With John Kerry being confirmed as the new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton is now able to manage her health, as well as possibly, a spot on the 2016 presidential ballot. As the former secretary of state has left her desk in positive standing, she is in the perfect position to go for the presidency. If this is the case, and if she were to win that election, then it will be clear America has entered a new age of politics, where the image of the politician is no longer that of the savior.
Throughout the 20th century, the man elected president has typically won based on “hero factor.” From Teddy Roosevelt’s unbelievable achievements, Franklin Roosevelt’s unheard-of third term and John F. Kennedy’s charisma, American political leaders over the last 100 years have all offered the idea of “glory” as a result of their election.
The 2008 election, on the other hand, was a different case. Instead of setting the campaign trail ablaze with hyper-nationalistic attitudes and promoting his image as an individual who is “better than you,” President Barack Obama presented himself as the every man, and continues to do so into his second term. He addressed his former drug use in his 1995 memoir, “Dreams From My Father.” He allows himself to be photographed playing basketball. He allows himself to be the butt of the joke at times (i.e. his infamous “dad jeans”). This attitude of being one with the people he represents ushers in a new attitude for both the voter and the politician. That is, there is now a resurgence in the longstanding ideal “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Former Gov. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, led a campaign similar to the glory campaigns of the 20th century. His trail, bent on restoring the “family values” that those in the conservative sect refuse to admit are sexist, restrictive and outdated, no longer appeals to the typical, middle class American. By presenting himself as a politician first and a person second, Romney was incapable of earning the trust of many young, middle class voters who have come to expect their politicians to be more than an empty suit.
What voters want, however, isn’t easily defined. It could be the admittance of personal mistakes. It could be a relaxed presentation of oneself in public. It could even be merely the hiring of a great PR team. But whatever the reason is, this “more” factor is going to, from 2008 on, be a key component in who is elected president.
And now we have Hillary. Her marital issues became the problem of the nation in the mid-1990s. This is an essential part of her appeal for many middle-aged, middle-class women, as nothing is more relatable than personal issues. She’s educated, qualified and has done her job well. But whether or not Hillary will pull through with the “more” factor required to relate to young progressive voters—that is, if she decides to run again— is going to be the essential element in securing her spot in 2016.
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