Obama is Real.

[amitten]

I think this is the main reason he's been a success.

When he speaks, everyone can tell, on a deep instinctual level, that he isn't just another politician.

He's not spinning and weaving and fabricating. He's not posing and preening and repeating stale sound bites. He's just telling the plain truth as he sees it--with genuine care, concern and thoughtfulness.

It shines like gold, and it's working. He's Real.

[ThatsMyBarack]

1. Thanks for sharing, amitten!

:patriot: BTW, I love your sig line--classic Simpson stuff! :rofl:

[amitten]

3. You're welcome. It's true, right?

And yes, my sig is my fav line from the Simpsons. Most people don't recognize it, though.

[faithfulcitizen]

2. yep, just being yourself is much easier to do when you're one of the good guys.

[amitten]

7. It is a talent that his true nature is apparent even on television.

He has that special combination: authenticity coupled with star power.

No one can stop him now--and really, not very many want to.

[ClassWarrior]

4. Authenticity. One of Lakoff's five key factors of electability...

In Thinking Points, the handbook for progressives that the Rockridge Institute staff and I wrote last year, we began by analyzing Ronald Reagan's strengths as a politician. According to his chief strategist, Richard Wirthlin, Reagan realized that most voters do not vote primarily on the basis of policies, but rather on (1) values, (2) connection, (3) authenticity, (4) trust, and (5) identity. That is, Reagan spoke about his values, and policies for him just exemplified values. He connected viscerally with people. He was perceived as authentic, as really believing what he said. As a result, people trusted him and identified with him. Even if they had different positions on issues, they knew where he stood. Even when his economic policies did not produce a "Morning in America," voters still felt a connection to him because he spoke to what they wanted America to be. That was what allowed Reagan to gain the votes of so many independents and Democrats.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/what-counts-as-an-issue_b_84177.html

Here's another excellent article on electability by George Lakoff:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/no-center-no-centrists_b_60419.html

NGU.

[amitten]

5. Great example. And yes, there have been Republicans I've

seen fall into this category (authentic). But they are few and far between. And Obama's authenticity is the most apparent that I've witnessed in the political arena.

[ClassWarrior]

15. .

[whistler162]

6. Dang, I thought he was Memorex......

[amitten]

8. No, that's McCain.

Minus the memory. (I can cut a 72 year old guy some slack on that, though.)

[whistler162]

10. No... that was Ella Fitzgerald!

so an dated reference falls short.

[JimWis]

9. Yup. Right on.

[Orsino]

11. Once you can fake that, you've got it made. :-)

Oh, he's a politician, and he does spin things (and even, on the subject of same-sex marriage, bullshit shamelessly), but he does connect with people. He actually answers questions.

[amitten]

12. I really don't think it's fake. That's why he's winning.

Every politician spins from time to time--they have to. But Obama is by far the most geniune I've seen.

[Orsino]

14. Yeah. In a profession that forces one to lie...

...he is impressively truthful--sometimes to his apparent detriment, but he somehow manages to turn even that into a positive.

He continues to impress me.

[randome]

13. And that's why he burns no bridges.

I'm amazed at how many DU'ers thought he should 'get back' at the media, crush McCain into the dirt, make Republicans rue the day they were born, etc.

And the flack he took for going on the O'Reily Show! Unbelievable!

He's always looking ahead. He knows he has to work with these people after he's elected so why spend time making enemies? He represents more than the Democratic party.

That may sound like I have a Messiah-crush on him. I don't. He just strikes me as -as you say- authentic. And that means it's more than about him and it's even more than about the Democratic Party.

[amitten]

16. Yes. The choices he makes seem always to be right. n/t

[daninthemoon]

17. I don't think he has a pretentious bone in his body. i told my rw wacko

sister: he's clark kent, kansas farm boy who grew up and moved to the south side of Metropolis to help people. i am so looking forward to hearing him speak forthe next eight years. it trust him. when he talks about his mother fighting with insurance companies from her death bed, that is real. it's something that privileged mccain can never understand.

[MrSlayer]

18. He is extremely charismatic.

And that goes a long way. He is genuinely gifted and has the right mentality and temperament for the job. Whether or not he can handle it, should he win, is yet to be seen. I believe he can.