this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
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politics

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[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 48 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

“I don’t think he has the charisma to successfully run for president in modern times,”

The last thing America needs is another demagogue. They need a janitor to clean up the mess left by demagogues.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago (3 children)

We don’t need a demagogue but we absolutely do need someone charismatic

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Hunter Thompson claimed that lack of charisma was Jimmy Carter's fatal flaw.

Obama was a rare combination of policy wonk who could get people excited.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

can always hire the uncharismatic experts and go-getters but we do need to finally have a charismatic leader with violently good character

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ClownStatue@piefed.social 1 points 1 month ago

Are you suggesting they only hire the best people? Where have I heard that before?

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

The description I've heard is "front of the class minds with back of the class attitudes." It worked for Obama, it worked for Clinton, and if we don't recognize that it's a winning combination we're going to continue to get fucked in the general elections.

[–] madcaesar@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Things have changed, I don't want charismatic and slick, I want a fighter. Basically Trump but with morals and human decency.

I would not vote for Obama today, we cannot survive another let's talk across the isle and have tea candidate.

You cannot negotiate with fascists.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'd say you want someone charming and intelligent, which can look like charisma, I guess, but when I think of charismatic people, I think of someone trying to con you out of something. Is a different thing.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Charm is more basic like the ability to navigate social situations to please others

Charisma is the confidence and ability to inspire people

Evil people can be charismatic and they make dangerous leaders but regular conmen are simply charming

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 2 points 1 month ago

I guess at this point we're just quibbling over semantics. Merriam Webster defines charisma as a synonym of charm. :shrug: I just naturally get suspicious of such people when they want something from me, especially my vote.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

It doesn't surprise me, the Senate is filled with 100 people who think they are future Presidents

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

When he wasn't even willing to say whether there may have already been illegal military actions any slight interest I had evaporated. Even his "fight" is the meekest moderate pushback, in court, eventually, and with no specific accusations about his opponent. We need someone who actually seems to feel something other than bemusement that his mild opposition garnered a response.

FFS, Jerome Powell is putting up a more direct confrontation with the regime and he's a Republican corporate tool whose whole persona is built on being respectful and unemotional.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

He truly doesn’t have the charisma for it and would not survive the primary

[–] slothrop@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

President "Kelly" does sound pretty good...

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Yep, he's on the "I'm not as bad as trump" platform.

[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 33 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I want an “I’m going to throw all these fuckers in jail and throw away the key” candidate

[–] goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 month ago

Idk if the dnc will let a candidate like that run

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

That is on my "It won't happen, but it would be nice" category list. I think Biden really did do things for the people and got us going on the right track in the US. I want someone doing those same things and better for at least 8 years. I'd be thrilled if that's all we got. Yeah, his foreign policy was bad, but his domestic was amazing.

[–] Soulphite@reddthat.com 5 points 1 month ago

"I am not a pedophile rapist piece of shit and that's a step in the right direction. In fact, I condemn pedophile rapist pieces of shits and will find and prosecute every last one of them, starting with the orange one, that is my promise to the American people!"

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

A maggot infested piece of rotten meat on the floor of a 17th century Albanian gulag is not as bad as Trump.

[–] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Fuck that, he's a racist douchebag who throws immigrants under the bus when it's politically expedient. The fact that he's an astronaut is as impressive and relevant to his character as Ben Carson being an accomplished brain surgeon.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Either you have no idea how elections work, or you think that there are 100 million Socialists who don't vote because they are waiting for the reincarnation of Rosa Luxumburg to run.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 month ago

Half the country wants to abolish ICE and you're pretending only socialists care about whether their representative joined in on a modern day Willie Horton act that played right into their racist movement.