So, do we want our candidates to be worthy of acceptance or true to themselves? Many times these attributes oppose each other. A candidate deemed worthy of acceptance might be thought of as willing to bend his or her beliefs to make them appear acceptable to others. But being true to oneself connotes being willing to take stands, even unpopular ones, as long as they are heartfelt.
Pundits sometimes talk about flip-flopping and point accusing fingers at those who have changed their view points. I don't agree with them. People should learn every day, and this learning should, from time to time, lead to changes of position or perspective. I do agree with a recent article by conservative talk show host Michael Medved, who noted that flip-flopping ("change of mind") is different from contradiction ("indicates confusion rather than change".)
In saying we seek authentic candidates, we may mean that we want them to be real people, just like us. But guess what? They are real people. It could be that, since few of us routinely interact with candidates on a personal level, we have forgotten that they are humans and that, as such, they are bound to make mistakes.
Some believe that, to be authentic, we must line up what we think, say and do so that they are all in agreement - easy to say, but impossible to carry out. The question is not whether we embody contradictions or make mistakes. We all do. More important is whether we acknowledge them with the goal of moving forward or cover them up with the goal of hiding our inadequacies or insecurities. It could be that, by acknowledging that candidates are people, we would have to come to grips with our own human frailties and recognize our own search for authenticity.
Are we asking the impossible of our candidates? Are we asking for what we wish we had in our own lives -- authenticity without human error? Voters might have to decide whether they prefer authenticity - and the human failings it must, by definition, include - or the appearance of perfection, knowing that true perfection is unattainable.