Relating to Our President
Stephen Bainbridge tires of Southern men in the White House who most closely relate to other Southern men:
Between Clinton and Bush 43 we’ve been ruled by Southerners for the last 4 presidential terms and Barnett wants to foist yet another good ol’ boy on us. Not that there’s anything wrong with Southerners, per se, of course. But maybe it’s time to let a Yankee city boy have a chance?
James Joyner isn’t bugged much since he’s a “Southerner who doesn’t smoke cigars and, like Alan Jackson, prefers his sushi Southern fried.”
I know Bainbridge’s post was tongue-in-cheek, but many people insist they have something in common with their President or candidate. They want to relate to him in some way.
Wanting the President to be like themselves seems awfully self-centered. Comparing myself to President Bush I know I’m less of a fan of country music than he is, and my Lutheran faith is more reticent than his Methodist practice. I’ve been sympathetic to Rudy Giuliani even though he’s a Yankees fan and doesn’t mind dressing up in drag. Personal tastes don’t matter much to me.
Having a President who is similar to me would make me better relate to him–as much as anyone can relate to the enormous stress and responsiblities in being President. But really, so what if the President and I like similar songs, movies, or sports? I don’t even require my leaders to vote exactly the way I want them to so it makes sense I don’t care what their pop culture tastes are. By voting for them I voted for their leadership ability, their ability to analyze the situation and reach the most prudent solution. When it comes to representative democracy I’m in Edmund Burke’s camp. What trumps personality is leadership ability, temperment, policy, and political philosophy.
Bithead sees Democrats taking the government that “looks like America” approach. Relating to average Americans isn’t new. It’s gone back to William Henry Harrison and “log cabin” candidates. Being a candidate “of the people” is a long-time marketing technique going back probably to the first elections. Bill Clinton mastered the technique surviving his party losing Congress and being impeached.
To be tongue-in-cheek myself I want a candidate (for any office) to claim their favorite novel is Atlas Shrugged without them looking like a member of the Ayn Rand cult. We would know they cared deeply about free markets while collectivists would drive themselves crazy digging into the candidate’s background to prove s/he is a closet Randian. Mitt Romney’s appreciation for Battlefield Earth feels authentic but makes Romney look low brow.
“Haven’t We had Enough Good ol’ Boys For a While?”
