Where's the love?

"Where is the Love" is an old Black Eyed Peas song but the title seems to have a striking relevance in today's politics.  Being away from the United States for a prolonged period of time has made me, I think, an even greater consumer of United States political news.  I mention it because ordinarily, I don't think I would have watched the YouTube clip of President Obama singing an Al Green tune, "Let's Stay Together", at a New York City fundraiser.  But…  I did.  And I watched it over and over again.  There is something mesmerizing about this President that makes people, whether they are skeptical or not about his policies, want to like the President.  He is so comfortable in his own skin; he is charismatic and connects to his audience like no other politician probably since John F. Kennedy.  He is like an Apple product.  To the taxpayer, perhaps little expensive, but very classy and something people "love."  I say "love" for a reason.  In Walter Issacson's biography of Steve Jobs, Issacson quoted the former Apple CEO as saying that he makes products that people "love."  In a way, the "love" for the President was apparent when he sang, "Iiiii'm ….. soo in love with you," and the crowd went nuts.  This scene contrasts sharply with GOP candidates in their most recent South Carolina Debate, and with what I'm sure will happen during tonight's (Monday's) debate.  I think there's something to the "love" the people showed the President versus the deep divide that there appears to exist among the Republican candidates.

Seriously, the GOP establishment is afraid of Former Speaker Gingrich but evangelicals love him.  The establishment supports Former Governor Romney but the evangelicals extremely do not.  Young Republicans "love" Congressman Ron Paul but older voters think he is crazy and former Senator Santorum is just waiting in the wings to see if he can get lucky.  The exit polls from South Carolina prove it: "very conservative" and "somewhat conservative" voters overwhelmingly support Gingrich, while "moderates" support Romney.  18-29 year olds support Congressman Paul; everyone else, Gingrich.  "Born-Again Christians or Evangelicals" support Speaker Gingrich; less religious voters support Governor Romney.  Senator Santorum wins the "abortion" vote, but voters who care about the deficit or the economy support Gingrich.  The divides are mind-boggling when you actually have a very qualified candidate who people don't like running for President!

Perhaps when Governor Romney takes the gloves off and begins to fight, for real, he may finally connect with the voters, but until then he's facing the perfect storm.  Romney may be the only Republican in the field whom became so successful working in the truest Republican form of capitalism!  Where are those Republicans!

I'm not sure how to characterize "love;" it's like an X-factor that some candidates have and others don't.  But from what I can tell, people "love" the President both at home and abroad in a way that no other politician is loved anywhere else in the world.  I'm not saying that the President Obama is universally approved of; there is a deep divide in American politics that may be insurmountable, and the lack of not only love but simply respect is a real problem.

Scott Matthews ‘13 is a political science major from Greenwich, Connecticut.  Contact him at scmatthews@davidson.edu