The Huffington Post ran an article today about Obama reaching near sainthood at the website Huffingtonpost.com
The author's statement opens an area in regards to social psychology that includes many elements.
The present status of citizen's feelings about the current President is very low. This is not comfortable to many American's who prefer to enjoy positive feelings about the President, whether based on accurate information or not. Since the introduction to television into the core of US politics around 50 years ago, the image of one's perception of what is "Presidential" in the minds of many American's is mostly the product of media.
If you carefully observe hand gesturing and body language of those who running for office, you will see similarities. This is because gesturing, facial expressions, even speech cadence are taught in what could be called "political-media finishing school." What is added to that constructed representation is whatever "sticks" to a candidate or elected offical as produced by the media, whispering campaigns, and their own as well as opposing campaigns.
In the case of Obama, he has a successful mix of perceived qualities and attributes that create that "feel good" sense that American's seek to have about a leader. Along with that feeling naturally comes fantasies, unrealistic expectation, and other things that are akin to puppy love or infatuation. Obama is resonating with the psychological needs of citizen's right now who are unhappy in different ways due to problems with the economy, Iraq, major changes in the freedoms of Americans in American since 911, and more. Obama seems to be rekindling feelings like those which created a season of national flag displaying following 911. Americans want those good feelings and will respond to anyone who is a vehicle for generating them. Obama is the new high and drug of choice for many discontent Americans.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as people are aware of what they are responding to and why. Regardless of insight, people will cast their vote for someone who will give them the positive feelings they want.
Hillary is unable and likely incapable of producing any such response in people despite her decades in politics practicing. Hillary's real self, which appears to be quite different from the external persona she attempts to project, bleeds through and leaves people cold. The one moment of vulnerability shown early in the campaign, when she had lost a primary, resulted in a rebound surge of support, but it quickly dried up. In contrast, Obama brings inspiration to those he comes into contact with quite naturally and seeming effortlessly.
The bottom line is that there is a factor that exceeds and eludes the box within demographics, ideology, political priorities, and even biases and prejudices are contained. Some call it "charisma," some call it "spirituality," and some call it a sophisticated mix of psychology and media packaging. Whatever it's called, Obama has it. He has it, people want what he makes them feel and believe and they want to keep it. They will make great concessions to keep it. That's the nature of the dynamics of media-based politics and unless the vehicle for representation of politicians change, the effects will not change.
