Crazy? – Maddi Broad

“We’re all mad here”: Does Politics turn you crazy, or the other way around?

mADDi broAD is an advocate for black jellybeans.

It is no secret that in all levels of politics there appears to be a certain personality type that draws the limelight. You often hear people remark that “you’d have to be crazy” to pursue a career as a politician. In fact, when I tell people that my major is in Politics, they often ask if that means I plan on becoming a politician, with a slightly sceptical look on their face.

When you think about extreme personalities in the political arena, it’s hard to ignore former US President Donald Trump. Certainly, every aspect of his political career made it apparent he was (at least a little bit) mad. The increasing prevalence of populist leaders worldwide means we constantly see these larger-than-life personalities on the global stage; you only need to google ‘Boris Johnson funny moments’ to be reminded of this (if you ever have a major exam to study for, I’d recommend this).

Domestically, we’ve had our fair share of memorable personality types within Federal politics. Pauline Hanson’s attention-seeking stunts come to mind here, and it’s hard to forget the sight of Tony Abbott biting into a raw onion – or worse still, his multiple appearances wearing only budgie smugglers.

“EVERYONE CALLS ME CRAZY, AND I ACTUALLY AM.” - BOB KATTER

Only last year Bob Katter remarked to Sky News that “everyone calls me crazy, and I actually am”. Whilst in his case this may be a fair assessment, it poses the question of whether all politicians have to be at least a little bit ‘mad’.

It’s fair to argue that not all politicians are mad in a Clive Palmer-esque manner. It is easy to look at Jacinda Ardern’s consistent composure, and remember Barack Obama’s level temperament as examples of this. However, it seems that no personality type in politics is ever really built to be successful. Even cool analysis and level-headedness can quickly become viewed by the electorate as aloofness. Politicians quickly become criticised for the personality traits which got them elected.

There seems to be some degree of selfinflicted torture in subjecting oneself to a career in the political spotlight, where you’ll never be able to please everyone. Failure becomes increasingly likely the more successful you become. In our political climate, it is becoming rare to see politicians at the top survive even a full term, and whilst the pandemic has seen reasonable stability in terms of personnel changes, it isn’t difficult to remember the multiple leadership spills that defined AusPol throughout the 2010s. To accept this instability, and moreover be self-assured in your ability to withstand it, must take a certain strength of conviction, or maybe (probably) just an overly large ego.

If the power of politics does attract a certain personality type, it’s worth questioning why. There are thousands of articles (better researched than this) which give thoughtful insight into the impact of short election cycles, new media technologies, and globalisation on political success. The two-year electoral cycle in the American House of Representatives means that politicians are almost constantly running an election campaign. The continuous need to appeal to the electorate can lead to a precarious balancing of donors’ and constituents’ interests, and can often result in politicians being unable to effect the political change they had perhaps desired.

We’ve also seen a rise in gimmicky actions that purely seem aimed at attracting headlines, and while Pauline Hanson and others of her ilk may have always been crazy, there’s no denying that the quest for a good sound bite or a viral TikTok appearance drives a decent number of public appearances. The combination of these external influences alongside a work environment that appears toxic at the very least, may suggest that these personalities are constructed in the political bubble, rather than drawn to it.

Choosing a career where you have to sit through Question Time every day? That’s mad in my book.