From the ideal to the acceptable

Bush’s categorical assurance that he could have passed the 15-year `no prior use’ in 1989, for instance, has been taken to mean that he probably took drugs before 1974. And though no evidence has been found to substantiate the same, the fact that he has maintained a silence so long has been assumed to indicate that the drug in question is cocaine. Had it been marijuana, the argument goes, the presidential hopeful would haveconfessed long ago given that several politicians including Democratic candidates Bill Bradley and Al Gore have admitted they used in the past.

The other controversy revolves around another kind of candidate — the candidate for Miss America. Contestants of this widely tracked event as well as similar contests such as Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA have long had to conform to strict regulations regarding marital status (they must never have been married, had a marriage annulled) and childbearing (they may never have been pregnant or given birth to a child). Officials of the Miss America contest though recently changed their rules to allow women who had been married or had abortions to enter the competition.

The decision led to a widespread outcry. "Miss America has a long history of high moral standards and traditions and I am opposed to anything that changes that", said Libby Taylor, executive director of the Miss Kentucky Pageant and president of the Miss America State Pageant. She was joinedby several other protesters so much so that Miss America officials were forced to announce that they were reconsidering their decision.

Two debates. Both about values and qualities requisite for leadership. But are they appropriate? Or are they out of touch with reality? One way to find out would be to examine the values and lifestyle perceptible or at least considered acceptable among the young. And a medium that facilitates such scrutiny — in a heightened way no doubt — is television.

American television at present has been hit by a virtual avalanche of teen programming. The magazine Rolling Stone surveying the new shows found instances of: a teenager fornicating in his bedroom while his parents were home, a woman making a pass at her stepson, a boy making out with his stepsister, minorities cast in negative roles, a cavalier attitude towards education, a casual approach to murder, etc. etc. The parents in these shows are not made of sterling stuff either. They even think they have less sense thantheir kids.

Consider the chaos and diminution of traditional values conveyed by television and the behaviour demanded in their youth of the man and woman supposed to represent the country and suddenly, the gap seems inordinately wide if not grossly unrealistic. There are other factors as well. In the elite circles that the young Bush had moved around in, coke was said to be a common recreational drug. So should George W be expected to have been above temptation, particularly at a young and rebellious age? Similarly Miss America is expected unlike a vast number of people her age to have never had a failed marriage or an abortion.Is that realistic?

Ideals have a place and a reason. Actually, several reasons. It can be argued, for instance, that past sins, particularly in the case of the president, can provide fertile opportunities for blackmail. It can also be argued that public figures, because of the influence they wield and the benefits of their position, need to be both exceptional and exemplarypeople.

Both are significant arguments. But not necessarily irrefutable. It is true that a leader vulnerable to blackmail can be potentially dangerous for the state. On the other hand, assuming of course that we are talking of specific past acts and not ongoing tendencies such as Bill Clinton’s weakness for extra-marital relationships, then what is likely to make him or her most vulnerable is secrecy and the fear of public opinion. As for exemplary behaviour, while it could reasonably be argued that someone who has overcome and learnt from mistakes can be a more powerful reinforcer of positive behaviour than someone who has committed no mistakes at all.

Opinion appears to be mixed. Signs are that the American public might be willing to overlook George W’s transgression if he comes clean, in time. On the other hand there is Leonard Horn, ex-president of the Miss America pageant, who feels that relaxed eligibility criteria will “ultimately lead to the destruction of the Miss America programme.” The gapbetween the ideal and the acceptable may be narrowing but clearly, the hurdles are still immense.