Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Great Expectations

There are certain things that we expect of a leader, and he should be nothing less than impossibly ideal.

He should be smart but not too intellectual. He must have a way with words, but also a man of actions. He must be practical, but with a dose of romanticism. He must be hardened in times of war, yet soft in times of grief. He is not us (mythical), but he can be one of us (mortal).

He should be strong and wise, and capable of playing as many parts as possible at the same time. He is our parent, a saint, the messiah , dignified in a suit. In short, spectacularly paradoxical.

We can see how presidents from Marcos to Arroyo can rise to power, and fall far short of the standards.

In the American experience, 220 years of the presidency have been filtered through popular culture. In recent memory, Kevin Kline in Dave and Michael Douglas in The American President come to mind. A prime example is the meeting of an institution (the presidency) and a legendary star: the public wants composure and grace in times of crises, like what Harrison Ford displayed in Air Force One. One of the biggest reasons The West Wing was such an awards juggernaut was that Martin Sheen, as Josiah Bartlet, had fulfilled their dream: an almost-perfect president.

To the list of a president's qualifications, we can add from now on camera-ready, or media-friendly. I'm sorry: media-savvy. In this age of YouTube and the Rebirth of Saturday Night Live, you can bet the road to the White House comes through David Letterman.

Who among our senators and other assorted public officials appearing in advertisements can lure us with their promises and posturings?  

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