Authentic Discontent

The Democratic debate held on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would probably have made Dr. King cringe a bit. Of course he would be very happy to see that the country has progressed to the point of having both a woman and a black man on the platform. This is major growth from the days of all candidates looking (and frequently sounding) alike. This is what Dr. King pushed for and as a country, we seem to be ready for both the woman and the black candidate.

But what we must move beyond is the constant bickering and mud slinging that goes on between candidates. Evidently, the tension between the woman (Hillary Clinton) and the black man (Barack Obama) is quite thick.

Both candidates offer us change. One offers change from the usual white male contender to a white woman contender. The other offers change from an established way of doing things to a methodology that offers to engage the people at the grass roots level in a more meaningful way. They both showed their authenticity during the debate. What came across most clearly is the authentic discontent they have with each other. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in South Carolina.

The more they bickered, the more John Edwards saw an opportunity to advance his position. And out of the three, Edwards was the authentic voice of reason. He brought the debate back to the questions of how to meet the objectives of health care, economic improvement and the many other issues that face our nation.

So while we have come a long way in our acceptance of candidates that look and speak differently than those who have gone before them, we still haven’t risen above the process that fosters discontent and brings out the worst in the contenders. If we continue to stress the importance of authenticity in this race, it is critical that the candidates maintain their effort to reveal their authentic selves.

Or perhaps they just did.

Let the Authenticity Race Begin

 

Politics 2008 is coming down to a race of authenticity. It will rule. Candidates are being elected by how genuine and candid they are. And the candidates are paying attention.

 

Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee started the authenticity wave. Iowans listened and voted for the candidates who spoke from their heart as much as from their head. Their words flowed and they came across as believable, trustworthy, and credible.

 

In New Hampshire, we saw voters respond to a more authentic Hillary Clinton. Just before the election, she exposed more of her feminine side, even shedding some tears of compassion. After Senator Clinton won the New Hampshire primary, she stated that she “found her voice” as a result of listening to the people of New Hampshire. And it showed. She gave voters a glimpse of who she is as a woman, not just as the wife of a former president. Senator Clinton was both stronger and softer, and this communicated a more confident position. Her decision to tweak her personality made her more believable than in the past. Clinton’s current authenticity score? More trustworthy and therefore more authentic.

 

Senator Clinton’s more authentic approach meant that in spite of reading her celebratory speech, (reading a speech generally diminishes authenticity), she was able to inject her personality and feelings into her words. Authenticity is about feeling – allowing others to “connect” with your passion and realness. As Senator Clinton becomes more comfortable with her Voice, she will become more secure in her role as a presidential candidate and certainly, a female presidential candidate. If Clinton is successful at rendering her authenticity to the public, she will become a formidable force against Obama who is leading the authenticity race.

 

On the Republican side, I was disappointed in John McCain. He spoke words that were meaningful, however I don’t understand how you can read a speech that says “I respect you” without emphasizing it from your core. McCain chose to read those words rather than look his audience in the eye and convey from his authentic heart (not just his head), that he respects you. To read it rather than speak it lacks authenticity. This doesn’t mean that he isn’t authentic, but it does mean that he doesn’t come across as authentic as his contenders. McCain’s authenticity score? Definite room for improvement.

 

Although the Republicans of New Hampshire preferred McCain, he will get a run for his money in the authenticity race if he doesn’t step up his ability to expose his core. Speak the words; don’t just read them Senator McCain. You will connect closer to the voters and increase your chances of presidential success.

 

The primaries in South Carolina, Michigan and Nevada will continue the race for authenticity. Watch the candidates make a greater effort to reveal their “real” selves. They will reduce their dependence on pre-written speeches that they read word for word. Instead, they will speak more from their core.

 

It is interesting that most of the presidential candidates generally agree on issues like the economy, Iraq, global warming, immigration, civil rights and the need for change. Where they differ is on how to resolve the issues and how they define change. Voters beware: you have to listen very carefully to understand these differences. Yet what does come across very clearly is they way in which candidates share their positions and how authentic they are perceived by voters.

 

 

The pages of American history are filled with politicians that gave Americans “canned” promises and read from their scripted speeches like telemarketers, which only reinforced their lack of authenticity to voters. Americans themselves disagree on a variety of issues reflected by our left, right, and center political views. But we are unified on this one simple point:

Voters are tired of rhetoric and demanding the real deal.

Let the games begin.