They are chosen as much for their public-spiritedness as for their academic prowess. Not all want to run for elective office, but the bulk think their talents can be most fully realized through public service. Like Clinton, my peers believe earnestly in government. Above all, they believe in themselves in government. Yet after a year at Oxford, it makes me uneasy.
Idealism masks an ideological vacuum.
On the pernicious potential of misdirected idealism Beinart scores some important points. However, it is not idealism per se, but a particular kind of idealism, of which Rhodies are typically imbued, that is the problem under consideration here. However, since the accession of Bill Clinton to the Oval Office, the Oxford influence in the Executive branch of the federal government has attained unprecedented heights. Rhodes also specified fairly clearly the kinds of men who should receive the opportunity to go to Oxford. In the 90 years of scholarships, only Clinton has taken Rhodes' dream to the top.