Sorry, but I like serious. Call a news conference, look professional, and announce not only that you're running, but explain exactly why. No cliches, bromides or boiler plate. Describe briefly just how the current White House occupant is wanting (just the very lowest points), and how you might make better choices. Close by suggesting that you have a full program that you will initiate on day one, and again no fluff please. If that doesn't play well, then you really shouldn't want the job anyway, should you?
1
Ugh. I just read Beto’s livejournal. I was for him until that experience. He sounds like he is 22 yrs old. I can’t unread that.
10
I am interested in access to healthcare. I am interested in finding ways to employ people who were forcibly retired, or people who were automated out of jobs. I am interested in getting all the people cheated by the government shutdown back to work.
I am interested in solutions to immigration that balance fairness and soul with pragmatism. I am interested in funding education and fixing roads. I am interested in finding ways to alter our taxation so that having a worker here is a penalty compared to having one in Bangladesh.
I am NOT interested in anyone's dinner; or their dentist; or their cab ride home; or their kitchens; or their choice of clothing for the next interview. I don't care about what shampoo they use, or who cuts their hair. I hope they have healthy relationships, but I don't want to know about their spouses lives, and consider their children's lives off limits. I don't really care if they love hot dogs and are lactose intolerant.
Want to engage me? Tell me more about how you really think we can affect real change - not just what we ought to do, but how we ought to actually go about it.
64
@Cathy Agree, agree, with one change. I do care how they regard dogs. And more importantly, how the dogs regard them.
13
@Barnaby. Agreed. Dogs can be really discerning snots. In fact, I’d like to see all the candidates interact with strange dogs and no treats.
6
In the spectrum of curated lives offered up on social media, I suppose this response is to be expected. Everyone else is doing it: the world's cutest puppy, the doppio macchiato with the darling peak of foam, a Coke Zero for breakfast, fifty pictures of my Christmas ornaments, three hundred pictures of my Caribbean cruise, yet another article on how wonderful my city is, sadface, my car got a dent in it, I got a perfect score on Can You Name These Countries, I've read 72% of these classic books, how many have you read?
Sheesh! I can't imagine why people think the quotidian minutiae of their lives is so broadly interesting. But so long as they do, candidates who want to appear relatable will join in; they've got no choice.
19
@hammond I will happily take the puppy.
1
Most politicians are going to fail at the openness that AOC manages. When she makes mac-and-cheese you feel that in the end she is going to eat it.
The problem with most of these is that they aren't just "staged" but they are market tested and often pre-written before hand. They have already had the talk about what they are going to talk about, and most of them ends with a vote for me sales pitch. Not this is why my positions are great and I am highlighting that importance. It is now is the chance for me to humbly tell you how great I am in exactly the way my marketers want.
When Trump was going off on twitter, originally he had his twitter audience wanting them to cheer him and more importantly his content. Now it is just stale statements for the NYT to regurgitate. Different audiences. One oddly authentic, now though, not so much....
O'Rourke road trip, oddly authentic. The dentist chair, too staged, too pre-planned, too pre-digested. There is no real discussion there, Mr O'Rourke already has had the conversation. It is only theater. Fake.
Same with Elizabeth Warren. She didn't just turn on the camera because she had something to say, she was making a commercial and instead of authentic it made her look cheap. An ad.
AOC currently gets that. She is sharing not immediately selling. It is her content that matters.
And in all these cases it does shine a light upon the content of these people's characters and what they think they can sell you.
14
I’m just not sure about the intimacy. Granted, it’s nice to see the human side of candidates, but I think the office of President calls for a certain level of dignity which can still be apparent in informal or humorous moments. President Obama carried that off in great style, with humor, smarts, and deep respect for American democracy.
Trump has so severely shown disrespect for the office and for the truth that his potential opponents need to be quite careful about also seeming to devalue the position but in a different way.
There’s going to be so much work to repair the damage and recover what we’ve already lost in the Trump era, and it’s far from over!
30
Considering how the President has made it a zen like art form to dehumanize the office and all around him (especially any and all opponent), I am fine with Democratic candidates showing a little more intimacy, and especially - humanism.
I also want to know a whole lot more about them, that this current President has not revealed - especially tax returns.
The press is part at fault, that they have not been able to delve down deep into issues for a long time, so the ephemera is where we are at the moment.
I am looking forward to eventually getting into those deep policy platforms eventually though, but for now I can only assume that a person that has good dental hygiene is taking care of themselves, and as an extension will take care of us, once in office.
52
To be frank Frank, we will be seeing a great deal more of this considering that there will most likely be some two-dozen Democrats seeking the nomination.
Fasten your seat-belt because it could be a rough ride. Our children want their candidate and just a few years ago his name was Bernie. Older voters most likely want an older and more reliable steward. Women will have a flock of women to choose from. And those hoping for a savior to save us from Trump will have difficult choices to make.
So yes, I recommend all candidates floss well. I would also suggest that they wipe that grime off of their lenses be it a PC or phone. No need to look fuzzy.
Some might do well by getting a really great script down and/or rehearsing their casts.
But frankly Frank, it doesn't matter much to me. I am worried for our nation, my country in ways that I have never worried before. I fear that the forces of the both Trump and his media team (Fox and all those friends) are playing right into Putin's hand. I fear for the world in that we are so freaked out at home, that we are no longer focusing making our world better, safer, and more stable.
So if Beto casts his cleaning (and he does have nice teeth) or so and so uses late-night TV to announce their intention to run for president. So be it.
But for all our sakes, let's keep an eye on the ball.
58
Am I the only one who read the headline and thought of the dance from Fortnite?
2
I think Harris's performance was embarrassingly inauthentic, O'Rourke really disappointed me with his, to me, ridiculous and childish teeth cleaning. No, I don't want to see anyone getting their teeth cleaned. I was so enamored with him and now...... No, I'm not their target audience. I'm over 70. But I vote along with my age group. The millennials not so much. Please act like grownups and talk policy and act presidential. Trump has certainly dumbed down our culture.
I'd be happier we never again get a president lacking a sixth grader's understanding of our government.
I know one thing is sure.............Mr. O'Rourke will never get my vote. Instagram is a complete waste of time and why does everyone want to be famous and think that showing the world a pic of your mouth is a good thing? Beto please get some experience under your belt along with Ms. Cortez before you go for the brass ring. I though the republican clown car was bad. This is right up there.
2
@Margo Channing: Politicians will do whatever it takes to gain name recognition, because that alone is more than half of getting elected to anything.
We will know the end is nigh when a candidate looking to push the envelope Instagrams a toenail trimming session.
Too Much information indeed......
Beto Baby...skip the photo-op checkups and focus on the big picture...You don't need to wallow in the muddy shrine that our current sad and reckless President has dug up for himself...
Keep calm and resist the theatrics.....please.
1
Maybe Im old fashinoned, or yes, maybe Im just old, but public displays of flossing, exuberantly inappropriate outlandish verbal spewings and blatant stupidity are neither charming nor endearing. The homey Tweet style in your face TMI (I know that one) is not what I look for in an intelligent thoughtful, knowledgable candidate.
1
No. But I would like Republicans to show some spine and uphold sanctions on Deripaska instead of caving in to Putin's poodle in the White House.
2
"I wonder how it's related to any talent for governing or fitness for office". Well, Frank don't wonder because it is not. At least handsome JFK served an apprenticeship in the US Senate as did Mr. Obama, and Reagan served as Governor of a huge state. None of them used either looks or fame or novelty as a direct route to the White House.
O'Rourke is kidding himself or us. Unknown to most even after his run in Texas, with a paper thin resume, who cares about his daily routines? Talk about too much sharing. Then there is the junior Senator from my state.
Can you say opportunist or are there really Road to Damascus experiences in life? Gillibrand was happy to be a back bench unknown Senator even to most of her constituents, having once been a Blue Dog Hudson River Dem. Congresswoman with friendly views of gun ownership and law and order. Now she is Ms. radical feminist chastising males for all manner of boorishness and touching all the talking points of the gender studies/women's studies department at your nearest university. Authentic or something else?
The rise of Donald Trump is a powerful warning against any "celebrity" candidate. I hope we elect someone with a long resume and a less than wonderful ability to charm, flatter or bluster on screen.
Frank, if it wouldn't compromise your job prospects maybe you should e-mail this internally to all those editors here who are gah-gah for the NYT's "it girl" (with apologies to Clara Bow of old) Ms. AOC.
Democratic candidates need to be as genuine and authentic as possible because their competition- Donald Trump is the most inauthentic, corrupt and dishonest person who has ever occupied the oval office . Having said this, if a Democratic candidate cannot be put forward at this point to defeat someone like Donald Trump, they deserve to lose. They’ll never have a better opportunity to put an end to this epidemic of combined arrogance and stupidity , which has sadly become the calling card of the Republican Party .
