Obama, Charisma

Piggybacking the Good Doctor's comments that Fred Thompson was too normal to run successfully for President, is my gathering concern about Barack Obama's "charisma." I'm not going to vote for the man in any race because he's too liberal (though I will give him some props on his immigration policy). And I think he's probably too liberal for most Americans. But the thing of it is, they are going to have a hard time figuring it out because of all that charisma.

I keep hearing what great charisma Obama has. Google "Obama, Charisma" and you will get and endless stream of articles, blogs and commentary. Today, because Caroline Kennedy endorsed him, I heard for the first time, comparisions to JFK - a President who is still popular today largely because of a myth perpetuated by and about charisma. He was handsome and young by Presidential standards. But he wasn't a great President. He died young and tragically. And he had all that charisma . . .

I mean, honestly - Why should it matter that the mostly non-politically active daughter of a former President (who died 45 years ago by the way!) endorses a candidate for president? Except that she is the last remaining heir to Camelot. Her uncle and cousin (Sen. Ted Kennedy and Rep. Patrick Kennedy), members of the inner-Camelot roundtable, also endorsed Obama. Both of these men have struggled with well-publicized chemical dependancy and other things. And yet their endorsements mean something too.

It means that Americans love charisma. Charisma is a gift - like being good looking or athletic. It's not a quality you can usually acquire through hard work or sacrifice. You just get to have it if you're lucky. But in this country we treat good looks and athleticism like they are heroic deeds. People with those qualities are revered, coddled, stroked. What faults they have are easily overlooked when they make a nice turn on the red carpet in a pair of Jimmy Choo's or scramble out of the pocket under pressure and fire one into the end zone. Individuals with charisma get a similar pass in this country.

What exactly is so important about charisma? It is nice to have. It draws people in. And certainly, if you are going to be a politician, that it's a great quality. But if you have charisma without substance, what difference will it, or more specifically, YOU, make? If you have charisma without much morality (Kennedy and Clinton), how can you be trusted? Reagan had charisma and substance and morality. It was a fine, fine combination.

Incidentally, Hillary Clinton does NOT have much charisma. The woman tries. But it just doesn't come across. I doubt it ever will. I've gotten to where I almost feel sorry for her watching her struggle against this upstart young politician, as they race to snatch that first- minority-to-be-president ring. I mean her policies are less liberal than Obama's. She's got more experience than he does. But she's got that shrill voice. And not much charisma.

Obama clearly has charisma. But we don't know much about his morality or his governing skills. And he's got all those liberal policies - the thing on which we should really be basing our vote.