Thread: Obamamania

Originally Posted by HoratioNelson

Here's what I don't understand: Yes, Barack Obama is a very charismatic speaker, and yes he made history by being elected the first black president, but why are people so fanatically adoring of him? He's been president for about a month now, and certain polls have Americans already listing him as their greatest hero, above such other figures as Gandhi, Jesus, Churchill, Mother Theresa, the Roosevelts, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Terry Fox, Lester Pearson, the Wrights, and other great figures of modern history (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/michael...t-jesus-second).

The question is why? Sure he was elected first black president, and that is historic no doubt, but why this cult of personality around him? What has he done to deserve such praise other than be very, very charismatic? Why is he seen as a messianic figure when he has yet to do a thing to be seen as truly great? Charisma does not make a man great. Let us remember that Hitler and Lenin were men of charisma, and they were most certainly NOT great in any way, shape or form. Not to compare Obama to tyrants and blood-thirsty revolutionaries, Lord no, but it makes my point about charisma. It takes great acts to make a great leader. Churchill was a gruff old alchoholic chain-smoker, but he was a great leader and a great orator. So why is Obama seen as one the same level as him when he has done nothing truly great yet other than be elected?

This is too big a topic to tackle properly, but I'll go for a little bit.

Obama presents brilliantly - young, articulate, great personal story - of which his color is a part. He is following a President who, however unfairly, is less popular than Nixon. People often get very caught up in 'now'. Don't forget that a recent poll very nearly voted the pretty but largely worthless Diana as the Greatest Briton of all time (a last minute campaign by engineering students got the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel up ahead of her). If Diana can come close to this, then all bets are off.

Right now people are making him into what they want him to be. Having done very little actually works for him at this point - people can still make him into whatever they want. It won't last. Youth & charisma are attractive - thus figures like Kennedy, Che, Jim Morrison & Jose Antonio have been idolized as ideal types for different groups. Obama plays that role now, but unless he dies quickly he will get tarnished. Politics has a way of giving peope very sticky clay feet.

Popularity & achievement don't always go together. Churchill may have been a great (if flawed) wartime leader, but he didn't win his first election for PM until 1951. He got the job in 1940 without ever going to the people, and in 1945 & 1950 the people he had led through war voted against him. They saw him as a man for a particular time & place.

History has judged Churchill well. Obama will have his chance. I doubt he will end up anywhere close.

That's a very astute post BF, especially this part:

Originally Posted by Bigfella

Obama plays that role now, but unless he dies quickly he will get tarnished. Politics has a way of giving peope very sticky clay feet.

Today's heroes are tomorrow's goats. I daresay that the future will not be kind to Obama and even he has recognized this, saying words to the effect of "If we are still in a recession in 2012, I'm out of a job".