Obama’s Glamour Can’t Fix Charisma Deficit:

[daa]

There was only one problem. Obama wasn’t charismatic. He was glamorous -- powerfully, persuasively, seductively so. His glamour worked as well on Bennis and Zelleke as it did on voters.

What’s the difference? Charisma moves the audience to share a leader’s vision. Glamour, on the other hand, inspires the audience to project its own desires onto the leader (or movie star or tropical resort or new car): to see in the glamorous object a symbol of escape and transformation that makes the ideal feel attainable. The meaning of glamour, in other words, lies entirely in the audience’s mind.

That was certainly true of Obama as a candidate. He attracted supporters who not only disagreed with his stated positions but, what is much rarer, believed that he did, too. On issues such as same-sex marriage and free trade, the supporters projected their own views onto him and assumed he was just saying what other, less discerning voters wanted to hear.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-05/obama-s-glamour-can-t-fix-his-charisma-deficit-virginia-postrel.html

[flamingdem]

1. UNREC FOR STUPIDITY

[daa]

2. ? Does that mean anything intelligible?

[whistler162]

7. The article you post.... nope unintelligible...

which begs the question why post it!

[Champion Jack]

6. I agree with you FD

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. Nope. He just wanted to be popular with the right wing. He refused to ask his base....

to fight the Repukes.

[JoePhilly]

4. What tripe.

The author should have posted that nonsense on TMZ.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Actually, it is very on point about the two words and Obama

Notice here on DU, those who identify as 'ardent supporters' never, ever sound like Obama, not in content, nor in style. If he was 'charismatic' his 'supporters' would echo his methods. The fact is, he says 'bipartisan partners' and his 'supporters' say 'ratfucking Republican scum'. The 'critics' also say ratfucking Republican scum. So the fact of the matter is that the 'critics' and 'the supporters' sound exactly alike when speaking of the Republicans, and the President is the one who speaks and behave differently toward Republicans than either group.
To claim one 'supports' any politician without actually supporting the spoken messages of that politician is a laughable thing. And face it, not one of the most ardent self anointed 'Obama supporters' reflect Obama's lexicon, nor his message of bipartisanship. In fact, they speak against it, they say 'Republicans bad, bad, bad'. When they say that, I agree with them. They are correct, as are the 'critics' that Republicans are bad, bad, bad. Charisma would lead to actual support and patterning after the ways and styles of the leader. The glamor factor is obvious, in that none of the 'supporters' take up the Obama ways, they just take up the name, and for some reason, shout at those who also say 'Republicans bad, bad, bad' while rationalizing the President's 'Republicans are our partners with great ideas' material.
Charisma and glamor are words with meanings, and this OP is dead on about which is at play here. The glamor is why the 'supporters' sound just like the critics, rather than sounding just like Obama.
There is much to learn from this OP. I personally do not see anyone on DU who bothers to support Obama's message and bipartisan desires, not one. I see people who declare they are in charge of Obama support, who do not reflect his political style nor his personal ways. If it was more than glamor, there would be support for the message and the lexicon he uses, not just for the image and the person himself.

[Enrique]

5. " assumed he was just saying what other, less discerning voters wanted to hear."

isn't that the total truth? The stealth liberal fantasies. And people are STILL clinging to those fantasies!

[Champion Jack]

8. Stupidist post ever

[daa]

9. So you few are saying that the enthusiasm gap will be as large

as 2008? Of course you are right, I see the the Dems marching on Congress telling them to cut taxes and cut benefits, just like Obama did?

Good luck with that. Talk about stupid posts you take the cake.

48% of the people think we will be in a depression in the next 12 months.

[lumpy]

13. Depression ? and I suppose that will be Obama's fault...

since he has done such a poor job as a dictator ?

[boxman15]

11. I'd argue Obama had plenty of charisma in 2008.

The country was arguing from the center-left, and I'm disappointed the president hasn't shifted the debate to the left like FDR did or Reagan did shifting it to the right. I don't think it would've helped in passing better legislation (the GOP is hellbent on destroying him, America be damned), but we are still a center-right country. He needs to shift the debate to the left.

[treestar]

12. Useless and meaningless drivel

Presidents are not kings. Politics involves more than the Presidency and much more that the President's personality.

Gee if the President just had more charisma, teabaggers would vote for tax increases and social programs. Only in the dreams of the simple.