The Duel

[libertango]

Talking Points Memo has a feature they've been doing for a while using videos, called "The Day in 100 Seconds." It's usually a pretty good executive summary of the political events of the day.

Today's, though, rises above that, as it shows edited versions of Mr. Obama's speech, and Mr. Cheney's.

Not unlike seeing breakdowns of Mr. Obama's body language and Mr. McCain's during the campaign, seeing Mr. Cheney this way is highly revealing. I'd say even he doesn't appear to believe himself.

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Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I remain a pretty big fan of Obama. But remember this; politics is a performance art. If one politician seems more sincere than another, it is because they are better at managing the physical aspects of their performance. Since the advent of television, we have valued this ability to perform above the other things you might want a politician to be able to do (like, say, intellectually manage detail, or lead a large organisation). I am not sure this is a win.

[hal-obrien.livejournal.com]

I understand the basic problem, and try to watch for it. Malcolm Gladwell, in Blink, has a chapter titled "The Warren Harding Error: Why We Fall for Tall, Dark, and Handsome Men," after the 1920s president who both looked and sounded very presidential, but was absolutely out of his depth.

That said, in the US we've had a string of candidates who, say, could more obviously intellectually manage detail, or lead a large organisation -- and couldn't sell themselves or their message as well as the other guys. This has not only led to comparatively inferior officeholders -- it has led to inferior officeholders who have persuaded large segments of the population that their fluffheaded policies are the right direction for the country (and the world). I would number Cheney among them.

So unlike Philander Knox' quote to Teddy Roosevelt about the Panama Canal ("Mister President, do not let so great an achievement suffer from any taint of legality."), I would say Obama's presentation skills have the added benefit of being used in support of the rule of law.

[mcjulie.livejournal.com]

The reason that I was so taken with Obama as a politician is that I liked what he had to say, and I also thought he could sell it. I liked what Howard Dean had to say too, but he wasn't as good at the selling it part. I never liked anything Bush had to say, and he was never able to sell it to *me* but obviously he did sell it to many.

Cheney is an odd case, it seems to me that even people who really like what he has to say find him personally repellent. He makes their own beliefs that they already have seem *less* attractive to them.