Posted by
Andrews on Sunday, March 16, 2008 2:52:52 AM
A while ago, I wrote that Obama's main appeal was
that he had no agenda, so his followers could project upon him whatever they wanted. Other than that he was just a nominally handsome man who was a passable speaker.
Since then I have had several arguments with Obama supporters, and it only serves to reinforce my opinion. How so? Mainly because,
as I wrote before, I just don't see the "charisma" he supposedly exudes.
When we think of the charismatic, spellbinding speaker, we think of those who can sway even their opponents. In books we can read of those who despised everything the NSDAP stood for, yet found Hitler captivating in person. Likewise, from time to time one will find a particularly effective minister who can preach with such power that even those who don't believe in his faith are carried away for a moment. These and similar examples are true charisma, a personal magnetism that carries away even those who oppose the speaker.
Obama just doesn't have it. We have all seen Obama speak, and, as a rule, the only ones who find him charismatic are either those who support him, or those who would support him but for concerns over his lack of experience. In other words, one must already be kindly disposed toward Obama for this supposed charisma to manifest itself. And given the slant of the few, vague policy statements he has made, this is primarily limited to Democrats, more specifically, liberal Democrats. Which means that it is not charisma. At least not the sort of charisma that drives great movements.
No, true charisma is a gift, and it is usually found in those with unshakable confidence in themselves and their cause. Both of my examples above were men on a mission. Though Hitler and my hypothetical spellbinding preacher are worlds apart, they are both men driven by a firm belief, and that belief is what shows through their speech, that is what drives their charisma.
Obama has none of that. He may have firm beliefs, he may not. A lot of his behavior suggests he values election to office over any other beliefs, but it is still possible he is just casting aside beliefs until he is in power, so that he can enact his grand design. But whether or not he has beliefs, his speeches are designed precisely to mask and obfuscate those beliefs, to make him appear as nothing but a mirror of his audience's hopes. And that does not create a truly charismatic appearance.
So, if he is not charismatic, and if his appeal is predicated on the listener filling him with the listener's own beliefs, why do people support Obama?
That I cannot answer. Not completely. In some ways he seems to appeal to the same people as cult leaders, and via a similar method. That his strongest support comes from idealistic college students is no surprise, as they are a fertile recruiting ground for cults as well. The way that he seems to offer them exactly what they want, because they read it into his vague statements, mirrors precisely the way cult leaders draw in their members. Why other, presumably less easily manipulated, would like him, I cannot say. When I asked my mother (an Obama fancier) directly, what about him appealed to her, she said he was against the war, for universal health care, and would "be a healing change". As that means he differs from Hillary Clinton only in the "healing change" bit, it doesn't give me a lot to work with, so I have to punt and say I don't know why Obama appeals to so many.
All I can say is that Obama's much touted "charisma" is really nothing of the kind. He doesn't even have the ability to be "all things to all people", as his emptiness only makes him appealing to a select group. Instead he is nothing more than a pretty face and silver tongue that appeals to the hard-core left and nothing more. He may appeal to them to a novel degree, but his appeal is still limited to those traditionally in the Democrat camp.
In short, the myth of a "charismatic" Obama reaching out to the entire electorate and holding them all in his grasp is a PR fable and nothing more. Obama is particularly astute at drawing in the left, but that is all.