fearlesshistory

It is easy to feel sorry for the GOP at times of momentous change, when the society has decided that it is time to make course corrections and embrace a social contract that uplifts all people, regardless of race, class, or economic standing. Take for instance 1960 when an awkward, pale, sweaty, and nervous Richard Nixon took on a tanned, well-rested, confident John F. Kennedy in the presidential debates or 1996 when a tired, teeth-gritting Bob Dole campaigned against the relatively young and energized Bill Clinton. Both candidates were missing that special something. Of course, it isn’t the GOP’s fault, it can happen to the Dems too: desperate for an “anybody but Bush” candidate, the Dems propped up the Herman Munster-like John Kerry or when Ronald Reagan absolutely ran circles around Jimmy Carter, who was seen as bumbling and inept and who couldn’t hold onto Mondale Dems. The reason is simple; it’s that hard-to-quantify, impossible-to-fake quality called “Charisma.”

I can hear our conservative brethren scoffing and sneering some awkward line about “style over substance” or some such other drivel, but the truth is, Charisma is an important part of being a leader. George Washington had it, as did George Patton. Like it or not, Fidel Castro had it back in the day, as did Gamal Abd al Nasser. Ghandi, Kennedy, Lincoln, Musolini, and Churchill all had it; the power of their presence to convey - convincingly - their ideas to their respective publics. GOP pundits and politicos on the campaign trail derided it as that “Rock Star” quality, but still tried to capture it  themselves with Sarah Palin and (as of last night) Bobby Jindal. But there’s a fundamental problem with the GOP strategy; they don’t seem to understand “Charisma” and try to create a “Rock Star” image from disparate parts.

During the 2008 campaign, the GOP worked hard to take Sarah Palin out of her element - apolitician whose fundamentalist”Christian” values were born out of a recent wave of Texan and Oklahoman immigration to what has been an historically independent, almost isolationist, somewhat socialist state (rebate checks from oil companies, anyone?) - and polish her for the rest of the nation through hundreds of thousands of dollars in new clothes, awkward interviews, and large (predominantly white) political rallies where she preached negativity. The GOP mistook youth and popularity as a beauty queen for Charisma and as the campaign broke apart, the whispers and in-fighting came to light: even GOP insiders didn’t believe in Sarah Palin.

Bobby Jindal, all rumors of a 2012 run aside, seemed to have the makings of a GOP “Rock Star” - immigrant parents, deep South governorship, young…Unfortunately, given last night’s speech, the GOP has missed the mark again. Deride President Obama all you will, my dear GOP and conservative friends, but you must admit that from the moment he appeared on the stage at the Democratic convention four years ago, he hit the ball out of the park. He inspired buzz not through his youth, his background, or through a manufactured package put together by political know-it-alls, but because he had the Charisma to pull it off. Merely look at the campaign he ran; he had a hard time convincing the African American populace (his so-called “base”) that he was black enough to represent them. He overcame the Rev. Wright fiasco with confidence and grace. He dodged the attempted swift-boating and red-herring baiting of William Ayers, “radical madrasas,” being a secret “Muslim,” and being called “the most liberal member of Congress” while building a base and planning a primary campaign that beat out the much better-funded and much more politically-connected Hillary Clinton. There are lots of people who are “smart” and lots of people who are “black” or “confident” or know “political strategy” but any of these obstacles could have tripped up anybody who lacked the force of personality to keep people from being distracted by campaign tricks and sideshows.

Yes, he has wonderful ideas and yes, he has ideas that are not so wonderful. But he is able to sell them to the American people and the members of Congress because of his Charisma. Until the Republicans can find someone that genuinely excites them - even the hard-bitten, no-nonsense, jaded politicos in your organization - then trying to substitute youth, skin color, and background for Charisma will end up with more “Kenneth the page” comparisons much to your detriment.

~QED

P.S. how many “top” titles do you GOP guys have? And isn’t John Kerry “the most liberal member of Congress”? Oh wait, maybe that’s Nancy Pelosi? Or Harry Reed? What about Dennis Kucinic? Hillary Clinton? Ted Kennedy? Get your act together guys and find new “scare” words.