View Full Version : Charisma in 2028?
Let's assume Trump can't or won't run again in 2028, and let's hope that's the case. But, frankly, it probably doesn't matter what the 22nd amendment says, I am not taking the possibility off the table.
Any, assuming he CAN'T, what politician has a modicum of the charisma he has? I just read this great NYT conversation (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/opinion/democrats-working-class-chris-murphy.html) between Ross Douthout and Chris Murphy, and it was centered on how Democrats should course-correct to shift from running on Trump-bashing to actually reinventing or at least adjusting the party platform. There will be a paywall for some people, but the article is not the point of this post--it was just the catalyst for it.
Ever since Kennedy beat Nixon, I think charisma has been an increasingly important attribute for political candidates. I am fine with accepting that political leaders are mere figureheads for the platform. Of course they believe in at and can articulate it, but they HAVE to make other people believe in it--not with words, but by the power of their personality. I know that sounds superficial, but that's the way the world works now, more than ever.
So let's have a conversation about politicians of any party that you think have a chance to win on the basis of their personalties--the ones that just automatically attract people, have the potential for viral moments on social media, lift people's spirits, not with their political promises, but with the sheer force of their beings? Past examples are Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton, Obama, and Trump.
Who will be next?
iris lilies
5-8-25, 8:22am
Well, Ron DeSantis does NOT have the campaign chops, the charisma, to win much apparently. And then it’s too bad because I think he is a decent administrator.
As for Democratic candidates, I’ll address this question only from my point of view and what MIGHT lure me to vote the D ticket ’tho that is highly unlikely with Trump off the ticket.
For Gods sake yes Democrats need to stop bashing Trump as their primary campaign strategy. And cut out the most Left Lefterson ideas.
I’m not picky on charisma, but I know that if a politician has it, it helps a lot. Trump. Obama. William Jefferson Clinton. They have it. But that wasn’t essential for me to vote Democratic in the last election, I had halfway planned to vote that way to keep Trump out of the White House, but then there was the debacle of the lying liars who lied about the competency of Joe Biden. I’m not giving that crowd my vote.
So yeah Democrats, do this:
1.Stop lying, cut the lies to non-obvious
2. Put up a candidate who can talk to Joe Rogan for 2 hours, unscripted
3. Call out the lefty lefterson ideas of your radical left as ridiculous
But the question is, IL, who has charisma? For instance, you don't want Lefty Lefterson, but I think the most charismatic candidates on the Democdratic side are the most progressive ones, and polls show I'm right. That is, Bernie and AOC. Bernie is too old to run again :( AOC may be too young... I'm not saying that their progressive policies will win the day, but I'm most interested in charisma as a defining attribute--in other words, emotion, not logic got us to Trump, isn't it? Who will connect with voters in 2028 in the same wayl?
iris lilies
5-8-25, 9:42am
“Emotion not logic got us to Trump.”
That is entirely your own assessment.
I may have to revisit the topic later, but Trump logic did make sense to a portion of the population, and his emotion of vitriol cemented their votes. It unfortunately was not sound logic. So far I'm all in for AOC. She has a fiery rhetoric and a favorable charisma. I suspect she might be a little too much to swing independents, though. Dems need to drop their focus on DEI issues and re-affirm some sort of border control, which are among the issues that caused their defeat. Heaven help us if Harris rises to the top of the barrel again.
“Emotion not logic got us to Trump.”
That is entirely your own assessment.
True, but I stand by it. I'm not saying logic wasn't at least partially responsible for his election(s) but it wasn't the biggest part. "People don't decide based on facts, they decide based on emotion," is a line a read just recently by a political expert (can't remember who), and my own career in market research backs that up. And it's not unusual for people to disbelieve it.
iris lilies
5-8-25, 10:38am
Ok, charisma.
NOT Michelle Obama. She is lately doing a whining tour of privilege on podcasts and interviews. It is not attractive. Being in the White House was so hard. Being a black woman with an ivy league law degree and lots of wealth and respect is so hard. Being married to Barak is so hard.
Ok, charisma.
NOT Michelle Obama. She is lately doing a whining tour of privilege on podcasts and interviews. It is not attractive. Being in the White House was so hard. Being a black woman with an ivy league law degree and lots of wealth and respect is so hard. Being married to Barak is so hard.
