He has SOMETHING. The first time I heard him speak, he was debating Alan Keyes, and he WON the debate by reciting platitudes, but in a confident, authoritative, and hypnotic way.
I thought, “oh crap, he’s going to be hard to beat.”
He has a natural, preternatural, or demonic “gift.” My opinion varies.
You're right.
It seems his air of confidence arises from his ability not to listen to what an opponent says, but simply identify the theme and regurgitate stock replies.
Two things are lacking in his current appearances:
He doesn't take the time to prepare-- I've always wondered about his disappearances prior to major addresses, sometimes for several days, then emerging on some podium somewhere to deliver what MSNBC would hail as one of the greatest speeches of all time.
The second thing: his writers are mediocre, compared to the one he had in '08, and Rahm Emanual is no longer with him. Rahm is a scumbag, but he's shrewd-- perhaps the real power behind him in '08.