Word: charisma
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...what is most remarkable about Keyes is his ability to win converts to his extreme conservatism via exceptional spiritedness and oratorical flair; in short, his charisma...
Nowadays, "charisma" has come to mean little more than "charm" or "attractiveness." It is in this spirit that a Seattle Times reporter recently dubbed the Indigo Girls a "charismatic duo," and the Minneapolis Star Tribune called Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura "a man so charismatic, he can insult and inspire in the same breath...
...Charisma draws on personal magnetism--followers are drawn foremost to the leader himself, not necessarily to his ideas. For this reason, charisma is expressed more in oratory, direct communication from the leader to devoted (or potentially devoted) listeners, than in writing. Charisma itself is natural--some have a little, others a lot, no one can gain charisma through education alone--but insofar as charismatic authority depends on oratory, people can be educated to take advantage of whatever natural charisma they possess...
...days, perhaps essayists and polemicists hardened by the demands of written debate are sufficient compensation. But the cardinal virtue of written argument--its compatibility with dispassionate, well-reasoned debate--may also be its primary shortcoming. Written debate, precisely because it favors calm discussion to fiery rhetoric, does not allow charisma much of a forum. (Keyes is infinitely more convincing in person than on paper.) Consequently, debate devoid of the energy of charismatic orators like Keyes is less enjoyable for debaters and audiences alike...
...result, men and women who studied at Harvard during that time and later became politicians--Gore, for instance--are, generally speaking, unremarkable orators, and any natural charisma remains untapped. It is odd that the same institution produced both the charismatic Keyes and the stoic Gore. But such is Harvard's wonderful diversity...