Obama's Cult of Personality

“We are given to the cult of personality; when things go badly we look to some messiah to save us. If by chance we think we have found one, it will not be long before we destroy him.” Constantine Karamanlis, the former President of Greece.

In its February 17 issue, The New York Times attempted to distinguish a Cult of Personality from political charisma in order to explain the nature of the candidacy of Barack Obama. The name of the article was The Charisma Mandate. It writes:

“The “cult of personality” is used in the pejorative. But recast as a different name — call it charisma — and, as Roosevelt and other examples show, it can be a critical element of politics and its practical cousin, governance. It just can’t be the only element.”

The New York Times actually does a credible job of presenting different points of view as to whether Obama’s political “movement” is basically charismatic, or if it is something more. Given that the messianic nature of the campaign has increased since then, I am concerned that the “something more” is dangerous.

Swooning and screaming crowds of tens of thousands, people fainting and crying, these types of behavior are typically reserved, at least in the United States, for rock or movie stars. The Beatles and Elvis come to mind. While we cheer our politicians, American sensibility tries to keep them just that, politicians. But the media has continued to fuel the idea that somehow Barack Obama “transcends” something. What that is, I am not sure.

This has been capped by the three major networks sending their three anchors to cover Obama’s “world tour,” while pretty much ignoring most, if not all, of John McCain’s activities let alone his travels. From June 9 to July 13, The Project for Excellence in Journalism, an entity which tracks news stories, reviewed 300 political news stories each week. Obama was mentioned in 77% of the stories. McCain was mentioned in 48%. And anecdotally, I viewed much of McCain’s coverage as negative…week after week after week. Couple that with magazine covers being owned by Obama, including a Newsweek cover last week with an Obama head shot, bowed with his hands folded in prayer, ala Jesus…folks, we have a problem.

Whether you agree with Obama or not, he certainly is a showman. His penchant for addressing thousands of people, his attention to backlighting detail, with a vague message of hope and change with few specifics…and such specifics as there are, change with the crowd he is addressing along with overt, overnight, changes to his website as his policy positions shift.

This is more than unsettling, it is frightening, especially the changing web site stuff. When I watch Obama and his campaign, it brings to mind a movie called Leap of Faith, about a bible banging religious huckster played by Steve Martin, holding tent revivals in the drought ridden southwest. His traveling gospel choir sings in the background: “Are you ready for a miracle? Yes we are!” Amen and Amen and reach into your pocket and pull out your money. Yes we can.

More ominously, he is going to give his nomination acceptance speech in front of umpteen thousands of people in a football stadium. Maybe the masses worshiping at the feet of a personality doesn’t ring dangerous in the United States. We’ve never had to deal it with it before at this magnitude. My frame of reference goes to historical precedent outside of the United States, comparisons I won’t make here for reasons related to your opinion of my sanity. Meanwhile, the press is caught in Obama’s rapture, wrapping itself in whatever it sees in his message of supposed redemption, while ignoring a critical analysis of his policies. He is here to save us with the press being his gospel choir in the background.

I don’t need saving. I need a President who will protect the homeland, who will secure our borders, who will provide leadership toward energy security and independence, who will rebuild our infrastructure, who will help people to achieve their goals rather than give more handouts, who will demand excellence in education, who will put the welfare of this great nation above the likes or dislikes of Europe, the United Nations, and any other “world” entity, and provide a tax structure rooted in reward for hard work and innovation that will allow the continual economic prosperity of the country.

There is nothing new under the sun. Strip away the back lighting, Obama is just another politician who needs scrutiny. I would prefer to leave the stadium speeches filled with adoring people to Chairman Mao. Obama should read the words of Constantine Karamanlis. Those who build you up will also bring you down.