>>>Part of leadership is setting a tone. I was fortunate to be able to cast my first votes for real leaders - Ike and JFK.
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>In 2019, JFK would be deafened by pussy-hat antagonism and 24/7 metoo outrage, while Ike would be investigated non-stop for evidence of war crimes or strong-arming of other nations or not paying all his taxes or anything else that can be dredged up. It's art and science again: you're describing civility, the "greater good" concepts of social compact and the importance of mystique when we see every day how familiarity breeds contempt.
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You're implying that because mediocre behavior has become a norm, it's inevitable..
It isn't.

>>>It's noteworthy that since Bush I left office, and the boomers took over, the White House has been occupied by draft dodgers. Maybe the country is getting what it wants.
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>While I agree that bone spurs seems a convenient dodge, in this partisan MSM age and with a different candidate, you might expect fawning over such an act of bravery against the illiberal practice of draft. Few other western nations have candidates that experienced draft at all, let alone dodged it. How brave and insightful of this wonderful leader to risk reputation and jail as a protest against state oppression of the individual! Won't happen to incumbent, but you know they're quite capable of this for a member of their own tribe. As you note, the sort of leader you yearn for may be unable to tolerate this at all let alone rise through it, which is one reason why discussion of "enemy of the people" is sensible in 2019.

The press doesn't create the political scene - it reflects it.
Leadership and individuals matter.
I've pointed several times to the situation in North Ireland as an example of what can happen when leaders do courageous things.
It happened with Reagan and Gorbachev.