“neither emits the “gravitas” of a president and a world leader”
Look where gravitas has got us. I’ll take a “gravitas-less” Palin or Walker any day.
That's a sure loser. I think most independents vote for whoever looks the smartest.
But, in reality, and like it or not, there IS weight put on the word by the political molders of public opinion....plus the handlers and managers of political candidates.
It's said that both Cheney and Gore were put on tickets as veep candidates to lend a little "mature" weight, experience and "gravitas" to their respective presidential nominees.
In the history of the relative handful of important feminine world leaders and would-be world leaders, powerful women such as Margaret Thatcher, Gold Meir and Indira Gandhi benefitted from the perception of having "gravitas".....Hillary Clinton, Geraldine Ferraro, Sarah Palin, Angela Merkel....not so much.
Nothing in a personal sense for or against any of these individuals or historical figures, just analyzing the word "gravitas".....plus commenting on the ways of the world when its citizens weigh the traits and personalities of leaders they want to support or not support.....and, like it or not, the much-maligned word "gravitas" DOES enter into countless deliberations of whom to vote for.
Leni