weight of the presidency, tasted both triumph and failure, and emerged with scars that can teach. To ignore them is to squander a wealth more valuable than gold.

History bears witness to this need. In ancient Rome, the Senate was conceived as a gathering of elders—seasoned leaders whose collective experience steadied the course of empire. Even when emperors held supreme power, the wisest of them sought guidance from the Senate, for they knew that one mind, however brilliant, was fragile compared to the chorus of many. Likewise, George Washington, though the first president of America, convened councils of generals and advisors to deliberate before making decisions that would shape the destiny of a nation.

Yet in modern times, pride often blinds leaders to the value of shared counsel. The former presidents live in the shadow of power, honored in ceremony but rarely asked to contribute their living memory. Campolo’s words shine like a lantern, suggesting that the wisdom of Carter, Clinton, Bush, and others could have been gathered into a well of insight for Barack Obama and for any who govern. Such a practice would not only strengthen decisions but symbolize humility—a leader acknowledging that no man is so great he cannot learn.

Therefore, let this truth be handed down: a ruler who listens multiplies his power, not diminishes it. To bring together those who have borne the same burden is to weave a shield of shared knowledge, a safeguard against folly. Campolo’s vision is more than political—it is timeless counsel for all who lead: seek the wisdom of those who came before, for their scars carry truths that books cannot teach, and their experience is a living library of survival and hope.