Reply #82: I think you might be confusing cultish with

[tomg]

charismatic. Obviously, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but neither are they synonymous. And charisma is not in and of itself an endorsement or a condemnation. I am still undecided( I went from Kucinich to Edwards to ?). Still, I remember hearing King speak, and Bobby Kennedy speak and quite a few others. I have to admit, at 18 - 19 I believed. Heavy Duty. Well, add 40 years on and I listen to Obama and I really want to believe ( which is not to say that I do, and a big chunk of me has to step back and not be cynical). There really is a sense that "we can change the world, rearrange the world" - and some of you will know where the quote comes from. All of my kids support Obama ( 27, 27, 23, and 14 - the 14 year old actually is the most enthusiastic and politically active). My wife is Hillary.

Charisma is something that a group assigns to an individual. Well, at 18, 19, 20, and up, younger people need to hope and to believe that it is there moment and that they are part of something greater than themselves. Particularly after the absolute despair of the past few years. That is going to create a charismatic situation. The idea that somehow or other such enthusiasm, belief and loyalty - particularly as evidenced by young, idealistic voters - is cultish in and of itself is, I think, a bit over the top.

Incidentally, when did all of this "Obama cult" stuff start? I didn't check in at DU for a couple of days.