Leo Schroeder, Staff Writer
When asked to recall something from their childhood, a great majority of Americans might touch upon the common question that we all faced while growing up; “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. Having no idea of the reality behind these occupations, many of us enthusiastically exclaimed that we wanted to become firefighters, police officers, astronauts, or the president. These jobs meant so much more than just a future or career. For children, they were a source of inspiration to the young. Firefighters save lives by extinguishing fires, astronauts explored places beyond the grasp of our atmosphere, presidents are the leader of the new world. In the eyes of almost every American adolescent, these people were heroes. They were the forward thinkers who brought positive change to the world. These heroic jobs, however, come at the cost of rigorous learning, skill building, and professionalism. This, however, may no longer be the case as we move into the future. The American people have found themselves in a sticky situation of distrust and foolish bigotry. We now find ourselves amidst the ever-present concern that a joke may be taken too far, that something meant to be a silly sham has evolved into something much larger than anyone could have fathomed. We find ourselves reveling at online polls showing that Spongebob has won more votes for president than legitimate candidates. We find ourselves contributing to a popularity contest between the top CEO’s of the country rather than voting to elect the candidate best fit to lead our nation. How exactly does one make a conscious decision on who will make the best choices for their country when their only choices are a multi-million dollar CEO, a recently fired Rocklin high school teacher, or a fictional children’s TV show character? To understand the new situation of the presidency, we must first examine the changes that have occurred in recent years; for good and for bad.
Former President Barack Obama was the first substantial change of the new century. His presidency opened the doors to minorities all over the world showing that any minority can come to power if they put their mind to it. We then find ourselves, eight years later, with the 45th president of the United States. He has shown us that the dream of “I want to become president when I grow up” is not as distant and unattainable as we thought. The orthodox professionality required for being president is no longer necessary. In essence, it has been proven that the president is now a completely different animal. He has ushered in a new wave of online presidency, where his messages and day-to-day emotions can be clearly expressed whenever, and however, he feels. He has made it painfully evident that the president is no longer the stone cold man in the suit who gets tasks done quickly and painlessly. He has shown us that the people of America now demand a fiery, passionate leader with whom they can connect to on an emotional level. Someone who shares their overflowing passion for a topic, even when it can be usually resolved in an objective and professional manner. The American people now turn to face an approaching presidential election in which they are searching for a candidate that embodies their upset and frustration towards what some may say, a corrupt American government. Who is the friendliest candidate? Who will make me feel the best about myself? Who will be a voice for my unrest and displeasure? These are the questions that have emerged in recent years that dictate our decisions. We no longer seem to be asking the question of what is best for me, my community, my country, my world, and how we get there. To some, a president who voices his opinions on social media may be ideal. To others, a quiet, yet efficient leader may be the way to go.
To demonstrate the shift in demand by the people, we may very well cast our eyes upon the president’s numerous tweets. After a quick evaluation of these tweets, anyone may quickly deduce a pattern of emotion-driven speech. This emotional outbreak is a clear signal of changing times; of changing needs. It may be the case that the president does not lash out on social media platforms because he is unprofessional, but rather because he is called to do so by the people to whom he owes his presidency to.
All this being said, we must remind ourselves that electing the president of the United States is not something to be taken lightly. Our freedom is at the cost of ever vigilance. We must stay aware that indeed, the presidency is neither a joke or a popularity contest and that we must remain conscious of the possible repercussions of electing an insufficient president. Threats to our safety and freedom as a country do not always appear in the form of radical terrorists from a foreign country waving guns, but sometimes as the inside man who snakes his way to the top with the pen of “diplomacy”.