Over the last two years , Trump has inadvertently caused the stock market to tank, he has put 800,000 Americans out of work with his idiotic government shut down, he has been at best, an unwilling stooge of a hostile foreign power, namely Russia and at worst has conspired as a cooperating agent with an adversarial foreign government. He has told thousands of lies in his first two years in office publicly and without apology, lies that have been told directly to the American people. He has benefited from his political office financially and has violated the emoluments clause . He has been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the State of New York.
If the Democratic Party is unable put someone forward at this point to defeat this idiot- in- chief that we now have in the oval office , they don’t deserve to win , but the American people don’t deserve to be subjected to Donald Trump any longer.
In a country where Mickey Mouse was and the Kardashians are icons...that's the standard that the majority extol.
Pick your poison...but be sure to know that truly thoughtful representations by political candidates can never meet the dumbed down requirements of most voters-caving to the lowest common denominator seems to work.
The NYT abetted Trump as did everyone else who got increased readership catering to the mundane-the salacious-the dirt.
Frank, you know this is who we Americans (mostly!) are. It's a shame.
2
The cream of the Democrat front runners, that's for sure.
1
I will vote for anyone who uses a Proxabrush.
"I'm gonna get me a beer!"?
How fake can politicians get?
1
"I worry that energy lavished on this is rerouted from more relevant, substantive endeavors."
Funny, but I feel much the same about columns like this. Just diversions unrelated to assessing a candidate's - what was the phrase? Oh yeah: "talent for governing or fitness for office."
Just more me, myself, and I
1
A reader noted long ago that Trump always looks like he's sitting on the toilet (he does), so in retrospect maintaining one's teeth or grabbing a brew doesn't seem half bad.
But the information age has turned into the TMI age. Dignity doesn't have to be stuffy.
1
What next, nude centerfolds ??? I’m too old for this “ stuff “. And get off my lawn. Seriously.
2
Just to stay ahead of it, I don't want to see any politician from either party on the toilet to prove they're just like the rest of us.
1
Hold on a sec.... you're complaining in the very paper that published all these over-sharing details to begin with...
It's not the initial tweet, post, image, press conference, etc., etc that causes the problem.. it's the incessant repetition and widespread dissemination that makes it obnoxious.
When the NYT gets an image of Beto getting flossed, or Trump sending a nasty tweet, why do you have to make "news" out of it?
When my two year old proudly announces his bowel movement, I'm sure even his devoted grandmother doesn't feel the need to see it or hear about it..
Stopping the over-sharing STARTS WITH YOU
2
Good dental hygiene is very important.
I'm thinking that these tactics are a reflection of the energy and excitement us ordinary citizens are feeling about policy and governance. It feels like it matters, it's gripping, it's real--and we want to be involved and in touch. Yes, it's possible to go overboard. But. I'll take Beto at the dentist anyday over the staged photo of himself with puppies (!!!) that my senator sends me every time I send him another outraged email.
I would like to see my NY Times columnists focus on issues of substance.
1
Not a good omen -
Ocasio-Cortez to host session for Dems on how to effectively use social media
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/425708-ocasio-cortez-to-host-session-showing-dems-how-to-effectively-use-social-media
If it turns out that Trump runs for reelection in 2020, I would not want to see, to hear about, or to read about anything to do with his bodily hygiene. His mental hygiene — that's something else.
Are we continuing to confuse voting for President with voting for prom queen?
1
20 years ago, Bruni found W charming and folksy; Gore was a stick in the mud. Bruni's judgment was flawed then. It's flawed now.
3 years ago, Bruni went along with the rest of the Times to give Trump the benefit of the doubt and to give NO benefit of the doubt at all to Hillary.
In January 2019, Bruni will not and does not apologize for ill serving our country in the past when he succumbed to the charms of W and Trump. Instead, he tells Democratic candidates for President how to comport themselves well in their campaigns. Bruni says nothing about Trump's upcoming campaign, since Trump comporting himself with dignity is unimaginable.
2
Frank, I’d pay good money in the form of a four figure donation to Planned Parenthood or ACLU to see Donald style his infamous coif. I guess that is the the term for whatever it is perched on his head. But that will never happen.
As for the rest of them, floss in peace and private, please.
I am about 90% sure that Elizabeth Warren’s little video was a joke on “a guy you’d like to have a beer with”: “welp, here I am, and here’s my beer.” Personally, I don’t mind. What a lot of people are overlooking is that campaign by social media is cheap.
Yes. Nothing is more important than chief executive dental hygiene.
Make fighting cavities great again.
Flossing is clearly a conspiracy. The floundering thread and twine industries invented flossing in the 80’s as a way to bolster sales. Big twine was rocked by the advent of adhesive packaging tape and more consumers were electing to replace rather than darn their socks. These dangerous luddites should be investing in new ideas and not trying to convince this great nation to mangle her gums with minty piano wire.
Our oceans are choking to death on plastic. Our citizens need not choke themselves on thread.
1
I can’t see JFK doing that.
1
Esse Quam Videri. To Be and Not to Seem. Stop trying to be real. Just do the work. Please. We already have a circus President and the goal is not to repeat that mistake.
So don't be stuffy if your perception of a President is formal and polished and stop with the silly theatrics if you are desperately trying to have someone notice you. Be your authentic self and accomplish something. I don't care about your teeth, I really don't.
As a voter, I do not want a poseur. I want someone who has experience and a record of getting things done.
Just stop. Thank you.
1
Light weights. All of them. I don't care. I care if someone can dig us out of this massive mess left by 45 and his ineptitude.
Nothing else matters to me right now. Fix that in your first term. In your second term you can worry about your jobs tour or healthcare for all or whatever.
First do no harm.
I would like to see my Presidential candidates demonstrate that Trumps clown show of a campaign hasn't totally degraded the American fabric. If you're a serious person, with serious ideas, then act seriously. It's a given you floss your teeth. Don't act like it's something that is any kind of special occasion.
I don’t even want to see ME floss.
At first I thought the headline referred to the dance move.
I don't want to see that, either.
2
Kelly Grace Smith
Fayetteville, NY | Pending Approval
So, Presidential candidates have gone the way of Facebook? That didn’t work out so well for businesses who marketed themselves as your “friend,” nor for Facebook.
I am wondering how this “proving you are a real person” is related to character, experience, leadership abilities, or fitness for office? It’s called “leadership” for a reason; "following” pop culture in these ways…is the antithesis of “leading” or leadership.
On a mundane level, I am astonished by the unprofessional behaviors some folks bring to work now: gossip, undermining, competition, lack of team work, etc. Such behaviors – and the lack of productivity they create - would have landed me on the unemployment line pretty quick 20+ years ago. (I know, I sound like an old fogey.)
My point is, as you have pointed out so deftly, this same dumbing-down is occurring in the media/marketing of the those presenting themselves as candidates for President of the U.S.; you know...leader of the free world, ambassador of human rights, representative of Democracy, equality, liberty, fairness, and justice.
George Carlin had a dreadfully sexist quote in one of his comedy routines that I will not repeat, but I will steal the concept, as it is also reminiscent of “Mad Men...”
...even though I don’t drink bourbon, "I like my Presidential candidates like I like my bourbon straight up...no water, no rocks.”
"Give partial credit (or blame) to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who has developed an enormous following on social media, where she documents even such humdrum moments as the making of her mac-and-cheese supper."
Okay here you have a real chance. Talk about the major serious issues she is raising. Not talk nonsense with your friend Laura Ingraham. You have a chance to agree, disagree actually engage someone in serious talk. Maybe join her for mac-and-cheese and get down to it. Or even more importantly maybe join someone on a caravans making its way out of hideous violence towards the clenched fist hatred of people like Ingraham and have a real conversation. You are a sensitive person. What is stopping you?
1
These would-be candidates are responding to a reality - which is that too many voters are less responsive to voting records and policy positions and experience than they are to their gut take on the candidate. Hillary Clinton was internationally respected as our Secretary of State and was an immensely knowledgeable and capable woman but not enough people liked her and now we are being led around by the nose by this gangster/clown occupying the White House. I too plan to make my choice based on whom I think most capable and progressive, but I'm not going to begrudge aspirants for efforts to make people connect with them because that's how it works with many voters in the real world.
Dr. Warren's "gonna get me a beer" inauthenticity cost her my vote. Wouldn't vote for Beto due to his moronic 24/7 exposure, and not for Harris with her favorite song list.
These political panderers will show you a tattoo to get your vote. They make Trump look good.
No, but then I don't care to read that respected pundit's find themselves compelled to comment on it.
Frank, please don't start the Democrat insult parade and give fuel to Trump's reelection.
Trust me - trust all of us - that any of these oversharing Democrats would be eons better than having a secretly-Russia-owned puppet in the Oval Office.
2
I honestly thought you were referring to the dance move called the “floss” and got excited there might be a video link in your column. By the way, I would like to see a candidate for the presidency doing the “floss”
2
If seeing a candidate floss makes you more inclined to vote for them you really shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Well he does look kind of long in the tooth.
2
I'm stunned that people honestly believe that a guy who couldn't beat Ted Cruz has a shot at the presidency against Trump--even if he does have good teeth.
