Political Charisma

First, let us talk about the 2004 election.

The main candidates were John F Kerry and George W Bush. Bush, already having served one term, was made out to be a leader, and a down to earth Christian through several media ads. Bush made no exact positions on issues, he kept is vague and simple. They played strongly on both his decisiveness as a leader, and his flaws in speech.

Bush had good PR people.

Kerry, on the other hand, was made out to be a proper speaking well educated man, who was not bold or decisive. He 'flip flop's'. They did not point out any flaws, and because of the money that he married into, they made him out to be a rich aristocrat. They disputed his war record, making little mention of their own candidates war record, except that he served.

Society wants someone who mirrors their own values and ideals, but at the same time has something that the country lacks. The country lacked leadership, and Bush was made out to be the one who could provide it.

Kerry debated issues and went into details and gray area, Bush stayed vague, but kept on with the 'leadership' and 'family values'. Bush liked to visit his ranch, proving that he was still down to earth, a real man of the people.

Can you think of another election like this one? I can.

Andrew Jackson vs. John Quincy Adams.

Andrew Jackson was uneducated, like most Americans, but he was certainly not stupid. He retired back to his farm in Tennessee after losing an election to Adams. During this time papers that he owned circulated news all over America of him living like a regular American: in a log cabin, drinking hard cider, working on his farm, reading the bible, sleeping on a hard wood bed.

When in fact he was drinking the good stuff, letting his slaves do the work, and sleeping on a comfortable
bed. He probably did read the bible though.

So, the next term came around, and this time he created a new party, The Democrats. The papers that
had been telling the people news of how he was living now worked on more propaganda to get Jackson elected this time around.

In these papers, John Adams was made out to be an aristocrat, who drank fine liquor all day and played pool with his upper class friends. He wore fancy clothing and talked proper. People began to believe that the aristocrats may be trying to take control over the white house, that perhaps some sort of conspiracy among the rich and powerful was going on. Someone had to restore American Christian values of honesty to the white house.

While Jackson was running, he kept all his speeches focused on the mood of the crowd. He kept it vague and simple so that no one knew where he stood on important issues. It was hard for his supporters to know what he believed, but they believed he argeed with them.

Afterall, this is about bringing back values to the white house, stopping the evil elite, not about cheap politics.

Adams on the other hand, went into fine details in all of his issues, everyone knew exactly where he stood. And, an overwhelming majority of people were not with him. Some people couldn't help but feel less intelligent then him, afterall he used big words.

America has a way of picking the man it needs for the time. They picked Jackson, he won in a landslide in all regions. Jackson just helped America need him, a little bit.

Alright, so maybe the elections weren't exactly the same, but it's close enough. I needed to give you some politics to chew on so you can understand what I'm about to say:

So, what is charisma? Here is what I think it is:

Charisma is when you display something that others lack, and the people love you for displaying it.
When people feel secure, they indulge in hobbies, entertainment, and politics.

But when they lose their sense of security, entertainment will mean less to them. The masses will look to someone who has a vision, a plan, a sense of purpose.

People at large are not in touch with their subconscious minds. They repress so much that they cannot always tell what they really want or need. So someone comes along who reads this need and fills it, and that person will be loved.

The person can be said to be a salesmen, and every salesmen knows what the customer needs. Can you seduce the world?
What you are selling is your image.

You need to create a balanced image, and play on your strengths as well as your flaws.
Above all else, you need to display a strength that the people lack. You must show that you have got what they need.

Can you relate with a man who has no flaws? I sure as hell can't. When you show your flaws it makes you seem human. It takes away the scary authortive effect, so people will listen to you and not just be frightened by your power. It sounds stupid but it's true. Your flaws should be acceptable to the group that you are trying to seduce, and they should be able to indentify with the flaw. Being a poor orator can be used to create a bond with the crowd, because most people aren't good public speakers.

You'll want to keep your standings on issues vague, so that no one can disagree with you. You do not want disagreement, your job is to create unity in society. Society has always been splintered by several groups of opinions, but if you give them one vague dream to work towards [new society] then they will have something to agree about.

As long as you produce results the masses will be happy. The more success you produce the more trust they will give you, and the more your power is amplified.

Try to sum up your one idea/vision into a simple catch phrase, and repeat it. Burn it into their brains. The catch phrase, like all messages, should be formatted so that people of all levels of intelligence can understand it.

You must have unshakable confidence in your vision. When the people see this it inspires them. When Lenin was told his ideas have nothing to do with reality, he would say, "So much the worse for reality." It is because of Lenin's sense of purpose that people followed him.

Never reveal the source of your confidence. By being confident and brave without giving reason you erect an aura of mystery that benefits you.

We are born without a purpose in life. We go from place to place, seeking a meaning in life, and instant gratification. Reality is harsh though, the and truths in life people find are as well. When you show that you have a purpose, a greater one that needs other to help build it up, people will be attracted to you. A man who can give order to the orderless will be loved by the people.

Of course, this should go without saying, always believe your lie. Reality is what we make of it, wouldn't you like everyone to believe your version of reality is the 'right' one?

Play on the fact that most people are submissive and reserved. Be alive, by acting with energy you fill others that pay attention to you with energy. The audience will notice the emotion you display, but do not overuse it or you will seem like you have no control over yourself.