One of the fundamental jobs we expect Presidents to do -- and this is why we're shocked when they don't -- is to "model adult behavior."* The President of the United Sates is supposed to be a grown-up's grown-up.
It doesn't always work; LBJ was infamous for working with staff from the toilet with the door open and his "explanation" to a reporter why the U.S. was waging a war n Vietnam supposedly consisted of flashing his privates. But in general, barring the odd deep bow to a king or vomiting on foreign diplomats, Presidents are supposed to behave in public with more dignity and decorum than the rest of us slobs. It's part of the job, unwritten but nonetheless required: set an example.
Look at the present field of candidates. Harshly. Be honest with yourself, do the Big Party bombastic, vindictive, petty contenders strike you as having much knack for graceful adulting? Are they an example for the kids?
You will live out your old age in a world run by people who grew up with one of them as a prime example of how to act. Are you okay with that?
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* And not "behave like an Adult model." On the other hand, I'm willing to bet a pair of randomly-chosen porn stars could do a better job of acting as if they were running for President, though people would always be expecting "bow-chicka-bow-wow" instead of "Hail To The Chief," and then wondering why.
I dunno; from my observation of teens and young adults it seems a lot more of them take whatever popstar/sports star/actor they revere as the model of adulthood. And there don't seem to be a whole lot of "adults" in that crowd.
ReplyDeleteThat said, your point is well taken: I am deeply irritated that both the front-runners are some 20 years older than I am, and have held positions of allegedly greater responsibility than I ever have, and yet, I feel like I've been transported back to fifth grade and am watching Billy D. and Billy E. slug it out on the playground.