Obama: Glamour or Charisma?

Current TV : Mark Green, radio talk show host and former New York City public advocate, and political blogger Craig Crawford, author of The Politics of Life, sit down with Viewpoint host Eliot Spitzer to discuss how Barack Obama has evolved during his first term as president and how he is attempting to connect with his constituents as he campaigns for a second term.

"I see a distinction between glamour and charisma. He had glamour in [the 2008] campaign, which is when people sort of project their own desires on something they see, whereas charisma's about really persuading people to share your vision... He hasn't made that transition from glamour to charisma to actually galvanize people around his ideas, and that's what I think he's reaching for. But the presidency's a learning curve."

Craig blogs daily at craigcrawford.com
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Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford

Comments

[Virginia Postrel]

11:25 PM on 07/15/2012

Wow, someone has been reading my work: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-05/obama-s-glamour-can-t-fix-his-charisma-deficit-virginia-postrel.html
http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/01/obamas-glamour-problem/singlepage
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/04/the-peril-of-obama/6778/

[Rainbow Law]

01:08 PM on 07/16/2012

Just because talking heads have a forum doesn't mean they have new ideas. They gotta get 'em somewhere! I only wish they'd give you credit and had you on the show share your points of view.

[John D Rachel]

08:55 PM on 07/15/2012

"He hasn't made that transition from glamour to charisma to actually galvanize people around his ideas, and that's what I think he's reaching for. But the presidency's a learning curve."

What a bizarre observation! How can people be "galvanized" around ideas that they're opposed to. They might be deceived into supporting them. They might be hypnotized into inaction. They might be coerced into going along. But "galvanized"? I don't think so.

Obama might win the election on an anyone-but-Romney vote. But not even that is a sure thing.

Can we expect an October surprise?

Count on it.

[MetebAR]

06:34 PM on 07/15/2012

Well Craig, I still thing Pres. Obama got both glamour and charisma. His consistence is clear. The problem is not him, the problem is the GOP Congress.

[John D Rachel]

08:56 PM on 07/15/2012

I see you get your news from The Onion.