Letters to the Editor
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cool as a cucumber
I've said from the beginning that Obama's personality is a strength. Both his unflappability and his "charisma," that oft-derided quality that has Clinton supporters in hysterics, contribute tangible benefits to a leader. While some see these issues as tangential or even, inexplicably, as evidence of superficiality, I say being calm, cool, and appealing can reap rewards when negotiating with Congressional opposition or dealing with a world crisis.
(To be clear, I am not conflating the likability and the unflappability. They are separate qualities, they are both abundant in Obama, and they are both genuinely beneficial. Personality isn't the whole story, and those who want Obama exclusively for that are misguided, but it's an authentic issue.)