I don't think she'll every run for anything at this point. After reading her book, Becoming, I'm convinced that she feels she did her part for Barack's presidency, and now it's her time. I don't blame her for that. I respect her and her background--she is completely a self-made woman and no one handed her anything for free. Just my humble opinion.
I don't think she'll every run for anything at this point. After reading her book, Becoming, I'm convinced that she feels she did her part for Barack's presidency, and now it's her time. I don't blame her for that. I respect her and her background--she is completely a self-made woman and no one handed her anything for free. Just my humble opinion.
She was a college classmate of mine. She had significant need-based scholarships, as did I. Nobody is “self-made”.
Nobody is “self-made”.
That's not what a lot of Republicans believe. To many, poor people are just lazy.
I'm sure she did receive benefit from need-based scholarships, but she had the self-determination and the talents to go for it, as did you. Neither of you, from what I can tell, were born on third base. You can at least grant me that, right?
iris lilies
5-8-25, 11:52am
I don't think she'll every run for anything at this point. After reading her book, Becoming, I'm convinced that she feels she did her part for Barack's presidency, and now it's her time. I don't blame her for that. I respect her and her background--she is completely a self-made woman and no one handed her anything for free. Just my humble opinion.
sure,I agree she did her bit for the presidency as do all the wives. I don’t especially like her tone when she talks about it, but maybe that’s just how she is normally. I don’t follow her that closely.
iris lilies
5-8-25, 11:57am
That's not what a lot of Republicans believe. To many, poor people are just lazy.
I'm sure she did receive benefit from need-based scholarships, but she had the self-determination and the talents to go for it, as did you. Neither of you, from what I can tell, were born on third base. You chose to exercise your will in that direction. You can at least grant me that, right?
One thing I really like in actual sincere discourse is when my position is not poorly represented.
The discourse is much more effective when you talk about your own opinions, thoughts, beliefs. When you summarize the opinions of others, people like me, ya’ll so often get it wrong. Or you reduce our opinion to that of a cartoonish simpleton. I’m sure you can find all kinds of links that support your opinion that “Republicans think poor people are lazy “but what’s the point of that? You arent talking to those Republicans. or maybe you think you are.
It is tiresome and that kind of discussion can be had in 1 million places on the Internet.
It makes so much more sense to me that we actually talk to one another here rather than address a whole bunch of people not even in the room here. if you want me to defend the thought “poir people are just lazy “I won’t bother because it’s too stupid.
One thing I really like in actual sincere discourse is when my position is not poorly represented.
The discourse is much more effective when you talk about your own opinions, thoughts, beliefs. When you summarize the opinions of others, people like me, ya’ll so often get it wrong. Or you reduce our opinion to that of a cartoonish simpleton. I’m sure you can find all kinds of links that support your opinion that “Republicans think. Poor people are lazy “but what’s the point of that? You weren’t talking to those Republicans. or maybe you think you are.
it is tiresome and that kind of discussion can be had in 1 million places on the Internet.
I make so much more sense to me that we actually talk to one another rather than address a whole of people not even in the room here. if you want me to defend the thought “per people are just lazy “I won’t bother because it’s too stupid.
You're absolutely right. That line was a too-flip response to the comment bae made that no one is self-made But, still, I'm not going to edit it out, because I do think that too many Republicans--ok, too many people--and I'm not pointing a finger at anyone here, tend to believe in the philosophy that you only have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps to achieve the American Dream. And if you don't do that, you deserve the poverty you get.
iris lilies
5-8-25, 12:05pm
One Democratic politician in my state who has tons of charisma, but unfortunately, lost his politician job and went to prison for campaign law breaking, is Jeff Smith. I am or was a Jeff Smith groupie.
https://missouriindependent.com/author/jeff-smith/
Our deposed former governor Eric Greitens had a lot of the magic charisma as well. He resigned due to a stupid scandal that wasn't even important in the grand scheme of things, but he does seem to have enough woman trouble that he might not survive the magnifying glass campaigns are under.
so, I am coming up with 0
Don't people at large find Andy Brashear charismatic?
I guess he is not charismatic enough for me to spell his name right, though.
iris lilies
5-8-25, 1:14pm
Don't people at large find Andy Brashear charismatic?
I guess he is not charismatic enough for me to spell his name right, though.
He is cute, I will give him that. otherwise I don’t know much about him
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