Now that Barack Obama seems to be the front-runner in the Democratic nomination race, it’s become more and more common to hear about the so-called “cult of personality” associated with this particular candidate. The charge that there is something vaguely sinister about the enthusiasm Senator Obama inspires in people- especially in traditionally apathetic young people- has dogged him since the very beginning of the campaign. In the wake of his surging momentum since Super Tuesday, it has become even more frequent, and more fervent. In general, there are two kinds of people who express concern over the Barack Obama cult of personality, and two subsequent ways of responding to it.
The first way of looking at it is in the hysterical and nasty way that someone from Fox News might mean it, as a way of insinuating a vile political implication, namely fascism. The reason why the term “cult of personality” is such a slur in the political arena is because it is one of the red flags of a totalitarian- or even fascist- movement. Understand that no one has come out and said “Barack Obama is a fascist”, etc. But when people criticize him for cultivating a rabid base of support founded on his personal charisma; that is what they are implying- whether they realize it or not. While specialists disagree on a lot of the specifics of fascism, generally there are four telltale characteristics. These characteristics are:
- An intense (and unhealthy) sense of group identity and an obsessive belief that the group is in great crisis.
- A resulting fear of foreign contamination of the group.
- A demonstrable willingness to commit actions outside of the law and moral norms.
- The adoration of a charismatic leader whose individual instincts are raised to a level above the law and typical morality with the assent (or encouragement) of the group.
It is the final trait that is being slung like mud at Senator Obama and his supporters. The types who do this will associate Obama with the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, or even Stalin, even though he was an uncharismatic boor. There is, however, a simple response to this claim. While Barack Obama does seem to inspire an atypical level of devotion in his followers, at no point have I ever noticed the Senator, or any of his followers, suggest that he will take actions that extend beyond the legal authority of the President. I never seen even a hint that Obama will attempt to act outside the law or the moral norms of this country. In fact, he would in all likelihood be more law-abiding and moral a leader than President Bush. Additionally, while Obama does talk about the country being headed in the wrong direction- in “crisis” if you will- he does not single out or represent any one particular group. He is a big-tent candidate in the classic sense; and his support cuts across almost every swath of society; blacks, whites, men, women, Christian, Muslim, and atheist. Without the group identity trait reinforcing the others, it is really impossible to support an indictment of totalitarian intent. So the fascism-from-fandom claim made by Obama-bashers really doesn’t hold any water; and it never will unless these people back up their claims with some sort of evidence that the man will take illegal actions that are tolerated simply because he is popular.
The second aspersion on the Barack Obama cult of personality is less serious, but also more apt. This is the perspective of more reasonable people who view the candidate’s Messiah-like status with a profound anxiety. Speaking for myself, I find the uninhibited adulation Obama provokes in people at the very least perplexing, and at times even creepy. Apart from being an excellent public speaker, there is very little that differentiates Obama from his fellow politicians, and even less from his fellow Democrats. The thing that makes the real difference is his personal charisma; and while no reasonable person is suggesting that Obama is using his charisma and charm like Hitler did, it is profoundly dangerous to allow such considerations to interfere with cool-headed political analysis. The fear that these people have is that Obama’s rock star appeal is simply that- rabid fandom that just might translate into enormous power. It’s not like I don’t like Obama, if he is the nominee I will almost certainly vote for him; I just don’t trust passion. Politics is a game with some very serious repercussions, and it would be a shame to see the electorate award highest office of the land to someone simply because of their power to charm.
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