For most presidential candidates, the path to the White House is a decades-long process of rising through the political ranks, building alliances and raising money. A few candidates might wake up and say, “Heck, I’m going to run for the presidency,” but most serious contenders are driven by lifelong ambition. Our president is an exception, but that only reminds us of the rule.
Lara Bazelon is a law professor and writer. The recipient of MacDowell and Mesa Refuge residencies, her op-eds and essays have been published in the New York Times,The Atlantic Magazine, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Slate, and Politico, among other media outlets. Her nonfiction book, AMBITIOUS LIKE A MOTHER: WHY PRIORITIZING YOUR JOB IS GOOD FOR YOUR KIDS is available for pre-order and will be published on April 19.