Democracy's Dirty Little Secret: Charisma Over Competence

It was September 1960 when Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy debated about which one would be the best president if elected. It was the first time in history a live televised debate was shown.

Here's the takeaway; people who watched the debate thought Kennedy had won and Nixon looked terrible. But people who listened to the debate on radio thought Nixon had won.

Standing beside one another a tanned and fit Kennedy oozed charisma next to the sweating and pale Nixon. After Kennedy won the race political pundits pointed out that it was his charisma "that carried the day." 

Interestingly enough political pundits today say the same thing about Trump. His circus barker personality captured the attention of millions of Americans... despite his personal history. He's easily the worst president in American history but he got re-elected in 2024 - even after trying to steal the 2020 election.

Unfortunately, it often seems like the most qualified person running in an election doesn't get elected. Of course, when Nixon finally did get elected years later, he disgraced himself and the office and had to resign in shame.

It helps to understand that charismatic leaders leverage emotional connection to build trust and authority, which often blinds followers - as in Trump's case - to deficiencies in technical and strategic capabilities.

Political experts say there's a "Halo Effect" when a confident, magnetic personality creates a perception of competence even when it doesn't exist. People have a tendency to think a charming, articulate person is competent.

Fair warning. While effective in the short term, over-relying on charisma can lead to disastrous long-term results, including narcissistic leadership, poor decision-making, and organizational failures when the leader lacks the actual skills to back up their confidence. You know. Like Trump.

Relying solely on charisma can lead to "collective narcissism" and a culture where the appearance of success is more important than actual results. As in MAGA.

Charisma often overcomes competence because it targets emotional perception, which humans typically process faster and more intensely than rational evaluations of skill. It helps explain why Trump's followers blindly accept anything he says as the gospel.

Charisma is Democracy's dirty little secret where an idiot can get elected if he puts on a good enough show for the people.

As it Stands, finding someone with charisma, a sense of morality, and brains seems like an impossible task these days. All I can say is the Democrats better find someone like that in 2028.