1
O'Rourke's not compelling at all. Another Democratic disappointment, a Rockefeller Republican in drag like the Clintons and Obama, talking a progressive talk while walking a centrist walk. Look at his voting record. And his lack of ability to sustain a campaign, his f-bombing lack of self-control and his vacuous social media exhibitionism also show he's not the Democrat we need in 2020.
I favor Amy Klobuchar because although she's a tad more middle-of-the-road than I'd prefer she's the only one I see who can be a uniter of working people, rural folks, urban folks, the identity concerned and progressives. A bridge builder and a person of integrity who importantly can win. Think how it would be to have a smart, stable, strong, sober-minded, honest, caring, civil, respectful and effective leader in the Oval Office. That combination of qualities would be refreshing. And Sherrod Brown as VP.
The phony candidates cited by Bruni here are too influenced by society's appalling infotainment trend - too easily seduced by the temptations of exhibitionism and tacky celebrity. It's not just them, it seems it's everyone. A president who conducts foreign policy by twitter, media talking heads who seem to think they're in a kaffeeklatsch, legal commentators whose demeanor and lack of circumspection are cringeworthy, and snarky politicians grandstanding and immaturely jumping on political bandwagons when they should be exercising some judgment and sobriety.
Where's the adult restraint?
1
Remember Obama? When he was pleasantly casual, he was called arrogant and aloof by Maureen Dowd, no less. He was supposed to like bowling in order t o show he was a regular guy. Being thoughtful, smart, honest, competent, and a caring husband and father were not enough. Now, we have a president who has none of those attributes. And, instead of begging for a candidate who does, the conventional wisdom calls for what amounts to slapstick. When are Americans going to grow up? When you pick a doctor, do ypu look for someone who is good at medicine or has an intriguing playlist and an...entrrtaining Facebook page?
Beto documenting his dental visit raises questions of his fitness for office. Will he next take us into a toilet stall?
There are ways to appropriately show the voters that you are of the same cloth as the working class and then there are stupid attempts.
I want to support a candidate who shows good judgment.
The author clearly is over 55. They don't get the millennials. Millenials put it out there, online, for everyone to see.
Remember, Bush was the candidate people preferred to enjoy a beer with. And whether it is kissing babies, eating hot dogs at the county fair, or a candidate instantly reaching 100s of thousands of voters while they prepare mac n cheese, candidates do what the technology of their time allows. Of course it should not, and after DJT we hope it will not, be a substitute for substance and integrity.
None of these candidates will be around in a few months. Beto may have the legs & chops for longevity - I hope so - but, basically, they're on the way to the land of forgotten early-runners.
According to US magazine, "they're just like us!" They buy groceries! They go on lunch dates!! They push their offspring in strollers!!!" How DO they find the time?
Looks like Beto is copying Deputy Prime Minister, Silvio Matteo’s, apparently successful, social media tactic on winning over the people with selfies and other stupid FB postings. I like Beto, but I’m not sure I like this strategy very much. I wish he would stop it and get serious as these are serious times we are living in.
I’m neither pro nor anti-O’Rourke, but the spread of this viral and inaccurate story among media elite is ridiculous. It was not, as many media claim, a “livestream” of his dental visit, but a short Instagram video story that starts with a fleeting shot of O’Rourke’s cleaning as it ends. The rest of the video is the hygienist being interviewed by O’Rourke. How do I know? I actually WATCHED it. Much like the spurious story of Al Gore claiming he invented the internet, political journalists apparently can’t be bothered to check the source before filing. Mr. Bruni, I hope you took the time to actually view all of these videos before writing this.
As part of the very small block of old white guy voters who still believe in unionism, science and the "collective good for the nation" among other things, I would never cast a vote for a social media cartoon. Let me read their compelling essay in the opinion section of the NYT.
Sure. Just never ask a female candidate that question or you'll be accused of misogyny.
Kamala Harris made a fool of herself with her Mood Mix video. Trying to be cool, all she accomplished was making herself seem unserious.
1
Yes, Frank. I'd pay good money to see Beto floss...as long as he pays Backpack Kid residuals.
1
No public flossing. Toothpick ok in an EMERGENCY, like after ribs or corn on the cob. Toothpicks could be recycled to build a wall for undocumented ants.
I would appreciate it if all Presidential candidates would come clean. So rather than seeing them floss I prefer to see them soaking in the tub.
1
This made me think of an ancient SNL skit showing Jimmy Carter packing tubes of Preparation H for a Presidential trip to Mexico. I guess fact is becoming stranger than fiction: ugh!
Seriously?
This is your column today?
Who. Cares. I don't care how they announce.
From where I sit, the world is on fire. You have Donald Trump systematically breaking and staining every last thing that matters in our Democracy.
If you were short of topics, and were in the mood for blather, here is a list I'd like to talk more about, some of which you've covered in the past and could easily cover again. I want to know, as an example:
- Why are our teens so stressed?
- What will the 21st century look like for them?
- Are our schools ready to meet those challenges?
- Is a college education any more worth it now than it was in 2014 when you wrote your book?
- Can we talk about the college grads that are being hired as interns, used up, and then fired in time for the next crop? Seems like a new thing in NYC.
Ok, fine, politics?
- Any chance the Russians hacked Mitch McConnell?
- Where does Lindsay Graham go to hang upside down at night and who with?
- How do they sleep at night? Literally and figuratively.
- Has Donald Trump gained more weight and if so, what's with the McDonalds?
- Does Melania still live in the White House? How about Barron?
- Does Ivanka have any female friends? Does Jared have any friends who are not Saudi?
...and how is Meghan Markle doing over in England? She left her nationality, family, friends, job and identity behind to live cloistered without access to the outside world? How is she enjoying her confinement and how much is she regretting?
Dear Beto O'Rourke: George Washington had only ONE of his natural teeth, and he was a great president!
1
I care more about how potential presidential nominees will work on and fix the real problems we face, not their dental hygiene or sharing a beer on Instgram.
Trump set the bar so low anybody is appealing.. Beto married over his head and was able to snag the daughter of a billionaire -- He's lucky .. Certainly not Presidential material.
No I would not like to see my presidential candidate floss. Neither would I like to see my newspaper columnist write about flossing.
1
When I saw the headline, I thought we would be seeing the candidate's fortnite memes.
1
Frank, I truly adore you. But you are getting dangerously close to mentioning HIM and the word N-A-K-E-D in the very same sentence. Please stop, now, while I can contain my lunch.
I’m begging you. Please.
1
"But there’s too often something phony and stagey about it, and I worry that energy lavished on this..."
Frank, did you not see the photo of Donald at the fast-food table, indoors, wearing his floor-length winter coat? Can you guess why?
Give it 2 months, he'll appear in the Infamous Shelley-Winters-Hide-Me-Housecoat.
I have one word for the dental hygiene video: Gross.
Here's what I care about in politicians: policy, policy, and more policy. I also care if politicians are intelligent, honest, work hard, defend democracy and the Constitution, understand the world, know how to legislate and get things done, and put the interests of the American people ahead of corporate and/or personal interests. (None of these things apply to President Trump.)
I do not care how approachable politicians are. I don't care to see what their kitchen or teeth look like. I don't want to see them hanging out in their pajamas or at the beach. I don't care what or how well they cook. I don't care how spiffy their Facebook or Instagram pictures are. And I don't care if they seem like the kind of person I'd want to have a beer with.
All that said, I also recognize that "approachability" is critical in politics. Except now, shaking hands and kissing babies has turned into how compelling you are online.
1
Beats the one where the "Man" is standing there with his "adoring" wife looking up at her man. Oh, and the man has an American flag on his lapel with half a dozen flags behind him. Now that is phony.
I'll take Elizabeth Warren in the kitchen chugging a cold one any day.
4
Give me a candidate who can use the English language, who is intelligent and who has a sense of humor -- all things that have vanished with our current administration.
It's hard to believe that we have lost such basic skills in our leadership, and I'm including you, Mitch, and your ducking, hidden Republican cohorts!
I want a president with empathy, intellect, honesty and natural dignity. In other words - Barack Obama.
This silly use of the media by democratic presidential candidates may have been appealing at another time, but not now. Young and charismatic may have also worked at other periods in our history, but not sure that is the dominant wish in the present era. The primary season will help determine what Americans want-but I suspect that people will be longing for a candidate who is highly qualified, experienced, skillful and serious- as well as likable.
1
For true intimacy and exposure I would like to listen to what candidates have to say while caught on open mics. Or while inebriated. Nothing like assuming that your conversation is private, or alcohol, to reveal your true feelings.
1
We're looking for a candidate not a celebrity. It seems right now that we have serious people doing silly things. In 2016 we picked the candidate that was the best at doing silly things. I hope the gist of this piece, that it's not about the social media presence it's about the candidate's integrity and position on policy, is repeated as often as we heard about Mitt Romney's dog.
