British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said, “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?”
At first blush, that would seem to be an oxymoron; how can you lead and follow at the same time?
But despite what elites think of “the people”—that they need to be told what’s good for them—the collective will and intelligence of the general populace should never be discounted.
The country’s Founders, though they had their own elitist leanings, still understood that the safest place for power to reside is with the people, not the nobility.
But the people do need courageous and skilled individuals who can be out in front, articulating and acting on the will of the governed.
Where are those leaders now?
George W. Bush artfully spoke for a wounded country after 9/11, but then launched an ill-advised invasion of Iraq. A nation weary of war and skeptical of Bush’s decisions then turned to a different sort of man as President.
But now it feels as though Barack Obama is too cool and detached. The floundering Affordable Care Act roll out leaves the impression that Obama isn’t quite up to the task.
Earlier this month, Chris Christie delivered his victory speech after an overwhelming re-election as New Jersey’s Governor. He was speaking to New Jersey, but it was a message that should resonate throughout the country: Here’s how you get things done, and it’s pretty simple.
“We show up… everywhere,” Christie said. “We don’t just show up in places where we’re comfortable; we show up in places where we are uncomfortable.”
And at those places, Christie says, he gives people the straight stuff. “They never have to wonder who this guy is.”
Good politicians tell people what they want to hear. Great political leaders tell people what they need to hear.
The blue state of New Jersey has responded to the tough-talking Republican. Twenty-one percent of blacks voted for Christie, twice the total from 2009. His share of the Hispanic vote rose 19 points to 51 percent. Thirty-two percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Independents voted for him.
Was that because Christie is a cool schmoozer? No, he’s a rough-and-ready guy who runs things.
Many Republican leaders today believe the Party is caught in a challenging paradox; how does the GOP attract more young and minority voters, while simultaneously appealing to its socially conservative base? It’s the subject of much polling, analysis and modeling.
While all that’s going on, Chris Christie, a self-identified conservative, is appealing to voters across the political spectrum by running his state like a strong mayor runs a big city. He’s not bowling over people; he’s in the lead, following the people.