Several weeks ago, I\u00a0 wrote about the hazard of being seen as a hero<\/a>. The downfalls of General David Petraeus and Lance Armstrong demonstrate this idea\u00a0 quite clearly.<\/p>\n As Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker ponders whether to run in 2014 against Governor Chris Christie or Senator Frank Lautenberg, he is seen by most of the nation as a model leader who governs an efficient and clean city, while being a model citizen who personally comes to the assistance of victims of natural disasters and crime. However, as Kate Zernike<\/a> of the New York Times reports<\/a>, for all of his accomplishments, after six years in office there are still significant problems in Newark.<\/p>\n For example, she points out<\/a>:<\/p>\n When snow blanketed this city two Christmases ago, Mayor Cory A. Booker was celebrated around the nation for personally shoveling out residents<\/a> who had appealed for help on Twitter. But his administration was also scorned as streets remained impassable for days because the city had no contract for snow removal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Additionally, she reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n In recent days, Mr. Booker has made the rounds of the national media with his pledge to live on food stamps for a week. But his constituents do not need to be reminded that six years after the mayor came into office vowing to make Newark a \u201cmodel of urban transformation,\u201d their city remains an emblem of poverty.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It would be ludicrous and unrealistic to expect Cory Booker or anyone else to be able to clean up all the troubles in Newark. This city has been so troubled that it is sometimes referred to as \u201cthe armpit of the nation.\u201d In 1967, a race riot<\/a> resulted in twenty-six deaths. Schools are still wanting; the air is highly polluted, and considerable improvements are needed in the infrastructure.<\/p>\n Like all of us, Booker is confronted with the conflict between substance and image. It is the hope of virtually everyone to accomplish a great deal and to be recognized for having done so. If a person achieves a great deal without blowing her horn, she is considered modest or even withdrawn. That is acceptable, although some feel that it would be best to have others recognize genuine achievements, if for no other reason than to have a little more faith in human beings. If a person\u2019s image surpasses the substance of her accomplishments, problems arise because she is seen as vain and self-promoting.<\/p>\n