We're lining up to replace a twit on Twitter with a "likeable" and "relatable" Instagram-ist.
Form over substance might work as long as there's some competent administrators off camera...errr smartphone...who know how to govern.
In my opinion, the Democrats are being really silly, but I can't imagine anything they would do or anyone they would nominate that I wouldn't vote for instead of Trump. BTW--I'm not a Democrat.
For the love of God, Democrats need to get serious. These stunts won't win votes, and frankly, they're wholly detached from the reality that is now the United States. We have an autocrat who is only limited by his imagination and the laws of physics. He has five toadies on the Supreme Court to do his bidding. He has an attorney general who will ignore the findings in Mr. Mueller's investigation, and his decision will be backed up by the Supreme Court.
And we're talking about roaming around someone's kitchen, or a trip to the dentist? This election isn't some souped up popularity contest for many of us. For many of us, particularly ethnic and religious minorities, the current regime is an existential threat. We now live in fear as this "president" goads his fanatical neo-Nazis and Proud Boys to instigate violence, and exercise their "2nd Amendment solutions".
Are Democratic candidates this out of touch with what many of us are facing? That those of us who are minorities now have to take extra precautions for our safety since Trump was elected?
So how about this - instead of dentist appointments, how about a candidate who vigorously supports civil rights, voting rights, and all other Constitutional protections -- and proclaims these truths at the rooftops?
Many of us do not have the luxury of viewing this election like a parlor game. Our very lives may depend on the removal of this "president." And I'm waiting for the one Democratic candidate who understands this.
1
Bruni notes that "The 2020 presidential race won’t be the first in which candidates twist themselves into questionable and sometimes mortifying knots to demonstrate how real, relatable, unpretentious or hip they can ostensibly be"
And just a mere 20 years or so ago that George W. Bush was sold to us as the guy with whom you could have a beer! I thought it was silly, but harmless at that time. But for Heaven's sake, this idea of being relatable has gone too far. TMI - Too Much Information. And it is MIR - Mostly Irrelevant Information.
Stop in the name of sanity!!
1
@chickenlover
"...George W. Bush was sold to us as the guy with whom you could have a beer!" Interesting example you chose. Silly and harmless perhaps, but also perhaps not.
Earlier in his life, George W. Bush overcame a drinking problem and turned teetotaler. So despite efforts to present him as the guy you could have a beer with, he was in fact NOT the guy you could have a beer with -- or at least not the guy who could have a beer with you.
As with any other product put forth for public consumption, buyer beware.
2
“Any byway or corner of American life, looked at intelligently, holds a mirror up to all of American life.”
President Trump is the dysfunction within the American family…projected onto a national – international – stage.
He is the magical thinking and illusion, delusion and dysfunction we learn within our own families…in order to ignore truths and realities.
We learn how to do it as small children because then it’s about our “survival.” We can’t possibly imagine Mommy is manipulative and mean or Daddy drinks too much and doesn’t really keep us safe. We can’t talk about Grandpa’s molestation or the coach’s (or priest’s) cruelty.
So…we pretend; it’s our emotional self-medication. And even throughout adulthood, we keeping hoping that when X or Y or Z happens, it means they’ve changed, they’re really different, they didn’t mean it, they are more mature - or more capable – than reality has clearly shown us.
This is what we do with Trump.
Every I read with wonder stories about Trump in the mainstream media and I think to myself “You have expectations of this person that are in no way in line with his intelligence, maturity, temperament, character, or actual abilities.”
I don’t have that thought with malice or snark or judgment, though I am profoundly concerned about what is happening in our nation; I accept it. I accept the reality and I see the cause for what it is…a nation not willing to grow up and face stark, but critical truths and realities.
2
It is not so much that running for office is an advertising campaign, that has been true forever. It's that the content of the campaign is becoming much more about optics and affect as opposed to policy matters. It really may be that elections are ultimately about identity and tribe rather than citizenship, country, and common good. It would be of interest to see a candidate run a campaign focused as much on us as a people with common needs, diverse backgrounds, and in various settings rather than one targeted to a given audience and base.
2
Do I want to see any of this?
No, not really.
But Trump has made social media and reality TV part of our politics and Democrats will have to compete there.
If our leaders are going to be picked by fools who vote for the person they see the most of TV or online, then flood the airwaves and the internet with Democrats.
I don't have a smart phone and get my news the old fashioned way - reading newspapers and watching news.
Can't stand reality TV or Youtube.
But I am part of a shrinking group.
Most everyone younger I know or work with, has their phone in their hand constantly, and that is where the future of politics is going to play out. I think that is bad in general, but I don't see it changing, either.
I hope Adam Schiff starts streaming. More people need to know him.
4
The era of form over substance has been with us now since the 2000 Presidential election. I recall many voters saying they would vote for Bush because they would rather have a beer with him than Gore. Bush’s crafted compassionate conservative image belied the absence of experience, talent and deep thinking required to be President. Then came Obama with “Yes we can” and a deliberate, planned social media campaign. Trump is a media creation tethered to Twitter and Fox “News”. So no surprise that every new candidate at every level uses the tools available. Will they use them to honestly communicate their policy beliefs as well as insights into their personae? Big data analyses, Polls, donations and ultimately primary votes will cause them to adapt their messaging. Traditional media will play a diminishing role in the opinions of an electorate tuned to manipulation by psychology and sociology combined with modern technology.
1
@Daniel Salazar
Forgot to add to Trump campaign Cambridge Analytica and Russian use of Facebook data.
"Maybe he shows up in Warren’s kitchen, giving her more credible cause for surprise at her company. They do tequila shots as they compete to see who can best mimic the tweets of President Trump." Now that’s a video thoyj0im
2
The relevant, substantive endeavors of our politicians amount mainly to dialing for dollars and other fundraising activities. This is what they spend much of their time doing, assessing, planning, and thinking about. I would rather we see them flossing.
Hopefully, some will collapse the distance between them and us, others will not do so on principal, and still others will try in phony, stagey ways. Those who collapse or appear to collapse the distance will at least show us that they understand something about the media and their supporters, which may be a good or a horrible thing.
2
No, I would not like to see my presidential candidate floss; I would not like to see my candidate on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
Yes, it's entertaining. It's not politics. To announce a campaign to run for POTUS is not exactly a causal statement. There has to be a line drawn between the human and politics. During the campaign, the candidate should bring this chasm together to gain a trust with his/her base. How is this done? Get the issues out; what are you going to do to address the issues?
Above all, don't undermine yourself. People are smarter than you think.
Our current president requires comments at another time.
Oh, I forgot. Bill Clinton could play the clarinet. That's different. That is music. Music inspires, it warms the heart, it stirs emotion at home and at wor......
2
@Larry Jones
It was a saxophone, but that’s O.K.
1
@Larry Jones ahh... Clinton also played the saxophone.
After what we’ve already heard about “ the personal physical characteristics “ of one presidential apprentice, I’d vote a resounding NO on any more intimate or revealing details.
As the stomach turns. Seriously.
6
These sorts of "social" media antics are why we are going to end up with 4 more years of Trump. These Krazy Kids are doing nothing but getting followers and retweets and dividing the voters. Let's have a contest the next time around. For now, let's rally behind the only person with a chance to beat Trump. His name is Joe Biden. He might not even know what Instagram is, but I think that's a good thing. Our next president needs to be real, not cyber.
2
@Nadia
I would prefer Warren/Sanders, as long as she stays out of the kitchen and does not drink her beer on TV. Running for President is a serious matter; let's not have another circus like the Republican's in 2016.
Where is John Kasich, and what is he doing these days? (and, yes, I am a registered Democrat)
2
@Fran
I believe Kasich was just hired as a commentator on CNN. Probably pays a lot better with a lot less work than running for potus does.
1
Not that there haven't always been photo-ops, artifice and forced spectacle in politics, but how much has the current political scene devolved into show biz?
Last week, an otherwise intelligent woman in my workplace suggested that a reasonable alternative to Trump and his toxicity would someone who's likeable and pleasant -- Ellen DeGeneres!
I know our government is supposed to be "of the people," but a POTUS should have some special qualities that distinguish him/herself from the pack. Not everyone is fit to hold the most powerful job on the planet. I'm hardly a stick in the mud, but a certain amount of gravitas is preferred.
Dear Beto,
We all trust from your smile that you frequent the dentist regularly. Rather than show us the inside of your mouth, please just let well-thought ideas flow forth from it.
A potential Beto voter,
DP
6
If he or she can send Trump down to a humiliating and decisive defeat, I'm willing to watch him or her do just about anything.
3
All this is just more of the reality TV entertainment that brought Mr. Trump to power.
If instead of serious ideas and debate what you get is the preparation of supper or a visit to the dentist, then do not be surprised when you get photogenic, entertaining shallow nothings. Even those capable debase themselves by playing into this.
Enough: Action! Better: Cut.
