What Republicans Look For In A President
The past twenty years or so has seen the republican party, and its right wing in particular, grow increasing militant with a corresponding increase in the amount of venom and derision heaped upon democrats (and "liberals" in particular).
Their reaction to Clinton and his presidency, in particular, has been nothing short of psychotic. Here we have a president who is popular with high job approvals who governed during a time of unprecedented prosperity. Yet, no president has been subject to more intense hatred.
Why all the venom?
Well, if you compare the reaction to the Lewinsky episode in THIS country to the reaction in OTHER countries, you can begin to understand.
In most countries, the president or prime minister is seen as an administrator. There is no hero worship of this person, nor is there any hatred towards him/her. If the people lose confidence in the ability of this person to administrate, they get someone else for the job.
However, to republicans, the president is much more than an administrator. He is a father figure. Through this father figure, republicans cope with their difficulties in their relationships with their real father (I'll skip all the Freudian stuff for now). Just look at recent GOP nominees: Reagan, Bush, Dole. Of course, you do have the Liddy Dole campaign. She is clearly not a father figure, but she is an obvious mother-figure.
Hence, when Clinton had an affair and lied about it, the republicans reacted as if their real fathers had cheated on their mothers and been discovered. This explains the intense hatred and derision they feel for him, and why they made a mountain out of what, in most nations, would be considered a molehill.
You can see this search for a father figure in the most recent campaign. Boy George, though not much of a father figure, is the son of an exemplary father figure. Also, he plays the role of the father who has strayed, but has repented and now devotes himself to his family.
Then you have Cheney, who looks older than he really is. A perfect father figure there. Throw in Powell, who, though black, is an exemplary father figure and therefore acceptable to republicans. |
