Strong man government

How did the young man who became King David distinguish himself?

He killed Goliath.

Humans want their leaders to be strong.

The commentary preceding the presidential debate this evening is focused almost entirely on the body language we will see. We already know their policies, more or less. The primary question is whether Biden is strong and capable. The secondary question is whether Trump is too crazy to replace Biden, i.e. does Trump have enough self-awareness and self-control to behave appropriately.

The debate tonight is the purest example I could create of a central premise of this blog. Presidential leadership is only a little about policy positions. Policy is the scaffolding for presenting what is important: body language, tone, image. Who looks and sounds like a leader? It is a Hollywood casting decision. 

My Democratic readers are hoping for a strong, articulate, clear-headed Biden. My Republican readers expect to see confirmation that Biden is feeble, and hope that Trump avoids looking like the crazy bully that he appeared to be in the first debate with Biden four years ago. 

We describe our leaders in myths, fables, and stories. The Judeo-Christian-Muslim God is all powerful. Greek gods had powers, but constraints. Strong Achilles was the hero of the Greeks, but he was petulant and selfish, and not its political leader, only its warrior. Hector, hero of the Trojans, combined strength and virtue as the brave and respectful son of the king, the heir apparent. He had strength and virtue, but Achilles' strength overcame Hector's virtuous strength, which was a warning.

Schoolchildren in America learn that George Washington was strong enough to throw a silver dollar across the Potomac. We learned that young Abraham Lincoln was an accomplished rail splitter. 

In a parliamentary system Biden's legislative skills and accomplishments might matter. Democrats are frustrated that the voters don't seem to notice or care. In a presidential system, where voters are electing a commander in chief (the Electors are simply a way of counting popular votes) voters want a symbol of themselves and the country they want. They elect an avatar. They want strength and virtue, but first of those is strength. Without strength, there is no opportunity to exercise virtue. Remember Hector.

Winners make the rules and decide what is just and lawful. Trump can never admit to being a loser. He cannot submit to laws and courts. Submission would be off-brand for him. Republican voters who have bonded to Trump accept that set of corollaries and conditions to stay loyal to Trump. Republican consider laws to be void and illegitimate when it comes to him. They may eventually regret this, but not yet.

Biden is a poor choice of foil against Trump. Former California District Attorney and Attorney General Kamala Harris might have been a good one but the vice president's office, and perhaps Biden, kept her looking weak. She speaks out clearly only on the "woman's issue" of abortion and on "Black issue" of racial justice, but not on NATO, Ukraine, Israel, the southern border, trade, and external affairs. Democrats may regret that, too, but they are stuck with the leadership they created. The Democratic leader is Biden and today is a public test. If he is strong enough to stand up to Trump, he is strong enough to lead the USA. 

That is the only issue in tonight's debate.