Authentically Presidential
Much has been made this primary season of the desirability of "authenticity" in Presidential candidates.
Bernie Sanders is doing unexpectedly well because he's authentic. Hillary Clinton lacks authenticity, which is why some were allegedly clamoring for the much more "authentic" Joe Biden to enter the race.
Donald Trump may not be honest, and he may not be right, but he sure is "authentic."
It is hard to define what "authentic" means. All too often, it appears to be a stand in for the quality of enjoying the advantages that being a white man inherently bring to the electoral process.
If there is one thing that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have in common, it is "authenticity." They both "say what they mean" and aren't afraid to come off as unpolished, off the cuff, and even angry.
It is what has driven them, neither particularly likely Presidential candidates, to about 20-30% of their party's primary electorate. It has endeared them to large swaths of the American public. It is a completely subjective quality that has trumped (ha) policy and the usual political calculations.
But what does it mean?
In the end, Sanders and Trump are "authentic" and Hillary is not because there is no way that our political process would allow a woman to be authentic in the same way that these two are, any more than President Obama could fully be himself during the 2008 race. The advantages of being a white man gives someone a leg up on the Presidency just by virtual of institutional biases and the fact that a white man pretty much looks and sounds like what a President has always been, besides the last seven years.
A woman or a person of color has to be twice as good, work twice as hard, and never slip up. They have to be under control, always prepared, and weigh every word, expression, and show of emotion in a way that a white man would never have to dream of. Try to imagine a few things.
Some have criticized Bernie Sanders and the fact that he's often unkempt, with uncombed hair, rumpled suits, etc.
That criticism hasn't harmed him, any more than the jokes about Trump's hair have harmed him. Bernie has actually been praised for his authenticity for appearing as he is, without "polish" and extra care for his appearance.
If anyone claims that Hillary Clinton would be given the same latitude as a woman, I've got a bridge to sell you. Clinton is attacked for her appearance, for appearing "unpolished" at times as Secretary of State. She's mocked for spending money on having her hair done professionally despite the fact that she was attacked for occasionally being seen with her hair pulled back as she was flying around the world serving as America's top diplomat. Her clothes are scrutinized in a way that Bernie's never will be. Does anyone know who designed his suits? Because I've read plenty of articles about where Clinton's clothes come from. Authenticity of appearance is something that only a male candidate can partake in. In fact, try to imagine Barack Obama being elected if he had the grown out "Afro" hair he sported in his younger days. A white man can afford to not worry about his appearance in ways that women or people of color cannot.
Bernie Sanders speaks off the cuff, he shouts, he expresses anger, and he defends Clinton against people talking about her "damn emails." Trump also shouts, shows anger. Joe Biden gets emotional, he laughs boisterously while speaking, and he has all kinds of folksy idioms and speech patterns that people love. Hillary Clinton is maligned for appearing too polished, over prepared, and weighing every word. Every show of emotion is scrutinized, whether she is being sincere, whether she's crying, too tired, too "shrill" or strident. She's mocked for her cackle.
But she has to. Saturday Night Live nailed this in a little noticed part of their debate sketch. After Larry David's fantastic Bernie Sanders delivers his line about the "damn emails" (which, in real life was hailed as Sanders's best moment of the debate, a show of passion and righteous anger that defines him as a great, "authentic" guy) Kate McKinnon's Hillary responds in a telling way.
"God, it must be fun to scream and cuss in public. I have to do all mine into tiny little jars."
Hillary Clinton could never react to something the way Sanders did in that debate. She would be called "shrill," a "bitch," too angry, too emotional. The clip would be played over and over, not as a great moment, but when she "lost control."
Bernie Sanders can talk about how "shouting" about gun control isn't going to accomplish anything and go on to shout nearly every word he delivers on the campaign trail (though, to be fair, he does avoid shouting about gun control or talking about it much at all).
By the same token, Barack Obama always has to walk a fine line to avoid being seen as the "angry black man." He was attacked as insubstantial when he was inspirational, and was derided as "professorial" when he opted to talk about brass tacks issues. Joe Biden gave him a hug on the passage of health care reform, and was overheard calling it a "big fucking deal." Imagine the uproar if President Obama had been heard saying it to the Vice President, instead.
In the end, we expect more of women and people of color running for office. They're always judged at a higher standard for their speech, their appearance, their emotion, and their clothes. They have to be constantly aware of the way they're presented, and then we judge that self-consciousness as "inauthentic."
This kind of sexism and racism is as much or more the kind that exists in the institutional biases of our society and the subconscious as the kind that is openly expressed or even understood by those who perpetuate it. It is an unspoken bias that means that folks running for office who aren't white, cisgendered men have to always have to work harder and be better than those who society deems as the "default."
And they generally cannot even talk about this kind of underlying inequality without being accused of playing the race card or the gender card, of trolling for sympathy votes by playing the victim.
Point it out, and people will immediately accuse you of calling them sexist or racist. They will say that you're the real one who is bigoted. They're going to rush to point out that THEY don't vote on race or gender, they just care about the issues. And it is usually true- to a point. You don't have to agree with Hillary Clinton to call out sexist bullshit. You don't have to vote for her to recognize that Sanders was mansplaining from a point of privilege when he talked about "shouting" about gun control. It is easy to call out biases against people you support. But being a fair inclusive party and country means at the very least recognizing and rejecting it when it is applied to your opponents.
Don't call Sarah Palin Caribou Barbie. Don't make fun of Chris Christie for being fat. And maybe recognize that when you call Hillary Clinton "inauthentic" you might just be judging her for striving to reach the higher standards of presentation that society places on her simply by virtue of the fact that she's not a man.