JFK for my generation — I was 13 when he was murdered — set the image of what a president should be. Whether or not he actually embodied those virtues doesn’t matter as much as the archetype he created.

President Obama has done that for the millennials. That should be a source of hope for us all.

The presidenct as defined by Barack Obama is

• Engaged. He cares about issues.

• Smart.

• Informed.

• Emotional.

• Unselfish. Not in it for himself.

• Patriotic.

• Incorruptible.

• Funny.

• A whole person.

• A loving parent.

• A loving, respectful spouse.

• Dignified in his bearing.

• Treats all others with dignity.

• Has a sense of the movement of history.

• Thoughtful.

• Unflappable.

• Fallible.

• Appreciative of diversity.

• Appreciative of the arts.

• Evidence-based.

• Cool.

• Hopeful.

• Not necessarily Yet Another White Man.

We can argue about whether Obama actually embodies these virtues, much less whether he acted upon them sufficiently. That doesn’t matter for a generation that will measure all candidates against this new prototype of a president.

I do well remember that the country elected Nixon twice after JFK’s death, so I’m not saying that the next presidents will live up to this model. But if not, then the next presidents will fail to live up to this model.

Categories: politics dw