PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES FAIL TO INSPIRE

Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks recently produced a piece titled: "Why Joe Biden gets none of the credit that he has earned." In it he, perhaps unexpectedly, enumerated a significant number of positive outcomes of Biden's policies: The Inflation Reduction Act, the infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act, designed to encourage the growth of the U.S. semiconductor industry. With the "misery index," which helps to determine how the average citizen is doing economically, at 7.7, the lowest it has been in decades, 13 million new jobs created, economic growth at 2%, inflation down to 3%, unemployment down to a historical low level of 3.6% and "a zillion positive indicators for our economy," Biden should be cruising to an easy reelection victory. But he is not! At least 74% of Americans still think the country is on the wrong track. Brooks blames some of this on a "moral injury" and "a collective loss of confidence" or faith in ourselves incurred during the Trump era. "We lost national self esteem and are assuming national incompetence." His diagnosis is that we can't argue people out of that psychological and moral state with statistics and fact sheets. President Biden needs to get out from behind the protective walls that were built around him and come up with "a national story that will give people a sense of coherence and belonging." In other words, Brooks and others are of the opinion that President Biden needs to begin exhibiting charismatic leadership. Thus far, candidate Biden, although a very competent technocrat, lacks the personality that inspires his audience. Joe Biden is by no means the only candidate running for the presidency next year who has projected deficient inspirational oratory skills during this election cycle. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who imagines himself to be the GOP's rational alternative to front runner Donald Trump, should be a shoo in, especially since he spews the same culture-war vitriol as his mentor. He is young, a graduate of Yale and Harvard law school. He won reelection with almost 60% of the vote, and he does not need to confront the looming criminal investigations that could turn away undecided voters. With his background, and a deliberately manufactured extreme right legislative record in Florida, his campaign should have expected him to deliver his speeches with all the conviction of a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Instead, he has been observed to speak with all the animation of bored teenagers annoyed they have to look up from their phone. One of the most recent tracking polls show DeSantis losing to Trump by 38%. Both examples emphasize a need which is well recognized by each candidate's own support group. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a staunch supporter of President Biden, downgraded his administration's first year's performance, because, in his words: "The glaring problem is that there is absolutely zero charisma in the Biden administration." He went on suggesting that " it may be unfortunate that it is even a consideration, but in a social media and sound-bite world where everyone is a performer, someone has to have the charisma that connects to people and overwhelms memes, headlines and sound-bites as a source of information." Ron DeSantis' staff complains that the governor looks awkward and shies away from Q and A sessions on the road. Again, the complaint is "zero political charisma - boring," and ineffective. Charisma is defined as "a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others." A personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure, or a person who possesses special traits that attract, inspire or fascinate people. The German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920), a foremost theoretician of charismatic authority or leadership, identified three types of charismatic authority: personal, traditional - based on historic, cultural norms and conventions, and legal authority exemplified by statute and competence. Personal charismatic authority grows out of the personal charms or the strength of an individual personality. "Men obey him because they believe in him. The leader's actual power or capabilities are irrelevant, as long as his followers believe that such powers exist." President Biden and Governor DeSantis can both claim traditional and legal charismatic authority. But, arguably the only dominant candidate in the line-up for the 2024 election who can legitimately claim personal charismatic authority right now is Donald Trump. His followers seem unfazed by lies and innuendos. He keeps things simple. He does not confuse his audience with numbers and statistics, and he continues to draw crowds by effectively rehashing the same message. He did this successfully during the 2016 election when he defeated Hillary Clinton, a highly competent candidate, but one who lacked the necessary charismatic qualities. Ultimately, unless some of the qualified candidates can manage to relatively rapidly acquire the necessary messaging skills, the election battle may again be fought between a seriously unqualified candidate, who nevertheless inspires his following, and the remaining electorate resigned to chose among a limited number of unexciting, but highly competent candidates, no matter how boring. Theo Wierdsma