The Dangerous Sway of Charisma and Charismatic Salvation

Max Weber in his book, Economy and Society, defined charismatic leaders as those who are "set apart from ordinary [people] and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least exceptional powers and qualities... [that] are not accessible to the ordinary person but are regarded as divine or as exemplary."

It's often when things are at their worst, when we find ourselves in a dependent state that we look to leaders to bail us out. This is when we are at our most vulnerable. This is the time when we must beware of those with all the answers, who make us feel good, who offer hope as if they are that hope.

We should look for leaders who encourage us to work with each other, who are realistic, and who may not always have the answer or make us feel warm and fuzzy all over.

Nationalism, patriotism, celebrity worship are all examples of referent power,  which is individual power based on the power-holder's ability to sway people and shape the future by their sheer presence and personality. It's the ability to captivate the masses by spell-bounding charisma. It is foolish and can be very dangerous, especially in a celebrity culture like ours. More than ever before, leadership should not rest upon the shoulders of one individual.

Knowing what we know about Hitler now, it's very hard to imagine his power to captivate; however, as the following pictures demonstrate, he certainly did.

"Some observers have suggested that in the presence of charismatics, followers can experience inspiration, empowerment, and even awe. Those states are created by specific acts undertaken by leaders--behaviors such as dramatizing a mission, assuring followers of their competency, projecting self-assurance, and enhancing their own image. Other accounts of charismatic leaders unabashedly assert that leaders need to engage in impression management, in image building, and in manipulation of meaning in order to bind "subordinates" closely to them and to their vision. It's no wonder, then, that charismatic leaders are granted enormous license to direct an organization--be that in a direction of pro- or anti-social practices".

The Brown House in Munich

Hitler's 50th birthday

Pictures from "The Hitler No One Knows"

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Biden and Obama, Charisma, Inc.

Finally, a clear picture emerges. No bias here...OK, maybe, just a little, considering Joe Biden, was my first choice for President.

Barack Obama's choice of running mate reveals something very important about his character, that he is not afraid of being challenged. In his owns words, "I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a yes person when it comes to policy- making." Undoubtedly, Joe Biden will voice his opinion loud and clear.

Charisma -- je ne sais quoi - "I know that I do not know" -- although hard to define, is the ability to convey two opposite qualities or contradictory impulses -- strength and vulnerability, grandeur and humility etc. -- at the same time according to Joseph Roach, author of the book, It and Professor of Theater and English at Yale University.

From the few times that I've been in the presence of Joe Biden, he comes across larger than life. He relates easily to people, with tremendous charisma and a commanding presence. However, as most of us know, he doesn't mince words when he is fired up about something. He has this uncanny ability to be brutally honest and direct, but at the same time seems to intuitively sense the needs of others, conveying a sincere interest in their welfare.

Charisma, in and of itself is neither good nor bad. In fact, encountering charisma should trigger our suspicions as it can often camouflage sociopathic tendencies... think Ted Bundy. Thankfully, Ted Bundy is a freak of nature, but that doesn't mean we should not be very careful, especially when we do not know much about the person's history. This is the reason, Obama raises red flags in some people's minds, including my own. What do we know about him? Not much.

On the other hand, Joe Biden has been around "forever".
We know he's not perfect...far from it. Between his admitted plagiarism back in 1987, and his "support" of the bankruptcy bill, I posted about previously,

...Joe Biden resides in one of the only states ... every single credit card issuer incorporates in the state of Delaware, making it almost impossible to totally ignore their greedy demands...
As we all know, decisions are not always as clear cut as they appear. One must give priority to certain factors over others, weighing the pros and cons of each one and then incorporate what they've discovered to make a final decision that will hopefully support their overall agenda or goal...
He knew voting against the bill would make no difference to the outcome; he was pretty sure he would enter the 2008 Presidential race; he knew that foreign affairs is a critical issue to our future; and he knew his expertise in this area is far superior to all of the other candidates. Voting against the bill may have accomplished nothing more than to kill his political career at a time when his knowledge and leadership is invaluable to America.

we know the guy has flaws.

Nevertheless, Joe Biden's path has not been an easy one. At the age of 29-years old, in 1972, one month after winning his first Senate election -- the youngest man ever elected to the Senate -- his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two young sons hospitalized. Biden never abandoned his responsibility to his country nor his family. He made the decision to commute by train from Wilmington DE to Washington DC and has continued to do so for the last 35-years. He drives an economical car (I saw it) and just a few years ago, he was listed at the bottom of a list ranking personal wealth amongst current senators. The Republicans will have a hard time pinning an elitist label on Biden.

There is no doubt that Joe Biden truly complements Barack Obama in more ways than one. He has the credentials in foreign affairs and national security that Obama lacks as he has served three times as the head of the Senate's Foreign Relations committee. He In addition, his son Beau Biden will start an army tour of duty in Iraq, October 3.

Most importantly, we know Joe Biden tries to learn from his mistakes, is open minded enough to incorporate new knowledge and information, and tries very hard to make decisions, right or wrong, based on solid principles and a love for his country rather than a love of wealth, power, status etc. As far as politicians go, Joe Biden tops the list regarding integrity.

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