Photo credits: AftermathNewsWe’ve heard a lot about Barack Obama’s charisma in the Democratic race: he draws huge crowds at his political rallies, which he quickly transforms to foot-stomping, screaming, chanting revival meetings through his evangelical preaching style oratory.
In comparison, Hillary Clinton speaks at her events in the tone of a candidate who is serious about undertaking the role of the presidency and urges her audience to later hold her accountable for the specific policy commitments she makes to them.
In this morning’s Boston Globe, H.D.S. Greenway comments on the power of charisma. Greenway points out that throughout history, charismatic leaders have represented the forces of both good (Winston Churchill) and evil (Adolph Hitler).
Citing Joseph Nye’s book, The Power to Lead, Greenway states:
“’There are many qualities of leadership of course, which Nye examines, but what struck my eye in this political season was his discussion of ‘charisma.’ It comes from the Greek for ‘divine gift, or gift of grace,’ and those so gifted include, in Nye's eye, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Benito Mussolini, Tony Blair, Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela, Osama bin Laden, Jack Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, Joan of Arc, and Eva Peron.
“Charisma can be a great source power, i.e. the power to persuade rather than force, but then soft power itself can be put to evil use. Hitler came to power through free elections, after all, and his speeches brought his audiences to a frenzy. And bin Laden spreads his lethal mischief by persuasion rather than coercion.”
About the Democratic primary, Greenway comments:
“Nye doesn't address the current political debate, but in today's race it seems to be Barack Obama who drew the charisma card. Like Reagan and Kennedy he seems to come up with the words that inspire, much to the annoyance of Hillary Clinton who is forever wonkish. Her husband seems able to coast on charisma, but she seems doomed to impress rather than inspire.”
Greenway concludes:
“Yet charisma for one ethnic or linguistic group can be anathema for another. Hitler's undoubted magnetism might not have worked on Italians. And Mussolini's operatic style would have seemed hilarious had he tried it on the British. But then the British never produced a Verdi, a Donizetti, nor a Rossini. Who knows, Obama might be boring in Burma, while Clinton might be electrifying in Beijing.”
Personally, I trust Hillary Clinton’s wonkish personality rooted in her ethic of hard work and dedication to lead the nation more than I trust Obama’s charisma that appears to deter his followers from examining his thin resume.
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