Charisma is the Key to the Presidency

Share |

As a moderate Republican I wish I could say that Governor Mitt Romney will be successful in his bid for President but as of today this is not the case. Most polls show Governor Romney trailing the President, both nationally and in key swing states. According to Karl Rove, President Obama has 196 safe electoral votes while Governor Romney has 159 safe electoral votes. While there is much that can still happen prior to November 6th (Rove contends that President Obama’s lead is shrinking), without a major shift in Governor Romney’s campaign approach, President Obama will be re-elected.

by Nick Kachiroubas*

Charisma has emerged as the key to this campaign. Presidential Elections since 1976 have shown that, regardless of political ideology or policy issues, the more charismatic candidate has acquired an edge with the voting population. This was the case with the elections of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush (41), Clinton, Bush (43), and Obama in 2008. While Governor Romney has strong experience and detailed policy positions, he has to date failed to connect with the average American voter. The focus of the Republican National Convention was to humanize Romney, but that needs to continue, since polls have not shown a post-convention likeability bump. It is this ability to connect with individual voters which in essence creates an aura of trust between the candidate and voter. President Obama has a strong ability to connect with voters creating this sense of trust and while his margins may be slim (with opportunities to shrink further), maintaining the likeability edge will lead to his success on Election Day. The upcoming debates are especially critical for Governor Romney, not only as an opportunity to present his case to the voters directly, but as a chance to show them he can be a warm, connecting, charismatic President. Will voters be more likely to want to have a beer with Romney after seeing him side by side with Obama?

While the Democrats may retain the White House, the federal government is destined to remain divided. Republicans will keep the House, and while taking back the Senate is not the sure bet it was months ago, they will make gains there as well. What will be more telling is the intense divide between ideologies of Republicans and Democrats in the House. This divide will be realized with a greater number of strong members of the Conservative Republican Right as well as the Liberal Democratic Left being elected. The caution is that such divisive voices could create a continued stalemated government that seeks to posture political positions rather than deal with the complex problems that the American people want to see resolved. Billions of dollars will have been spent in this election cycle, and the results may remain President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Boehner.


*Nick Kachiroubas is a visiting assistant professor in the School of Public Service at DePaul University and Ph.D. Candidate in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service at Cardinal Stritch University, he serves as City Clerk of Crystal Lake, Illinois.

©2012 NEOCORP MEDIA





web stats tracker