Hillary Clinton's 'authenticity' effort: Will this new approach work?
You鈥檙e going to see a different Hillary Clinton in coming weeks, vow her aides. She鈥檒l be more spontaneous and show more humor and heart. Out: rope lines that keep crowds at bay. In: warmer interaction with actual voters.
That鈥檚 the upshot of a piece in that鈥檚 jolted the D.C. punditocracy out of its three-day weekend stupor. Mistakes have been made, according to Clintonworld, but now her campaign will push the real Hillary. Dare we use the 鈥淎鈥� word 鈥� 鈥渁uthenticity鈥�?
鈥淭he same force and energy that is giving a lift to Donald Trump is dooming Hillary Clinton, and that is authenticity. Experience does not matter to [voters]. What matters is you appear genuine,鈥� GOP strategist Eric Ferhrnstrom tells the NYT.
We disagree. Authenticity is a slippery concept, and there鈥檚 no definition of the word that really makes sense in a political context. All politicians are playing a role of some sort. Some are just better actors then others.
This isn鈥檛 just our opinion. Many political scientists believe the notion that candidates have to be authentic/genuine/relatable is bogus.
鈥淭he whole concept of authenticity in politics is frustrating, in large part because the concept is essentially meaningless,鈥� , an associate professor of political science at the University of Denver, in Pacific Standard magazine.
Look at the 2000 presidential race, says Mr. Masket. Two rich, white Ivy Leaguers faced off.聽 But one 鈥� George W. Bush 鈥� was more 鈥渁uthentic鈥� because he cleared brush on his ranch in jeans.
Then in 2008, candidate Barack Obama awkwardly bowled in Pennsylvania in pursuit of authenticity.聽
鈥淲as brush-clearing a skill Bush needed during his presidency? Does Obama need to bowl much?"聽Masket writes.
Many of our greatest presidents were not 鈥渁uthentic鈥� in the modern sense. Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were very conscious of inhabiting a role that helped them lead the nation. Dwight Eisenhower was far from a genial grandfather, as the press often portrayed him. John F. Kennedy鈥檚 public persona was inauthentic in the extreme, given that it left out his health problems and womanizing.
鈥淗ad Americans known the 鈥榬eal鈥� John F. Kennedy, he never would have reached the White House,鈥� writes Richard Skinner, a Rollins College political scientist, .
As for 2016, Mr. Trump is rising because a segment of GOP voters approves of his belligerence, particularly when it鈥檚 directed against undocumented immigrants. Is that 鈥渁uthentic鈥�? Plenty of people 鈥� Bill and Hillary Clinton included 鈥� have said Trump is a nice guy in person.
And is Mrs. Clinton falling in the polls because of wooden public appearances? Or is she declining because she鈥檚 getting lots of fire from GOP hopefuls, and the media are closely covering the negative aspects of her use of a private e-mail server while secretary of State?
Yes, voters say they care about authenticity. But there鈥檚 little evidence it actually sways their ballot, according to Masket. It鈥檚 more likely a label they attach to their favored candidate afterward 鈥� particularly if they win.
鈥淚t helps create a narrative to easily digest a very complicated national election,鈥� he writes.
