Politics

Cliché can be useful. A cliché gains cultural currency for a reason—a figure, an event, or even just a sentiment occurring so frequently as to become reflexive in nature. Think of the piggish, self-promoting businessman; the coolly intellectual lawyer; the aw-shucks cowboy dangling a Marlboro from his lips. There’s a reason we rely so much on cliché in politics, too: Americans like their leaders to tell them familiar, comforting stories. Even now, in 2018, the options come from a relatively circumscribed menu of “proven leaders,” “outsiders” and “mavericks.” As voters, we don’t have an outstanding track record of looking beyond this menu, or tolerating inconsistency in its elements. Hypocrisy is a cardinal sin; any number of flaws can be tolerated or overlooked as long as they fit into the narrative we’ve constructed for our leaders. This year's film The Front Runner, from director Jason Reitman along with … [Read more...] about How Gary Hart Broke the Most Important Rule In American Politics