What’s its like to lead a modern political party. By Sussan Ley in the SMH.

The rules of being a leader haven’t changed much in 80 years. Look like a leader. Sound like a leader. Know the answer to every question. If you don’t, answer a different one, convincingly. Be distinctive but not unsettling. …

In politics, authenticity matters enormously. But reveal too much, and it can quickly become evidence against you. …

I stood at countless press conferences, hair and make-up done, microphones banked up in front of me. Deep breath, drop the shoulders, march to the podium. I have confidence, I am across the detail, I have answers to every question, real or imagined. The cameras are not about to find an alarming new angle.

How did I actually feel?

Like hell after less than four hours’ sleep. Hoping the adrenaline would carry me through. Hoping, too, that I wouldn’t stumble because in every presser you are one stupid sentence away from bringing the whole thing crashing down. …

The public expects leaders to have all the answers, not to lie awake in the small hours running through every disaster. You could never admit to waking at 3am, heart racing, body braced for attack. No missile is coming through the sealed hotel window. It only feels that way.

Sussan Ley was too honest and thoughtful to make a good political leader.

We want our leaders to be Gods, or at least put on a good show. They should be stupid enough to confidently putting forward the party line without being plagued by doubts or complications, yet talented enough to to follow the script and be articulate. George Bush 2, Barack Obama, and Anthony Albanese leap to mind.

Much more at the link.

It’s a lot tougher for non-left politicians, because they are inevitably standing against the narrative. The media are pushing the narrative, and don’t play fair. So, every slip is reported endlessly on repeat if you are non-left, while the politicians on the left can and do make lots of mistakes that the public never finds out about.