3
Totally uninterested in seeing our presidential candidates in intimate health care positions, Frank. We get enough of that looking at ourselves in our magnifying mirrors. Used to be you could see what you looked like by holding up your knife at dinner, which reflected how we looked in the good ol' days. Now social media and ghastly ads are forcing recasting razors in XMeToo mode, eyebrow-shaving ads and implanting teeth in cinemascope on our smart widgets,TVs and pcs. Enough is too much! We don't need TMI about each 2020 candidate for whichever parties are partaking in the presidential elections next year. "A little dab'll do us"! Surely, don't you agree we've seen enuf close-ups of Donald Trump (the toddler of all oversharing) to last us the rest of our lives?
2
When I see someone texting and driving I ask myself, ‘when did we become so self-important’? Being connected 24/7 means you can offer and/or respond to a point of view, comment all the time, even while at the wheel of a car.
I am doing it now (never while driving, of course) because the New York Times has given me my soap box, my chance to express my thoughts, my feelings about things, to put my point of view “out there”.
So, I am conflicted, the medium can be used to share ideas and thoughts, but also to spread misinformation, hatred and the ‘over sharing’ we are witnessing in this age of connectivity. Politicians, the people who represent us should connect with us, yet be apart from us as they put the dignity of the office they hold first and foremost. My fear is that we are all descending in to some crazy reality show where no one person shines though anymore.
1
...the time for fun and games is over...the fringe candidates - all of which were named in this article need to step aside...as they're only distractions...none have the ability to defeat Trump.
There's one politician who doesn't need to drink beer on Instagram, or have his dental appointment videotaped, or go on Colbert to announce his candidacy.
One candidate - one winner - Joseph Biden.
1
@JMS
"one politician who doesn't need to drink beer on Instagram"
So far, he has not done it, but just wait: what if he chose to show us his prostrate, or its whereabouts. A female candidate might want to counter that by showing herself having a Pap test... Think of all we would miss if candidates should decide to behave like people rather than celebrities.
Politics is acting. That is why lawyers and entertainers gravitate to the profession. These people are neither your family nor your friends. In our divided limited power constitutional republic of united states they are the temporarily elected hired help.
Mr. Bruni is probably correct that these "staged I'm an ordinary person just like you" scenes have nothing to do with the competencies needed to be president; however, the much bigger and much more serious problem is the media's almost exclusive attention to the candidate who is the most entertaining and outlandish - just look at what happened in 2016 when Mr. Trump's ridiculous behavior (e.g., making up disparaging, but attention-getting names for his opponents - Crooked Hillary, Lyin Ted, Little Marco - and on and on) was often offensive, but usually entertaining. When his opponents tried to talk about policy the public was mostly turned off - does anyone recall what any of Hillary Clinton's, Marco Rubio's, or Carly Fiorina's policy positions were? So who's going to win the presidency in 2020? Perhaps a comedian? Maybe Larry David or Bill Murray should run.
8
There’s nothing with honesty, except when used tactically as a ploy ... for attention and posturing, say. Maintaining an appropriate level of dignity by ambitious public figures goes along not only with self-respect ... which is wanted by those they intend to serve ... but also goes along with respect for others in terms of not risking offense to their sensitivities. Heart-felt and true speaking about the essence of this nation (see T. Friedman’s NYT column to-day, for example) and how this is yet to be realized is, I think, what most of us absolutely long to hear about. And plus that, to hear about partnership, ie, how we, the people, would have an active responsible role in this. Not any more games; not any more con jobs; not any more easy-way outs. There’s nothing wrong with having a beer per se; but there’s a time and place for that which is not on the campaign trail to demonstrate buddy-buddiness ... which anyone would most likely see through anyway. The dangerous, hideous “reality” show’s over. Candid substance now, not fluff. The seriousness of America’s situation presently, especially because of the disgraceful disaster of Trump, has to be ... must be ... awakened. “Straight talk,” in the words of the late Sen. McCain.
1
To answer your question: No.
That video really turned me off from Beto O'Rourke.
1
"There’s definitely nothing wrong with politicians’ efforts to collapse the distance between them and us. But there’s too often something phony and stagey about it, and I worry that energy lavished on this is rerouted from more relevant, substantive endeavors."
The rerouting happens because phony and stagey get more clicks than relevance and substance. Collapsing distance by drinking a beer or making mac and cheese gets more views and generates more buzz than collapsing distance by wheeling a newborn daughter into the Senate chamber and casting a vote.
1
I haven’t seen it and I won’t go looking for it, but I’m disappointed that Beto made that video. That contrived, I’m-just-like-you stuff just makes me cringe. Especially from Beto who seems to have such a powerful, natural connection to people.
I disagree with some others who have posted here. I want to like the person I vote for. But then I tend to like people who share my values, who are honest, straightforward, who speak in complete sentences and who are intellectually curious. I like it when someone is smarter than me so I know I can learn something. I also like people who can show empathy and compassion. I think that last one is where Hillary (and Mitt for that matter) fell a little short for a lot of people, but that Barack had/has in spades.
I can only get to know these things about people when they open up about themselves and not in a let-me-show-you-I-have-beer-in-the-fridge (I prefer a lightly chilled Gamay myself), or let-me-show-you-my-teeth kind of way.
I get regular cleanings. Not even my husband gets to watch. But I’m very, very interested in what a candidate might say s/he going to do for people who can’t afford them. Or what they would do about college debt. What about retraining for workers affected by technological change? What about the Dreamers? And the undermining of the electoral process by the Russians. And speaking of electoral, what about the undemocratic college? I’d like to hear about all this. I can even see myself having a beer while I listen.
4
As always in this space, we get in depth analysis of the policies that will actually affect the lives of the American people.
1
I feel embarrassed for each of these potential candidates. If these contrived snippets are any indication of how they choose to introduce themselves to potential voters, they fall short of what it is to at least display some degree of what it is to be presidential. Have they not learned from the total dismantling of the dignity of the office by the current president? This voter and many Americans are desperate to see it back in our leaders.
2
If the candidates are to expose their teeth-care habits and, God knows, what else, I expect Trump for the next election to demonstrate his eating of hamburgers: I think he gobbles them up, holding them in the hands, and wipes the fingers and lips with his extra-long tie, which he can easily afford to replace after every meal.
Dear candidates. Please keep in mind that even in these days of social media there is still such a thing as TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
Remember that old saying “Familiarity breeds contempt. “
3
So, Presidential candidates have gone the way of Facebook? That didn’t work out so well for businesses who marketed themselves as your “friend,” nor for Facebook.
I am wondering how this “proving you are a real person” is related to character, experience, leadership abilities, or fitness for office?
It’s called “leadership” for a reason. And “following” pop culture in these ways…is the antithesis of “leading” or leadership.
On a more mundane level, I have been astonished by the unprofessional behaviors some folks bring to work now: gossip, undermining, competition, lack of team work, etc. Such behaviors – and the lack of productivity they create - would have landed me on the unemployment line pretty darn quick 20+ years ago. (I know, I sound like an old fogey.)
My point is, as you have pointed out so deftly, this same dumbing-down is occurring in the media/marketing of the those presenting themselves as candidates for President of the United States of America: leader of the free world, ambassador of human rights, representative of Democracy, equality, liberty, fairness, and justice.
Reminiscent of “Mad Men,” and a real time in history, I prefer my Presidential candidates straight up…no splash of water, no rocks.
George Carlin had a dreadfully sexist quote in one of his comedy routines that I will not repeat, but I will steal the concept, even though I don’t drink bourbon…
“I like my Presidential candidates like I like my bourbon, straight up.”
1
Since Bruni and much of the media already think that strong Democratic candidates must be "likable", what do you expect them to try to do?
1
I’m sorry but the dental photo is just too much...TMI...this intimacy is crass or perhaps because I’m from an older generation I don’t quite get the over sharing craze. I guess decorum is passé. What happened to demonstrating genuine authenticity and strong character with a well articulated policy platform. Does that not count for anything anymore?
2
The videos etc. are all pretty lame, but you gotta start somewhere. I'm sure everyone will figure out what they're doing eventually. At least they're trying!
@Frank Bruni, ho hum. I am holding on to my vote until I hear or "x rated" see a Democratic Presidential candidate sit on a "throne," ( you know what I mean) and make the required noise and the facial expression for doing the big job.
This is the true test for over sharing prospective politicians. All of us use social media but this is ridiculous.
@Gary Valan
"the required noise and the facial expression": would you even consider a candidate who is constipated? I would not, but I would like to know if, and what, they are reading in the bathroom: comic books, newspapers....?
Warren and AOC have made specific proposals for improving our country, and you focus on this?
1
Thanks but give me the genuine article - six pack Joe Biden - who would be a national salve after the open wound that is Donald Trump.
2
I would say Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has the least chance to be the democratic nominee . After being instrumental for getting rid of Senator Al Franken , who would have been a far better candidate she portrayed herself to be a self serving opportunist.
2
Like Beto, I am a beginning stage graying American. That’s where the similarities end. Beto’s cringeworthy tabloid-esqe revelation does not bode well. He needs look no further than 1600 N. Pennsylvania Avenue where time is not on the occupant’s side.
