I believe you meant “dyed in the wool”, unless of course you’re a dead sheep.
Marginally, I said Biden. But Castro seems like a nice guy. I find Warren and Sanders to be too screechy and too arrogant- they’re like “I’ve got it all figured out, no need to worry about what you might think”.
Pete may seem nice, but seriously it would be best if he spent some time in Washington first.
The Castro brothers have really showed their ass in this campaign. I used to think they were sorta likeable if nonentities, now I think they are snakes, between Joaquin’s attempt to instigate people against Trump donors and Julian’s ham handed attack on Biden’s age in a debate that went very badly for him.
I’d chill with Yang.
Biden would knock over the bong and bump into the phonograph player.
I wouldn’t even say Pete is particularly charismatic. He’s not Bill Clinton or Barack Obama who carried a celebrity aura about them. Those two can captivate an audience on the day job of politics but then joke around on a late night show or sit down interview. Pete is more like Jimmy Carter. He has that folksy demeanour that makes him come across relatable to crowds. Carter was never seen as an enlightening or profound orator but he was an earnest and excellent campaigner who did the work to go from obscurity to frontrunner to president which after Watergate people liked.
Pete’s got charisma but that super X factor is rare and there’s actually been more candidates with that X factor in the last few decades than there should be. Democrats just got lucky three times since 1960. They shouldn’t expect that to be a common thing going forward.
And yet the American public tends to select the more “have a beer with this guy” repeatedl. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama were all experts in seeming relatable and chummy. While H.W. and Trump aren’t really “that guy,” they both ran against opponents that, no matter their qualifications or beliefs, seemed personally off-putting.
Yang does seem to be the most personable of the Democratic field, followed by Booker and Buttgieg (when Buttgieg isn’t getting preachy, which he occasionally does,) he’s way too out there. There’s a certain Biden-line of personal charisma that the Democratic nominee should probably be at or above. No matter your opinions on the beliefs and suitability of Warren, Williamson or Sanders, they come off a little bit as either aliens or overly schoolmarmish (both in the case of Sanders, IMHO.)
Warren does have a kind of weird charisma when she’s totally off the cuff. She’s only average at scripted speeches and events, but when she’s just having fun she’s infectious and shockingly energetic for her age.
If it’s all about charisma, the Dems need to nominate Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. As a bonus, he could whip Putin’s ass and/or win a shirtless pose down contest.
This is, believe it or not, also true of Hillary Clinton. She was always stiff and calculating but totally fun when the cameras were off and she didn’t feel watched.
The two of them really did make a perfect extrovert/introvert couple.
I think you guys are equating your personal dislike for Sanders with assuming he isn’t charismatic. I get the impression some democrats blame Sanders for Clinton losing in 2016, and I think that skews people’s perception of him (I don’t see how Sander is responsible, most of his voters voted for Clinton in the general).
Anyway, yes Sanders is charismatic. He speaks fluently in the language of morality, and about the evils of oligarchy. He has been consistent his entire life on his views about the dangers of oligarchy, it is just that society has changed to match his views in recent times (Kucinich got nowhere in 2004).
The definition of charisma is “a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure” which describes Sanders well. His consistency in his beliefs about the dangers of oligarchy make him a very popular politician.
Perhaps other people are talking about charisma in the sense of a non-threatening charm like Obama had. In that regard yeah Sanders doesn’t have that. But Sanders does inspire a lot of respect and adulation from people who agree with his message.
I suggest watching Buttigieg’s appearances on Stephen Colbert’s show. He comes across more natural there than at campaign events.
Sanders, and I don’t know that it’s even close. America’s granddad.
I am puzzled at people picking Buttigieg. He’s young, so I guess he’s cute to somebody, but I don’t think he’s actually particularly likeable. I think several of the candidates are more likeable than he.
Yeah, I can see this. Like, I’m not sure I trust them enough to make them dogcatcher, but I like them.
Obviously, I don’t think that kind of “like” can override all other measures for picking someone in authority.
That may be too polite. I don’t find Pete trustworthy enough or friendly enough to even *be *likeable. He’s a cold little businesscritter.
Yeah, she seems nice. I think her self-awareness & intelligence are question marks, but she projects an apparently earnest patriotism which is endearing.
“Define your expectations down.” LOL.
Ah, I see the problem. I actually kind of like Marianne Williamson & her spacy wine mom persona. People are different.
Sanders certainly has something when it comes to motivating his followers and hyping up crowds. I’m not saying “charisma” is the WRONG word for it, necessarily, but I think there are also a fair number of aspects of what I would describe as “charisma” that he doesn’t have. (This is not meant as a dig at him, I have huge amounts of respect for his integrity and ideas).
In particular, I find it a bit hard to imagine someone who started out actively disliking Bernie and disagreeing with his ideas going to a Bernie rally or speech and just getting sucked in by the mesmerising force of Bernie’s personality, or his soaring oratory, or anything of that sort.
Bernie’s appeal is in some sense like Trump’s, but without all the evil and stupidity. He is very good at tapping into the disaffection that so many feel towards the government at present. Aside from that one very specific area, though, I would put him around the middle of the pack, charisma-wise.
That sounds like a personal opinion, how about we get fact based.
Definition: char·is·mat·ic
/ˌkerəzˈmadik/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1.
exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.
Notice the first definition, compelling charm which inspires devotion in others. Are you going to sit here and tell me Sanders has not inspired people especially young voters to be devoted to him because of his character and substance? He by definition is charismatic, and if we look at the facts the guy has pulled more right wing, independent, and non-voter votes than any other candidate, and even had thousands of his own supporters go “bernie or bust” because they were so devoted to his ideas and policies they refused to break their principle by voting for a monster like Hillary or Trump.
Bernie Sanders, is charismatic if not the MOST charismatic candidate.
I’ve met Booker and Klobuchar and heard both speak (also Harris, but she’s gone); I’ve heard Mayor Pete and Elizabeth Warren speak in person but didn’t meet either of them. Of the five, I’d give Booker top marks. Personable, energetic and gives a good speech.
I’m torn between Yang and Buttigieg. If all I saw of Yang were his debate performances, I’d think he’s horribly uncharismatic, but in the interviews I’ve seen where it’s just him and an interviewer or two, he comes across as a charming, intelligent buy who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Buttigieg comes across as far more polished, as other people have mentioned, but I think in comparison to the other candidates, he does a great job of coming across as gracious, tactful, and engaging. Many candidates come across as preachy or angry or hateful or self-righteous – not all the time, but they have their moments, and Buttigieg hasn’t had any of those moments that I can tell. (I don’t think Biden has come across as any of those things. I just think Biden’s not engaging.)
During the October debates, when he was sparring with Beto, he came off as pretty darn preachy to my ears. Your mileage may vary, of course, and it’s entirely possible that Beto just brings out the worst in his interlocutors.