Our mutual self-deception W elcoming one into the United States is a towering portrait of the American president. Firstly, the president is a unifying force in the nation. It is a nation of many ethnic backgrounds. Furthermore the bruising electoral process requires mechanisms that institutionalise the incumbent.
Partisan feelings yield to patriotism after the election.
Secondly, the reality of American politics demands maximum national consensus around a person who wields extensive power. This fascination with the president and the concomitant patriotism does not degenerate into blind loyalty. The society remains ruthless in its criticism of the president and his entire executive. Within the US Congress, this criticism goes beyond party lines when necessary - a development that occurs easily in political dispensations that allow elected representatives to vote according to their personal conviction. It is this shared understanding of the presidency that is at the heart of the US's ability to override the president's veto, and to also call for impeachment of the president when appropriate.