Voters are indeed consumers, but not as of yet—consumer goods.
1
Frankly, I would much rather see their tax returns than their teeth or their kitchens (or, for that matter, their spouses, children, and/or pets).
8
@Fran
I would rather see their donor lists and schedules of meetings with donors and lobbyists (bonus with transcripts) than their tax returns.
2
@rtj
Well, let's us ask for ("demand"?) both.
Unless and until the Electoral College is (deservedly) abolished, our presidential elections will always be about the "swing states." And of course, the economy.
So I don't see any of these quirky capers playing well before an audience in Midland, Michigan that's trying to make ends meet.
(BTW, I saw John Delaney on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" and was quite impressed with what he had to say. He could do well in the swing states, unlike most of the other Democratic contenders.)
1
@Joyce. I really wish I liked him more, but I’m not getting a sense of charisma, which is, unfortunately, important. Also I wish he would stop waving his hands so much while he talks; it’s very distracting.
1
No, but I'll settle for every candidate (and current President's) tax returns.
1
Thanks for identifying something that has been nagging at me lately about the way candidates present themselves- I miss the distance between me and the people I vote for. I like pretending they get their teeth cleaned, eat three squares a day, and put their pants on one leg at a time without actually seeing them do this. I would prefer they spent their time letting me know they are not going to get halfway into their campaign and announce they can see Alaska from their front porch or get confused about which famous people in history are actually not still alive.
I've listened to several candidates so far. I feel very confident they know how to smile at the camera, but I have no reason to assume they are aware that China is a looming threat to our country. I know they hate Trump as much as I do. But that's not enough. If it was I could run the country. I need to know they are aware of a wide array of domestic and foreign issues. I need to know how they react under different levels of stress. I prefer they would have had their fortieth birthday before taking office. Per statistics the average man that makes it past age 65 lives to 81.6. Given that a presidential term is 4 years some of the candidates give me a moment of pause.
Back to the distance thing. I liked it when I didn't know so much about the daily habits of our politicians. I enjoyed the mystique of the oval office.....Unfortunately, it's hard to put the genie back in the bottle once you've seen their tonsils.
5
@Joe Amen, Joe. Experience (which includes time on this earth) counts. Furthermore, I don't respond well to "cutesy-poo;" the only central incisors I care to see are my own.
When I read that Senator Warren had shared a "brewski" with America, my mind went instantly to Kavanaugh. I really don't think that's what she wants the public to think of when looking at her. Why any candidate would invite us into their home is beyond me. It's different if they're already on the campaign trail, but no more pictures of dental work or any other medical procedure. Mr Bruni, perhaps you could write a booklet of dos and donts for the budding Presidential candidates. There's going to be so many of them, you might make a profit.
3
Unfortunately, one misguided attempt to be hip and/or real can derail ones political career faster than one can say "Howard Dean."
Rightly or wrongly, Americans still expect the people charged with overseeing their well-being - from their security to their social security - to be a cut above. At the very least, to act like sober adults responsible for confronting some rather sobering problems and challenges. The current crop of candidates would do well to keep that in mind.
9
@thebigmancat How I long for the days of Howard Dean, when a presidential candidate could be undone by shouting. The time when politicians acted like sober adults has been permanently trashed by our so-called president. Your comment is kind of both charming and ridiculous at the same time.
2
Politics has become another "show" put on to satisfy the ego, unfortunately.
Ah, if we could only have a Mr. (or Ms.) Smith...(as in, Goes to Washington)...but I worry that our exposure and appetite for daily drama has changed us so fundamentally as a nation that many would now label an altruistic, honest politician as, well, "boring."
1
There’s a fine distinction between “trying too hard,” and “being yourself,” and few individuals are good at judging where the line is for themselves.
Politicians play this game at their own peril. Dental work is definitely on the perilous side.
10
I just want to see clear, logical positions that are qualified by other clear, logical thinkers. Pandering suggests a weakness of these attributes or getting bad marketing advice from some PR firm. We're headed for a swimsuit segment of the debates if this keeps up.
17
@JimmyMac,
That’s what Hillary had- clear, logical positions and she didn’t pander. Look where that got her. Oh, I guess she was an unlikable female because we all expected to be sipping Chardonnay with her.
I re-read Lincoln’s Cooper Union address last night.
There were about 1,500 people present.
It is one of the most masterful political speeches in U.S. history.
He made the case for the federal government’s power to prohibit slavery in new states, made clear Republicans had no intention of interfering with slavery where it existed but would protect it even though it was wrong, anticipated that he would still be accused of trying to destroy it, and demonstrated how baseless that belief was.
It’s genius. Not entertaining, but fascinatingly mesmerizing in its logical development. Given that it’s only method of dissemination was being reprinted in newspapers, it is amazing how widely it was known and appreciated at the time. Yet, few would even read it today.
It helped get him elected but didn’t change the minds of southerners, who had already vowed to secede if a Republican were elected. He won with only a plurality of the vote but secured a decisive majority of the electoral college. And he didn’t avoid the Civil War as he wanted.
He urged us not to fear menaces of destruction of the government, to have faith that right makes might, and to dare to do our duty.
He faced the biggest government shutdown in U.S. history and didn’t flinch before bigotry.
That’s how Lincoln started his camoaign
I guess he could have gotten up on the stage and flossed but we wouldn’t have a model to look back to for greatness. Maybe he paid forward our right to pandering mediocrity today.
11
In this age of Trump's theatre of the absurd I believe that many of us are more than ready for political candidates who demonstrate sound leadership qualities including honesty and integrity, insight, sound judgement, personal stability, accountability, good communication skills, ability to inspire, wisdom, and maturity. We're done with anything that smacks of "phony and stagey."
7
@Barb,
So you mean like Hillary? Unless you didn’t like her because she didn’t bare her soul?
The down-to-earth, folksy, and too often mundane info shared on social media is only tolerable insofar as it accompanies a candidate who also possesses the timeless values of honesty, integrity, scholarship, and enough humility to know when to press "delete" rather than "send" or "share."
8
We do not need more reality show hosts in politics. We need smart caring human beings who are not power mad and who care more about other people than they do about their investments. We need peacemakers, not egoists.
10
In response to the headline, no.
Democracy has always suffered from our cognitive short-comings, especially those that respond to superficial issues like appearance. As studies have show, we have irrational subconscious (or maybe conscious) biases for trivial factors, like taller and better looking candidates. And signaling always seems to outweigh substance.
As for social media, pandering to our more childish curiosities is not new. The internet just means we can watch things in real time (and quickly echo our likes and dislikes to others).
I would much rather live in a world where politics is boring, but that would require a society where people did not look to politicians for entertainment.
4
How can I possibly put it better than "a little goes a long way. A lot becomes unsettling,"
13
Let’s hope the candidates steer clear of too much Me and remember it’s about We. If we’re going to be in the proverbial kitchen with candidates, make sure it’s the citizens' kitchen.
13
It would be nice to have a presidential candidate with gravitas. That's what made Bernie so appealing. There were no bells and whistles. He just stated the handful of important issues he truly cares about and drove home that he was going to work tirelessly to address them.
10
Do your job, do it well, treat people fairly, and keep your word.
(And visit your dentist regularly, but without fanfare.)
8
I understand the point you are making, but it would also be helpful at some point to tell us what kind of actual voting these people have done on the important issues.
Beto may have good teeth and be trying to make his own point, but I remember reading about all his votes in support of Republican policies. Tell us what these would be candidates are doing, not just what they are drinking or posing about.
10
I voted for Beto and I actually thought he should run for President in 2020 before it became a mainstream opinion. I am about the same age as Beto and, while I appreciate his accessibility, all this social media presence can at times get too much. I don't really care about the state of the candidate's dental affairs or what music they like. I'd rather they send me monthly emails and hold town halls a few times a year to tell their constituents what they have accomplished in Washington.
17
I think the process by which Trump's hair is assembled could make for a very successful episode of "How Stuff Works."
48
@Hugh Wudathunket Why?? :)) Do you want more elderly insecure men replicating that monstrous creation? I don't think it was that hair that helped Trump attract female attention; it was his money. It surely won't help anyone less wealthy,
1
I understand the temptation to ridicule Trump’s appearance.
But every moment spent joking about his hair and skin color takes away opportunities to educate the public about what they should care about and keep in mind—Trump’s lies, traitorous collusion with Russia, and his acceleration of disastrous climate change.
He’s already succeeded in dividing our nation more deeply than at any time since the Civil War, while establishing policies that accelerate the survival of our entire planet. Seriously.
Humor can and does play a role in awakening the damage Trump poses to humanity and wildlife. For example, just go to a search engine and key in the words “cartoons Trump” and “Russia” or “climate.”
3
"I wonder how it’s related to any talent for governing or fitness for office."
As we've painfully learned, many, many people don't vote on the basis of talent for governing or fitness for office. The candidate who can get THEIR votes along with the rational votes will win in a landslide - and (more importantly) will have a mandate.
