Charismatic Authority and Obama

“Yes we can! Yes we can!”

A crowd of fervent supporters chants following a speech. You would think they had just seen a rock star perform up there. In fact, the speaker was a Junior Senator from Illinois by the name of Barack Obama. How could one man, a relative unknown rile up the masses so effectively and ride this wave of enthusiasm and hope into the White House? The answer: charismatic authority. Sociologists define it as “power made legitimate by a leader’s exceptional personal or emotional appeal to his or her followers”. President-Elect Obama was able to mobilize the nation in a way that has rarely been seen in this country’s history. This year’s election saw the greatest increase in first-time voters, who overwhelmingly voted for Obama.

Throughout history, there have been many figures who have had this type of charisma, a sort of automatic hold over people. Jesus was a charismatic man who was able to gain millions of followers without any sort of legal authority or political office. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to fuel the civil rights movement with his fiery and passionate public speaking. Conversely, leaders like Hitler and Mussolini were also great orators who were able to get great public support through their charisma. Depending on who you ask, Obama may be either Jesus or Hitler, but whatever your opinion of the man, he represents the same things that almost all charismatic leaders have fought for: change. Charismatic leaders almost always fight to break some established institution and advocate dramatic change from current scenarios.

In the 2008 presidential elections, Barack Obama was able to consistently work up a passionate response from his followers through public speeches. He was able to connect with many Americans on an emotional level, and convince them that he was the person who could change the country and cure all of its ills. Whether you like him or not, Obama has captured support with his charisma more than any presidential candidate since John F. Kennedy. As Time magazine put it:

“He hit the American scene like a thunderclap, upended our politics, shattered decades of conventional wisdom and overcame centuries of the social pecking order.”

Only time will tell if it was change for the better. Charisma does not neccessarily equate to political success, but in the case of Obama many Americans are hoping it will.

Sources: http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/12/and-times-perso.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3582291.ece
http://atheism.about.com/od/religiousauthority/a/types_2.htm