You always hear it, maybe in a movie, the “there comes a time in every man’s life when” speech.
I think I recently had my moment.
For the next two years, I am going to help Barack Obama become president.
You see, there comes a time in every man’s life when he has a chance to make history, to elect the first president with a very funny name.
President John F. Kennedy famously said for us to ask not what our country can do for us but what we can do for our country.
Government should be a place of inspiration, not fear. It should be a place of hope, not frustration. And, most of all, it should be a place of trust and faith.
In my short lifetime, I cannot recall any politician who elicits such hope and inspiration from his audience as does U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
There will be endless debate of the senator’s strengths and weaknesses for undoubtedly the next two years, but I would like to make one simple point. Charisma is much more than just giving a good toast at a party. Charisma is the ability for a person to meet a complete stranger and elicit both a sense of friendship and comfort instantaneously.
So, with that understood, one of the fundamental roles of a president is to set an agenda for the country, and then petition for that agenda to all forms of public, private and foreign interests. I hope that one can begin to understand that charisma doesn’t just help win elections; it helps with governing as well.
There is a reason why comparisons of Obama are constantly being drawn to Kennedy. The reason is simple: These two leaders make me want to ask the question, “Mr. President, what can I do for my country?”
