Paul Starobin: Chris Christie, the most visible of today’s new wave of angry, nationally ambitious politicians, is of a different form. A hugely popular Republican in a blue state, Christie defies the rote modern wisdom that the fiery politician is liable to burn out his welcome. One reason that belief still holds sway is that television is generally thought to be a cool medium—unforgiving to the “hot” personage. ...Barney Frank, the veteran Democratic lawmaker, now retired, thinks the type of anger that politicians like Christie sometimes display is excusable and often even justifiable given how obnoxious people can be toward elected officials. Politicians who are boorishly baited by the public are being “honest” if they respond in kind, says Frank, who is well known for his own combustibility. “People can say very nasty, rude insulting things—and you’re supposed to smile?” He cheerfully acknowledges his proclivity for popping off at, in particular, journalists: “I snap at them and say: ‘Enough with this bullshit. You’re trying to get me to say a certain thing.’” ...Christie, with his proclivity for staged confrontations with constituents, registers to the Princeton presidential historian Fred Greenstein as “a loose cannon.” Greenstein, who has authored books on the leadership style of presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama, thinks unchecked combativeness in a leader can signal other important deficiencies. “The one thing you want in a president is emotional intelligence,” Greenstein adds.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 05:05:54 +0000