Do Americans today like their president to be someone just like them?

Answer 1

This is one of the great paradoxes of American politics. Americans want someone who is just like them, and someone who is nothing like them. People want a relatable president, someone they think understands their problems, but they also want a president who is much better than they are. Americans expect "great men" to be elevated to the office, but they also consider it important that the President be someone "you could have a beer with".

This paradox makes for interesting behavior amongst voting Americans. The 2000 Presidential election is a great example; Al Gore was criticized for being too distant, while George Bush was criticized for not seeming serious enough. Gore was painted as cold and arrogant, while Bush was painted as a buffoon. Presidential candidates walk a fine line between being just like the average American and being nothing like the average American, and few have been able to strike a good balance.

It may be possible that Americans emphasize different qualities in different times. George W. Bush, the relatable candidate, was first elected in a time of prosperity and peace (remember, Bush was elected before most Americans knew who Osama bin Ladin was), while his father, George H.W. Bush, was elected during the crisis of the late Cold War, and was seen as a statesman, but not particularly relatable.
Several good points are made here. Most voting Americans realize, however, that a US President will (by the nature of the position )not be like themselves. Since a US President will certainly have had a higher standard of living prior to running for office and their life experiences such as prior government positions will not match a typical American. The best that the voters, whose candidate has won the election can hope for is that the policies the candidate campaigned on will not disappear after the election.