The O’Toole Chronicles: Great American Betrayal

There are very few guarantees in life and politics. Gravity still works, elections still roll around with regularity, and if you stick around long enough in the political arena, someone you trust will eventually stick a proverbial knife in your back. Think Obsidian.

Betrayal in politics isn’t an aberration. It is a feature, a sure thing, and a constant that you can set your timepiece by. For the silly ones who pretend otherwise, you must wonder if they are being naïve or dishonest.

I have long said and often written that politics is a people business. For better or worse, and for all the goodness inherent in so many, people carry with them some measure of jealousy and corrupting ambition. Not the healthy ambition that plans out hard work and solid public service, but the ambition that sinks careers with a toxic and corrosive character that eats away at any grand plan. This is the ambition that causes someone to look at the success of others not as inspiration, but as an obstacle. This is where betrayal is born.

The funny thing is, betrayal cannot come from opponents. Your political enemies are supposed to oppose you, trick you, take a run at you. That is the nature of the beast. The real sting of betrayal can only come from those close to you. These are the individuals you’ve helped, in many cases hired, promoted, socialized with, and undeniably made a significant difference in their lives. That is the person who does the once unthinkable and treacherous act of stabbing you in the back. They once shook your hand, hugged you, jumped up and down for joy for you. That once-positive energy can slowly convert to the evil cancerous political contagion called betrayal.

How does this work?

Most betrayals don’t begin with malice. It usually starts with a healthy and joyful relationship. But one person in this relationship will begin to compare. They’ll start keeping score and measuring. Soon enough, the measuring turns your success into their incredible injustice. Their ambition has now taken the shape of jealousy. They justify and rationalize that they in fact deserve your success and they have been cheated.

Let’s look at some history. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Their rivalry wasn’t born overnight. They were once friendly work colleagues and ran in the same social circles. All was pleasant until Burr ran for a senate seat against Hamilton’s father-in-law. The relationship simmered until it exploded. Burr was obviously very talented and ambitious but constantly found himself on the outer edges of power held by Hamilton. Hamilton was fully aware of the little green gremlin in Burr, and while brilliant and unyielding, he never allowed himself to trust Burr. To make it worse, Hamilton never hid his contempt for Burr and the once personal relationship soon hardened and became life threatening. Words became shouting and soon a literal duel was planned. Two .54 caliber flintlock smoothbore dueling pistols by Wogdon & Barton were provided by Hamilton’s brother-in-law and so enough these hair-triggers did the job that they were supposed to do and the rest is history.

Another example can be found in Benjamin Franklin during the American Revolution. When he was the colonial governor of New Jersey, he suffered the deep personal pain and embarrassment of his own son, William Franklin, standing with King George III during the war. Or how about the more local and recent example of Mary Manzo endorsing her son, Louis, for mayor of Jersey City even though her other son, Allen, was also a candidate. Isn’t this so Jersey?

I agree these examples are extreme, but the ingredients are all there. Friendship, pride, jealousy, ambition, and a lack of temperance.

Jealousy will always exist, and selfishness and ambition will always have a home, but everyone can take action to prevent succumbing to it. Those of us who have received a benefit from others, be forever appreciative for the hand up. Many of us enjoy and value this thing called loyalty. We understand that relationships matter more than momentary advantage and we don’t climb the ladder and kick someone off it as we move up. The key is how you respond to betrayal when it rears its ugly head. Don’t let it distract you. Don’t get swept in the sea of indifference and don’t get dragged into the tar pit of betrayal.

There are a few certainties in our life. The sun will always rise, the Yankees will always have a better team than the Mets, and political betrayal will remain a fixture in the game of politics.