Real authenticity is what all politicians yearn and strive for. It is what spin doctors go on about their clients needing and what commentators complain about politicians lacking. Being human is risky and dangerous. Because people judge you on the real, candid unspun you. Being yourself and being totally open makes you vulnerable to attack from opponents as well as from competitors within the ranks of your own party. Being human is sadly seen as being weak and our natural survival instinct is to feign impregnability.
Every now and then a politician is brave enough to be really authentic and to speak from the heart. The power of real, authentic humanity is so many leagues above stunts from actors like Tony Blair wearing jumpers and drinking from mugs of tea.
The public mood is so tilted against career politicians that many PR agencies are hired by politicians to create this silver bullet of authenticity. But plastic, manufactured authenticity can be smelt a mile off. There is no replacement for the real thing. When I work with clients we focus on unwrapping the real person – not creating a plastic mask.
In this YouTube clip Joe Biden talks about a tragedy in his life, himself and how he reacted. He exposes his own human weaknesses and vulnerabilities and as a result it is one of the most compelling speeches I have seen from a politician in a while. It is brave, frank and needs no big words or grand gestures or dramatic spinning or otherwise from his team.
Of course, no-one wants to have to pay the price Joe Biden did to ‘gain’ this authentic pain and anguish and vulnerability. But all politicians could learn from his bravery and his candour. I respect him enormously for what he said.
In the UK Parliament there was a debate on mental illness recently and MPs from around the House (including my No2AV friend, co-conspirator, red wine drinker and Labour MP, Kevan Jones from Durham) ‘fessed up to their own demons, mental health issues and humanity. They were universally applauded and I doubt they will suffer electorally from being so open. I have seldom been as proud of our British MPs – talking and listening to each other maturely on a serious subject that affects so many people.