The authenticity game

OTTAWA—Here’s a question: do Canadians prefer political leaders who project authenticity rather than those who authentically work to try to help them lead better lives? This question comes to mind in connection with a new study of voters’ motivations entitled “The Good Politician: Competence, Integrity and Authenticity in Seven Democracies.” While competence and integrity are crucial in building political trust, authenticity plays a similarly vital role in today’s political milieu, found the extensive study published in Political Studies. Amid growing anti-establishment sentiment, this research concludes that politicians’ ability to portray themselves as everyday people has become as important as any other characteristic, and perhaps more so: “Analyses of politicians’ perceived trustworthiness should incorporate those attributes which signal to citizens that politicians are acting like their authentic self, coming across as real people rather than as trained, stilted political characters.” But the most striking point may be: “Note that this conception does not rely on the politician in question actually being ‘ordinary’ or true to themselves, rather that they somehow manage to build an image among citizens where the latter come to feel that they can relate to them as real, ordinary people.” Or this: “What is important is the perception that the politician is not just another politician but an ordinary person who is true to themself in their public behaviour. … In this conception, authenticity refers not just to perceived ordinariness in general but especially as contrasted with the ‘scripted’ qualities often associated with typical politicians.” Voters’ distaste for traditional politics has also been related to the rise of populist political leaders who portray themselves as outsiders who shun conventional political norms and “political correctness,” being “one of the people” and not part of the establishment, the study says. “Politicians such as Trump, Duterte and Bolsonaro arguably come across as being themselves, ‘telling it like it is’ and claiming to represent the common folk against a corrupt elite.” How to interpret such findings here? Abacus Data pollster David Coletto said in an era in which media pundits and strategists often focus on a politician’s likability, this study reminds us that voters may care more about whether their leaders are competent, honest, and authentic. “Being a jerk may not matter when Canadians are looking for solutions and ‘real’ leaders,” he commented on the above study. “It may also explain how Donald Trump became president of the United States once and could win again in a few weeks.” This appears to favour Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Coletto observed. “Poilievre’s sharp and direct communication style—even if it feels unorthodox and outside the mainstream—connects with people who are tired of the perceived evasiveness and political correctness often associated with the ‘political class.’ “ It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that—in the midst of the post-COVID doldrums and an affordability crunch—channelling public frustration and talking a good populist game is far and away more politically advantageous than any agenda devoted to actually improving peoples’ lives. Consider Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It’s all over for him politically despite the fact that his government has done more to help non-rich Canadians than any federal government in the past 40 years. Too extensive to fully recount, this list covers better support for health care, seniors, low-income workers, families, users of daycare, students, minorities, rural communities, and the unemployed; middle-class tax cuts; a massive home-building campaign; and multibillion-dollar incentives for business innovation and the green economy of the future. In contrast, Poilievre was part of the Harper government that reduced social assistance, tried to raise the eligibility age for Old Age Security, eroded unemployment insurance, scrapped childcare, sought to undermine labour unions, defunded women’s support groups, and cut corporate taxes that Ottawa depends on to pay for socio-economic programs. Incidentally, Poilievre’s “Common Sense” slogan is borrowed from the slash-and-burn government of former Progressive Conservative Ontario premier Mike Harris. In that context, Ontario seems like a case study for “The Good Politician.” Current Premier Doug Ford—although wealthy himself—specializes in pretending to be an average guy, and spends a lot of energy on bread and circuses measures such as making booze more accessible. Meanwhile, he actually prioritizes business interests over the needs of the general population. To the detriment of all but the well-off, Ford is paving the way for private—as opposed to public—medical care. His government also tried to carve up environmentally protected land for well-connected developers, leading to an RCMP probe. Among other things, he slapped a repressive wage cap on 800,000 nurses and other public sector workers, removed rent controls on new units, and cut spending on legal aid, mental health programs, social assistance, colleges and universities, low-income students, and support for victims of violence. But Ford excels in convincing Ontarians that he’s “one of us,” Coletto noted. He added, “This explains why Ford has been able to withstand the same forces—like 'inflationitis'—which have hurt incumbents in most other jurisdictions.” Les Whittington is a regular columnist for The Hill Times. The Hill Times

The authenticity game

It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that talking a good populist game is more politically advantageous than any agenda devoted to actually improving peoples’ lives.

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The authenticity game

It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that talking a good populist game is more politically advantageous than any agenda devoted to actually improving peoples’ lives.

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