What do Americans want in a leader? Where is the leadership?
2026 dawns with the Republican Party in the clutches of a despot. The Democrats are wandering blindly in the woods, searching for a way to respond. The nation swirls in turmoil.
So where do we turn? My strong suspicion suggests authenticity. Who is real? Who can deliver on their promises?
Unfortunately, when you survey the political landscape, you find barren territory. The nature of the American political system propagates scads of lawyers and poseurs who blather on endlessly, promising everything and delivering little.
A recent survey found that 24% of Americans are “satisfied with the way things are going in the country,” while 74% were “dissatisfied.” That’s according to a Gallup Poll taken Dec. 1-15.
That sentiment is down from previous months; back in May, 38% of U.S. adults said they were satisfied. Overall, satisfaction levels remain slightly higher than at the end of the Joe Biden administration, according to Gallup.
Meanwhile, three-quarters of adults in the United States say the Democratic Party makes them feel “frustrated,” while a smaller majority — 64% — says the same of the Republican Party, shows a survey taken in September by the Pew Research Center. Roughly half of Americans say the Democratic Party (50%) and the Republican Party (49%) make them feel “angry.”
Too many politicians should be driving garbage trucks. Instead, they are driving our nation into a ditch.
It would seem counterintuitive that in our democracy, where anyone can run for office, there would be such deep dissatisfaction among voters. After all, we, the voters, picked these candidates. So why are they perceived so poorly by those same voters?
It’s a puzzle for the pundits. President Donald Trump is a conundrum. There is a strain in the electorate that is eager for a strongman, a decisive leader who will act, make deals and be true to his convictions. Trump has brilliantly tapped into this attitude.
Is that authenticity? In Trump’s case, it is seriously flawed and hypocritical. Leadership is not dictatorship.
Our billionaire president likes to claim that he doesn’t need money or power. During his first term as president, he opened a hotel in the landmarked Post Office building in Washington to lure politicians, foreign visitors and other big shots looking to curry favor with his power.
His White House has rolled out memes of Trump as Superman. He is selling “God Bless The USA” bibles, at only $59.99 a pop. Trump is doing Americans a big favor by being our president, he says, while also hawking bibles on the side.
Real authenticity is a rare commodity in politics. It is nuanced, complex and difficult to define. One thing I know for sure. Authenticity is deeply deficient on both sides of the aisle.
The fiscal deficit is not the only deficit in Washington. Authenticity means different things to different people. Many might define authenticity as how closely the thoughts and values of others align with their own. In other words, agree with me, and you are authentic.
There are a few general propositions most votes can agree on. How about this? The first is that no one has all the answers. Complex problems require multiple conversations, inputs and analysis. Second, let’s look beyond obvious. Authenticity is not rooted in today but extends from the past to the future.
Few in politics want to discuss that. For too many, there is only the “now.”
Pandering is for pandas and politicians, but we need to step outside our cages and connect with the zeitgeist. If you look at present-day politicians, you’ll know that the corn doesn’t grow very tall.
The pols should join Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and the Tin Man in the quest for the Wizard of Oz. Look behind that curtain and see that the great and powerful Oz is a chimera.
For example, take a gander at the aspirants lining up to run for Chicago mayor in 2027 (or at least the ones who are looking to be boldface names). Can any of them stand up to the current City Hall leader, a loquacious progressive champion who is struggling to execute his ambitions agenda?
We will see. In politics, authenticity remains elusive.
Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Her columns appear in the Tribune each Wednesday. Write to her at LauraLauraWashington@gmail.com.
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