For months now we've seen the articles talking about the Achilles heel that could prevent Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., from winning the White House in 2024.
We've heard that DeSantis lacks the spark and an all-important political attribute called "charisma." What doesn’t get mentioned: it probably won't matter.
The word "charisma" was never used in politics until the 1960s when John F. Kennedy burst onto the national scene. The looks, the tan, the hair, the smile, the youth.
The brand.
Kennedy went to an Ivy League school, he was a war hero, and had a beautiful wife.
Does that sound like someone in politics today?
Gov. DeSantis went to two Ivy League schools, is a war hero, and has a beautiful wife.
He even batted .336 his senior year on the Yale baseball team — all just like JFK.
And Kennedy provides DeSantis with a reality-driven template: "charisma" can be redefined and invented.
JFK looked good on TV, the new medium of the era, and his young family was a stark contrast to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who up to that point was the oldest man ever elected president.
Today, political "charisma" has evolved into digital political charisma, a realm in which DeSantis is a master.
Much like Donald Trump dominated cable news in 2016, no one is better than DeSantis.
He has become prominent on the cellphone circuit today, via the short clips you see when you’re scrolling through social media.
DeSantis has used his position as governor of the nation's third largest state, to talk about national political issues while maintaining a certain distance making him even more effective.
Trump has "charisma." Barack Obama has "charisma," but charisma is overrated today.
Detached authenticity and decisiveness are the coin of the realm in this presidential cycle.
The other related factor working for DeSantis is his age.
He’s only 44 years old.
Donald Trump will be 78 on Election Day, and Joe Biden will be 82.
We have elected our oldest ever first-term presidents in back-to-back elections.
In 1960, JFK was youngest president ever elected at the age of 43, and he came after the oldest president ever elected.
Thirty years later, history repeated itself. In 1988, Ronald Reagan was the oldest president ever, and after electing his 64-year-old vice president in 1988, the country went young again electing 46-year-old Bill Clinton, the second youngest president ever elected.
Voters also have a more general albeit reliable tendency to be reactive when picking a new commander in chief.
After eight years of George W. Bush: the Iraq War and the biggest financial crisis in history, Americans wanted a change and elected the first Black president in Barack Obama.
But, after eight years of progressive policies, Americans chose a human firecracker in Donald J. Trump. Then, after all the mean tweets and a once-in a century pandemic, Americans opted for a known calming commodity in 78-year-old Joe Biden.
In 2024, Americans will be asked to select a president again, and if history tells us anything… age and change might mean more than traditional "charisma" once again.
Rob Finnerty is the host of "Wake Up America" on NEWSMAX.
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