Charisma is Important

On April 1st, I had the opportunity to attend a Town Hall Meeting with Senator Barack Obama at Wilkes University. I approached the event with a bit more skepticism than the many people in attendance who broke out into chants of “Yes We Can” or covered their entire bodies with Obama posters (literally). I have not yet decided which democratic candidate I will vote for on April 22nd, but I was looking forward to listening to Obama, who’s speaking abilities I have heard a lot about, in person.

When Obama took the stage, I found that his charisma and oration did not disappoint. At one point, I stopped to look around the room and was amused to see many people who were literally sitting on the edge of their seats, smiling hopefully as they listened to him talk. It took me a moment to realize that to my surprise, I was doing the same thing.

I am not saying that Obama’s ability to inspire with his speeches and his talent for connecting with an audience have convinced me that he is the best candidate for the job. There are many actors, rock stars, and other celebrities that have the same talent, but most of them would not be good choices for President. However, my experience at this rally made me think more about the role that this talent should play in choosing a candidate.

Many political purists would say that candidates should win elections because of their policies, experience, and professional record only. I agree that these should be the primary concerns of voters. However, since in my opinion the policies of Obama and Clinton are for the most part similar to each other, I have begun to wonder whether things like charisma and speaking ability are legitimate things to take into consideration. After hearing Obama speak in person, I am inclined to answer yes.

My reasoning for this is that one of the biggest problems that I currently see with politics is the partisan divisiveness in Washington, which prevents many things from getting done. It will take an extraordinary person to be able to bring together the Republicans and the Democrats in the near future. In this case, I believe Obama’s charisma and inspirational abilities will be a huge advantage and something worth taking into consideration when voting.

Christine Zavaskas '09
Wilkes University

Communication Studies