On April 26th 2007, a little known senator from Illinois shocked the country as he wiped the floor with other candidates in Democratic Primary Debate — including senior party member Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois, would later go on to become the 44th US president, defeating John McCain in the 2008 election.
On the debate stage, Obama appeared just as he was: tall, well spoken, honest, and young. More than 60 years earlier, John F Kennedy appeared in a similar matter, facing the hardened, boring Richard Nixon. In both situations, the young, charismatic candidate won major victories, leaving no room for their opponents.
Then, in 2024, two old men appeared on our screens. In the middle of the debate, sitting president Joe Biden confusingly said, “I’ve been able to do with the Covid. Excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with – look, if – we finally beat Medicare.”
While he initially spoke out about his desire to be a one term president, Joe Biden chose to run for a second term — only to withdraw, with this debate performance being the nail in the coffin. The reason Democratic leaders provided for Biden’s risky decision to run was similar to their reasoning for running him in the 2020 election: he was the safe choice. A seasoned party man, a politician with decades of experience, and a curated image, he was just what Democratic leaders thought was needed to beat the erratic, increasingly extreme Trump.
While the 2024 election was controversial for a number of reasons, the process of picking the Democratic party’s nominee hints at a larger issue in politics. Compared to past eras, charisma is becoming a lost art — and it might be costing both parties their elections.
When looking at politics in its most simple form — the way people organize each other to benefit society — you would think charm, well spokeness, and most importantly charisma, would be the virtue that people focus on most. As humans, we naturally have an inclination to support people who we can relate to, laugh with, and who have a strong sense of self. There’s no formula on how to achieve charisma, and that’s what makes it so appealing.
Time and time again through the history of US politics, the more charismatic leader has always won. Whether it’s Obama, Bush, Reagan, Kennedy, or Wilson, those who have the inexplicable ‘draw’ are the ones that garner support. It’s refreshing to see someone be themselves and wear their opinions on their sleeve, especially in the modern era where manufactured phrases and rehearsed expressions are synonymous with the word ‘politics’.
However, these staples of presidential elections are not what’s going to win elections: authenticity is, and it gave Trump a leg up in 2024. No matter what you think about Donald Trump, it’s no secret that he has no filter — and that’s appealing to a lot of people. Although I believe his platform is more about giving people a common enemy than genuine charisma, there’s no denying that Trump has a loyal fanbase that love his demeanor.
This quality is something Democratic leaders have been lacking in recent years. Their focus on strategy and appealing to Independents is working against them, as their campaigns don’t seem very genuine, and part of this is due to their focus on seniority.
As seen in 2008, 2016 and 2020, there have been several instances of the democratic party wanting to run whose ‘turn’ they think it is. In 2008, Hilary Clinton was the favorite for the nomination, as it was generally agreed to be her ‘time’, before she was ousted by the rising star Barack Obama. Similarly, she was selected as the candidate in 2016, even though Senator Bernie Sanders had wide appeal, momentum, and authenticity. His charm and honesty was a far cry from Clinton’s painful attempts such as, “We need to Poke-mon-go-to-the-polls.”
In contrast to the Democrats’ decision in that election, the Republican party chose to run the man initially very few wanted as the nominee. Trump was viewed by Republicans as too extreme, lewd and someone who could never win a national election. Yet, he did, and his radical honesty was quite the contrast to Clinton’s extremely manufactured speeches, ads, and slogans.
It isn’t impossible to win major elections in past decades, and charisma is the key to doing so. Although 2008 was not as polarized of a time, Democratic party leaders did themselves a huge favor by running Barack Obama instead of Hilary Clinton. The way to appeal to a wide range of people is to turn party politics on its head, as so many influential leaders throughout US history have done. They haven’t always been the most seasoned politicians, but their charisma has carried them through. Until that talent can be brought back, both parties could struggle to find their future. Charisma is the key.