Authenticity in politics: Yay or nay?

[The ZAPINATOR]

This is one I've been going back and forth on in my own mind for quite some time.  I usually publicly express support for authenticity in politics (candidates who speak their minds, aren't afraid of backlash, those who break the mold, etc).  And yet I wonder.

Because on some level to me, it seems like a lot of that authenticity is merely posturing of a different nature.  A different calculation.  It's like they've said "well, the boring, safe political prototype has run its course.  I think I'll present a different persona and see if the voters bite."

Witness Dean.  It seemed like he was totally full of passion.  Everything he did seemed off the cuff.  Then again, it seemed to me like he was very calculating when it came to his assessment of the importance of his Christianity and faith to him.  It seemed like a lot of things were very calculated about him, and yet he was the poster-child of political authenticity.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this topic?  How important is authenticity in politics, if at all?  Do you want leaders who stick to a script, or those that come across as more "real"?  On another level, do you ever feel that what may come across as "off the cuff" might actually be part of another kind of script, a script that makes everything look unscripted?

ZAP

[Bisquick]

what is this "authenticity" of which you speak?  HAHA!

[buddha]

The American public seems to like authenticity up to a point and then they go for the prepackaged political types.  I think a lot of it has to do with how important television is in a political race.  A lot of times on television authenticity comes across as nuttiness.  There's also the question of political handlers.  The higher the office the more these types try to shape a politicans image.

[The ZAPINATOR]

You may be onto something, Buddha... politicians should be as authentic as possible whenever there are no cameras rolling, and the rest of the time should be semi-on their guard.  That sounds like a good compromise.

Bottom line for me is that a politician should have good political instincts, or he should not be in the game.  If your handlers have better instincts than you, maybe you ought not be the one in the spotlight.  It's great to have good advice... but if the candidate doesn't ultimately make the decisions on his persona and go with his own best instincts, the handlers have TOO MUCH power.

ZAP