What happens when people lose faith in the one who calls the shots?
I wonder what happens when the people’s trust erodes…
… when results fail to match unquestionably high expectations…
Can the leader still be effective? Can the leader still lead? …
In Houston, once hoping to soar to unprecedented professional heights this season, the Texans found themselves losing multiple games and their leader, Texan QB, Matt Schaub, throwing multiple interceptions. Once revered as the beloved franchise quarterback, Schaub found himself instead the target of weekly, intensifying boos. While Schaub was mercifully bailed out by an injury that deemed him unable to play, now healthy, he has not returned to the starting lineup. So even though his peers in Philadelphia, New York, and Cleveland provide some semblance of solace, a clear majority of people no longer trust Schaub to do his job well.
In Washington, once buoyed by the support of far more than party loyalists, the administration found the Obamacare rollout severely flawed and their leader, Pres. Obama, initially repeating promises that were untrue. You cannot automatically keep your insurance if you like it, and you may not be able to keep your doctor or hospital either. Once revered as the strong leader of the Democratic Party, Obama is finding himself instead the target of intensifying criticism. In a new CNN/ORC International Survey, an unprecedented 53% of Americans now believe that Obama is not honest and trustworthy. While the Intramuralist’s perspective is certainly limited (and also somewhat biased because I believe Obamacare to be unwise, massive policy), my sense is Obama is hoping to be mercifully bailed out by a website that finally works. My sense is he would also like to be mercifully bailed out by a press that changes the subject. Nonetheless, a clear majority of people, at least at this point, no longer trust Obama to do his job well.
At the North Pole (sorry), once alive and well in the imaginations of young children, Santa Claus has found himself competing with the latest technology and fingertip information that threatens to pierce the reality of his fictional existence. Once revered as the jolly old icon of the Christmas season, Santa is finding himself the target of intensifying disappointment, as he is clearly unable to meet all the desires and demands of each child — and as we live in a world continually drained by materialistic expectations. Just last week, this semi-humble blogger only added to the growing disappointment, as when my young son asked to pause and take his picture with the bearded fellow at the local mall, I immediately dissuaded him. “He charges money for that.” To which my impressionable young son replied, “Why would Santa charge money?” An arguable majority of children no longer trust Santa to do his job well.
What happens when our trust in our leaders erodes? … when results fail to match expectations? What happens when we no longer have faith in their performance? … and… or… who they are?
Granted, there’s far more to the NFL than the Texans quarterback, far more to Washington than the White House, and far more to Christmas than Santa Claus.
Come to think of it, Santa doesn’t have anything to do with faith.
Thank God.
Respectfully,
AR