"A delightfully useful and versatile term has been floating around a lot lately: "hot mess." Usually it refers to a person, often (but not always) a woman, whose behavior is exceedingly self-destructive but who remains exceedingly compelling nonetheless.
...On the surface, hot mess is derogatory, not to mention a nifty way of shaming and objectifying someone at the same time. But the fact that this coinage has gained traction suggests more than an abundance of blogospheric photos showing miniskirted, underwear-less starlets stepping a little too widely out of cars. It also suggests that we Americans might have a surprisingly high tolerance — maybe even a secret affinity — for chaotic personality types.
Look what's happening on the political stage. With Newt Gingrich, a hot mess of a public servant, suddenly leading the polls, many are wondering just how much personal wreckage voters are willing to accept.
...there's fundamental conflict in the way Americans evaluate potential leaders. We want them to be good but not too good. We want them to be better than us (smarter, braver, more disciplined) without making us feel bad about ourselves. (President Obama, with his freakishly functional family and annoyingly healthful eating habits, might fall into this category.) On the spectrum between too good to be true and hot mess, we seem most comfortable with something in the middle..."
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The 'hot mess' of politics
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