Snide Leaders

It is easy, whether one is talking about politics, religion, the workplace, or anywhere else that involves evaluating the performance of people in authority positions, to overlook their shortcomings if those policies and beliefs dovetail with one's own.  On the other hand, those leaders with a more negative, "opposition" image tend to suffer much scrutiny about their style and appearance.  As I look at the two current leading candidates for president, I see this as well.  I have to admit it: having supported Barack Obama since early in the 2008 primary campaign season, I have generally ignored mannerisms of his that I have to describe as snide and flippant.  His curt dismissal of his predecessor's plan to establish a base on the moon because "we've already been there" was a brutal slap in the face to those who worked on this project and were about to face unemployment because of the new policy.  Obama also often jokes around in a half-assed, careless manner that can offend others.  Barack, take note: it isn't leadership you're displaying when you spew out this nonsense: it just ticks people off.

Mitt Romney is also snide and flippant.  As a matter of fact, other than protecting rich people's money (especially his own) from the "evil" government and whose interests they expect it to protect (by taxing the less rich more), Mr. Romney projects a air of snide apathy about any other issue presented to him.  Who knows what he REALLY thinks about health insurance reform, women's reproductive rights, gun control, or anything else on the table right now (except, of course, protecting rich people from paying their fair share of taxes): he has been on DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE sides of the mentioned issues at different times.  This amounts, in my opinion, to snide arrogance.  But it's easy for me to see this, because I never politically supported him.  In many ways, though, Obama can be pretty bad, too. By the way, do you think I'm being unduly harsh on one of these two?  Then chances are that he's your dude...

I have seen others in positions of leadership in other areas of society whose defining personality characteristic I can only describe as being snide.  I believe that it is good...even crucial, for a leader to project an image of confidence.  But snideness comes into play when that leader is openly and even sarcastically dismissive of possibly opposing opinions, choosing to tune out those expressing them with curtness and even derision instead of listening to them with patience and respect. Maybe their image advisers tell them to crack jokes as a way to show that they have personality.  And maybe that works for their followers.  But to those with questions about them, it often comes across as arrogant and insensitive.

I see snide behavior more locally, in leaders I personally know who should be displaying leadership qualities but instead fall far short of this.  I can forgive them for this, if this were the only factor involved.  After all, we're all human, prone to failings of all sorts.  But when one of them has the gall to continually hawk an upcoming  "leadership conference", well...