The Post-auratic President

Abstract

Americans have been taught to expect their presidents to be exalted figures. But the postwar figures, from JFK to LBJ, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, have presented a sorry roll call. Each figure possessed deep personality flaws. This article argues that Nixon was the last truly auratic president, that is, a leader who presented himself as being an exalted representative of the people in terms of his insight, courage, and convictions. However, the disastrous circumstances of his departure from the White House have punctured the auratic ideal. In contrast, Clinton's foibles bring him closer to public life. The sympathy that exists for his plight among large numbers of the public signifies the recognition that his weaknesses are common. This article argues that Clinton is the first post-auratic president, a fitting, depthless leader for an American polity in an age of media-based celebrities as leaders.

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