Maybe it wouldn't be so important to play up the pseudo-homespun trappings if the Constitution provided a meaningful, expert layer between the voters and the candidates. But it doesn't - all we have is the Electoral College.
1
Do Americans want young people to vote? Because young people pay attention to social media. If older adults want younger adults to become involved in American politics, old folks are going to have to realize that young people aren't going to be doing things in ways that oldsters have become accustomed to. It's a new day, and new generations are coming, with new methods, ideas, and technologies, whether you approve or not.
5
@Allison I agree it is important for a presidential candidate to show her/his human side. But for someone relatively unknown like Beto - a better strategy would be to establish some credibility that he has the gravitas and demeanor to lead the most powerful nation in the world. And 140 characters isn't going to cut it for the vast number of grown ups.
5
Oh puuleez, we'll watch anything if we don't have to hear about policy. So boring... health care, Social Security, the economy of the future and worst of all, education, the environment and climate change, all of that grown up stuff, how depressing!
Give me a President who I'd like to have a beer with, like W Bush. Who cares what they do after that, like starting some $6 trillion wars that kill hundreds of thousands and leave chaos in their wake.
Or a guy like Trump who really knows how to tell a scary story, maybe about how my neighbor wants to kill me. And lies to me about big raises and tax breaks, I love fantasies. And insulting nicknames, that's my favorite, other than talking about beating up reporters.
Media coverage of politics is supposed to be entertaining, like the Jerry Springer Show or fake wrestling.
32
TMI- too much information. Just like trump telling us ‘he performs well.’
Maybe we can go back to flags and podiums and add a little dignity to the position. Many complaints that trump is not acting presidential...hint, hint, hint.
6
A presidential candidate needs to possess character, competence, integrity along with the ability to inspire. We do not need a rock star.
18
I don't have a problem with candidates attempting to show a less formal, less scripted side of themselves and think it's ridiculous to suggest that they might have something more worthwhile to do with their time. Having an online presence is much cheaper than buying TV spots - and candidates spend vast amounts of time raising money for those - because research indicates that people won't vote for a candidate they aren't familiar with. I for one would rather see them "waste time" sharing videos then dialing for dollars.
While I might find Warren's or O'Rourke's video a little hokey, I appreciate the fact that they're geared towards people who aren't that familiar with them and don't have the opportunity to see them in person - as do reporters like Frank Bruni.
I felt like the reason Kristen Gillibrand announced on the Colbert show was to ensure there would be a primed and pumped audience for her announcement - and being on a TV show where the audience is instructed to clap would be the best way to do it. Is anybody excited about her candidacy?
And btw, there is nothing unusual about saying to one's spouse - I'm glad you're here - because A) spouses aren't always at home and B) even if they are home they aren't always in the same part of the house. Haters always gonna hate.
13
@DebbieR
Add to that that male spouses seldom spend much time in the kitchen (or perhaps the younger generations do; I am sort of antique).
2
I have never wanted "celebrity" candidates. I want serious folks who know about the law, governance, ethics and compassion.
Social media being what it is can be a great way to communicate.
Keep it to ideas and policy please!
Children, dogs, your dentist and your hobby - hummel figurines or taxidermy etc. please keep to yourself!
The POTUS is NOT an entertainment position. No Oscars will be given (hopefully).
And tax returns should/will be required.
34
@Elizabeth I second your comment. Tx.
Can you imagine the chaos caused by all the candidates going on social media trying to be clever or relevant?this will exacerbate our lack of attention span and ability to interpret a thoughtful discussion.Trump has rendered “tweets” as bogus means of relating information -he uses them for disinformation and name-calling and expressing fury.If new candidates want to be taken seriously they need to speak thoughtfully and respectfully and directly to the people via a take -all-questions town hall.
13
@Janet Michael
The fact is that candidates spend inordinate amounts of time dialing for dollars in order to be able to by TV and radio ads that promote them the same way you would a brand of toothpaste. Even when they have been in the public eye for years.
Anyone who has worked on a political campaign understands how many voters don't follow the policy debates.
We should have requirements for candidates for office. It should not be left up to them to decide whether or not they want to show up for a debate. And I would love to see us get beyond the canned responses of debates/town halls by a format in which candidates are presented with questions ahead of time, and then get to be questioned about their responses by experts in the field they are being questioned in.
4
@DebbieR Radio?
Frank: You wonder how the clips of politicians doing mundane things are "related to any talent for governing or fitness for office." Obviously they're not, but Donald Trump had neither of those qualities either and that didn't stop him from getting elected. Unfortunately, Americans vote for candidates who are entertaining and/or "likeable". The Democratic Presidential candidates' advisors know this too so they urge their clients to pander and suck up to the voters. Right or left, we voters get what we deserve.
6
@Jay Orchard: True grit is telling 5 million people they've been sacrificed to force Congress to feed a presidential edifice complex.
This is the age we live in with social media. We are involved in everyone's business and politicians feel the need to show the public that they have nothing to hide. This is a good thing given that we have a president who has everything to hide. I am fine with all of it as long as Trump, McConnell, or anyone else who cares more about making themselves and their donors rich is not the president.
9
@Anthony: The people who voted for Trump didn't give a hoot that he is probably one of the biggest tax cheats in the US.
1
Not sure what I'd like to see them doing, but I'd like to HEAR them speak in complete, coherent, fact filled sentences.
134
@Rick
Wouldn't that be novel? That is asking an awful lot you know.
1
@Rick They condescendedly speak in substandard English to seem like regular guys, (gals). FDR and Kennedy spoke in their usual diction not in some phony lower class double negative, "g" dropping patois.
Perhaps you aren't old enough to remember, but Ronald Reagan brought Hollywood to the White House, and to this day it still shows no sign of leaving. It's all about appearance, not substance.
Perhaps when we require civics as a part of basic, required education this low bar might be raised. Until then, we continue to be in danger of electing entertainers over substantive, thoughtful, seasoned statesmen and women.
34
@former therapist
JFK brought TV appearance, contrasting youthful good looks with Nixon's 5 O'Clock shadow. FDR brought "fireside chats". Politicians will always manipulate whatever media will help them draw in the general public. The "TMI (too much information)" trend is merely an extension of that principle to draw in the younger population that doesn't embrace the concept of TMI.
3
@Jao JFK also brought us Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and his brother-in-law Peter Lawford.
Remember the painful and impossible “relatable Hillary” segment on Saturday Night Live during the 2016 campaign way back when? I liked her just fine then as the unrelatable and highly qualified presidential candidate. Even some of my feminist friends criticized her for her sharp voice and for not being more likeable ... shame on them. We want a president not a friend.
51
@Patricia Gallery
Yes...except that we DO have to listen to them, and much as I admire her and voted for her, I have to turn the sound off usually, with her voice.
1
@Patricia Gallery
Swung on and there it goes! That ball is high! It is far! It is........GONE!
@Patricia Gallery. It all started when someone asked Bill Clinton if he wore boxers or briefs.
A slippery slope. The president could fight back with video of his hairstylist at work.
As for Elizabeth Warren inviting her husband into their home, I was on a plane last week and heard: "On behalf of your Phoenix-based flght crew, welcome to Chicago!" So this sort of thing has become common.
2
Does anybody remember Bobby Jindal's sneak preview announcement? He was ahead of his time in this vein. And yes, it was weird then, and it's still weird.
3
This is so depressing. It's going to be such an ugly primary season. At least i never watch TV or the videos, i can't stand to hear any of them talk. Even the ones i kind of like.
16
We elected a man who for many decades has lied, cheated, spouted racist rhetoric, and boasted constantly about his willful ignorance. This would seem to confirm that our culture has reached a place where image trumps substance of any sort---and both of our major parties have bought into the scam. This represents a profound problem for the future of American democracy, and it will get far worse until and unless we are willing to demand that our leaders propose honest, serious solutions rather than sound bites. Sadly, the past two years have drained my confidence that we have the collective will to do what is necessary.
10
Clearly, getting back to normal is going to be forty miles of bad road if these antics are any indication. Our futures will be better served if those about to enter the race understand that we have more than enough ridiculousness coming from the existing Farce In Chief and it's not a bad idea to try to look like a grownup with something serious and coherent to offer.
And while I'm at it, I'd like to suggest that while youth and high spirits are very inviting, a novice with little or no political experience and savvy has little chance of putting back together again what Donald Knucklehead and his acolytes and boot-lickers have turned to rubble.
We have hard and brutish days ahead. Let's get serious!
19
V is for Voyeurism. I'll pass. I'm not that interested in the personal lives of politicians or celebrities. Sometimes less is more--and I agree with M. Siegel's comment on cultivating some reserve.
Opening the proverbial kimono should be resisted to include the oversharing of vignettes regarding"this is how I'm like you". Carefully craft clear messaging on "these are the values that I embrace will uphold"; "these are the important policy matters that will affect your life and this is how I plan to shape them" so that ordinary folk can understand.
Above all, raise the level of public discourse to one of decorum and respectful debate. Genuinely seek to understand the position of others. Actively engage in negotiating a mutually agreeable outcomes (find middle ground!) to optimse the best of both opposing points of view. Reject brinksmanship and uniliateralism--those are not the cornerstones of a democracy as conceived in the United States.
17
We've embarked down a bad road if our politicians would rather make us watch than think. Are incisors really more interesting than ideas? The best politicians make us aspire for a better nation, even seek to be better citizens. That's what makes them different from us non-politicians, even if at the end of the day we all brush, floss and rinse.
7
Given the Republican alternative of seeing Trump tweeting twidiocy from his toilet at 5AM, we will gladly accept all Democratic offerings of leadership.
2020 : Make The Presidency Great Again
85
@Socrates At least they didn't share video of Trump tweeting on the toilet. Not yet, anyway.
1
Beto is a game changing candidate should he choose to run. Others hold appeal for a variety of reasons but his ability to connect and generate donations proved viable in a senate contest against all odds. Even he opts out the sun will still rise in the East and other promising candidates have a little more space.
4
"Would I like to see (my) presidential candidate floss". No more than I would like to see anyone floss, which is not at all. I would like see visor her tax returns, however. That's about as personal as I would care to get.
I do care about character, Intellect, and whether or not the person is knowledgeable about governing, foreign affairs, and their views on progressive issues.
36
@Diana Other things not to be done in front of others, ever: cutting finger or toenails, picking your nose or anything else on your face, scratching private areas, and chewing with your mouth open.
I thought this was about the candidates doing the currently trending dance move called 'the floss'.
That would be fun to see.
12
Two things: Hillary Clinton and Reality TV.
Ms. Clinton was dragged over the coals for being "unapproachable", "distant" and "unlikable". I saw one show where a pundit went on and on about how it was hard to support her because he didn't know what she read or did in her private time!
Reality TV got us Donald Trump and now every politician is worried about how to compete with a man who has more hours of live coverage than any human being has ever had or (we can hope) will ever have again.
55
"I’m not sure how to feel about this," you say. Well, Mister Bruni, I'll tell you how I feel about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's mac-and-cheese whatever, and looking into Beto O'Rourke's mouth, and havin' a yuk-yuk and a brewski with Elizabeth Warren. It makes me want to puke.
We live in an age of marketing where smarminess rules -- where one of my banks swears it "loves" me and the other promises (regularly) "we've got your back." Really? Do marketeers really believe we all feel warm and fuzzy when we see this hogwash?
Senator Christopher Dodd once remarked, onstage at the Lincoln Center, that “Politics is show business for ugly people.” That's harsh -- ugly's a cruel word -- but it touches on this smarmy trend toward phony folksiness and "intimacy."
When pols get folksy or share "secrets" I put a hand on my wallet or refresh the screen. Just give me a competent, well-educated and experienced straight-shooter driven by a burning desire to do right by the people through public service, not to be adored and fawned over as a pop star.
207
@Mark Hugh Miller
While I appreciate your sentiments I'm afraid the horse has left the barn. Young people have been raised by tech companies to want to share everything. They'll expect the same from their politicians I assume. I still think it's better than having doddering old men make laws about things they haven't a clue about.
9
@Mark Hugh Miller
Agreed. One of my pet peeves is the overused word "folks." Its use is one of the most inauthentic attempts at authenticity in current public discourse. It suggests a kind of intimate "down hominess" that rings false every time.
3
@Jenifer. You make solid points, Jenifer. I guess it's all about communication, and what works best today.
1
Showing them negotiating the parking lot at Trader Joe's the weekend before Thanksgiving would probably tell volumes about their care and consideration of others and negotiating skills.
42
@wbj
Absolutely -- a telling test.
Me, I park in the space no one ever notices in front of the ice cream parlor and walk a hundred feet to TJ's entrance, or ride my bike, avoiding all the gridlock. I should be president.
23
I’m gonna get me a beer while my teeth are being cleaned while on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and save my vote for an undeclared candidate who may have no interest in running: Adam Schiff.
For the simple reason that Schiff is all business, intellect, and his focus is on the laws of the land, I want to vote for a Democrat who will help rid us of the menace of Trump.
I can get the comedy and folksiness from Colbert or Noah, but I want a real contender for alleviating this country of a Putin loving president.
I want a president who will do the right thing and restore this country to reason. Warren could be his running mate, and if she wants a cold one after the hard work of returning government to representative functionality, I’ll pick up the tab.
157
@Ichabod Aikem
Well said! I agree entirely.
17
@Ichabod Aikem: Yes, I, too, have thought about Schiff. Why isn't he running? Or is he? Time will tell. I just got an email from him thanking me for signing up for something and I don't even remember what! Maybe he's gotten me mixed up with somebody else. But I'm more impressed with him than any other Democrat who has formally announced they will formally explore running for the presidency! My real favorite is Amy Klobuchar. She's the dark horse to watch, along with Adam. No grandstanding, no outsized ego, no silliness.
Adam and Amy, my two faves. Right now I see Warren or Gillibrand and I instantly mute the TV. With Adam and Amy, I turn up the sound.
49
@sophia
Interesting choices. What I like is their seriousness of purpose and their integrity.
20
History’s greatest leaders have a quality of remoteness, of something held back, that makes them compelling. Well, today’s oversharing, just-folks politicians would do well to cultivate some reserve.
117
@Mark Siegel
I have never ever wanted to have a beer with any candidate i ever voted for. (Ok, granted, Bill Clinton might have been kind of fun back in the day.) And if i was open to a beer with any politician now, it would be Sen. John Kennedy, at least the dude has a wicked sense of humor. But i would never vote for him either.
4
@rtj
JFK had that quality of remoteness, so did FDR.
No, no need to see the candidates floss or whatever. Love ya as a Sen challenger to Cruz, Beto, but no flossing.
Charming is fine for the candidates but we see through the staging pretty easily.
And don’t blame AOC, she’s not running for President. She is being an impressive, millennial democratic socialist Congresswoman.
41
@Annie. AOC isn't old enough to run for President, which is the only reason she isn't.
She will just be old enough in 2024 and I guarantee you she's working on her dance videos right now to announce her candidacy.
5
@Sparky Am well aware of the age requirement for running for President. No need to explain.
1
Sparky, I think you mean 2028. After we have 8 years of Mr Texas Floss man or Mrs Bay State Beer Cozy Lady or whoever the dems choose.
Frank muses: "I wonder how it’s related to any talent for governing or fitness for office."
But we know this is beside the point, witnessing Clear & Present Danger 45* pirouetting across various world venues with Poootie-Poot and assorted despots, having no command of the talents or fitness so sorely missed.
And there's not going to be a 'snap-back'.
Audiences exist for blank slate sock puppet candidates that viewers/voters can project themselves onto - indeed, it is an art form to make sure a politician isn't be tied down to a certain set of beliefs, which might alienate certain portions of the electorate.
Such projection onto a sock puppet is exactly how we got Un-indicted Co-conspirator 45* - a Useful Idiot his chosen party decided they could accept, in order to have a Federalist Society dream team Judicial Juggernaut, a $2 Trillion$ tax cut for themselves and their donors, and in order to have industry lobbyists running various regulatory government agencies.
Quelle surprise !, one of the other side effects of putting a clueless Bankrutpcy King Billionaire Vulture in such a position, along with his gold-plated Cabinet, is they don't realize stopping the government from paying its employees has a ripple effect on the economy larger than they knew, since they labor under the voodoo delusion of trickle-downism.
There's something else about these candid candidate videos/events, Frank: The 50+ crowd, and our sensibilities, are not really the target audience, are we ?
59
@R. Law - We're at a moment where the never seen Sec. Rick Perry needs to come out and utter his immortal 'Ooops !', on behalf of Generalissimo 45* and his McConnell Mini-Me.
9
@R. Law BRILLIANT !
The problem with trying to show oneself as just a person is that it can still come across as trying too hard. Politicians can seem more phony by showing themselves as 'regular people ' than by just being politicians. So tell us how your life experiences informed your policy plans but, please, no insides of mouths, no slang, and (after Kavanaugh) not one more word about beer!
120
The reality is we live in a world where every moment of one's life is curated, then documented. In chasing after the coveted Millennials, what's a candidate (over 60 especially) to do?
11
@myasara
Ignore the millenial self-obsession and need to know everything about everyone, every second of every day and just do an awesome jub of being a public servant. If that is not enough for the under 40 crowd then we are in a heap of trouble.
The person who gets the job should be the best qualified, not the guy who knows how to give the best interview.
4
@myasara
Millenials love Bernie and he doesn't do these things....though his "America" ad was brilliant, it had nothing to do with dental floss but rather themes about what might bind us as a nation.
2
@myasara
No, you only live that lifestyle if you choose to do so, especially if you are a narcissistic millennial. Beto O'Rourke is 46 so I'm not sure what his excuse is.
1