Charisma over Character

This last weekend I sat in front of a group of folks and asked them about the election back in 2008. I mentioned how similar the Obama campaign seemed like revival meetings in the religious realm, complete with spontaneous outbursts and shouts and people fainting with excitement. I mentioned the regular themes that brought about such enthusiasm: "Hope", "change", "it's about time", "we're the ones we've been waiting for","Yes we can', and like themes which, I thought seemed very much like the themes of revival meetings and renewal group prayer campaign slogans.
In fact, it was really the far book end of the social gospel era. Mr. Obama's rhetorical ability aside, gifted as he was, there was the reality of what we really chose, which was charisma over character. We as a people for the last forty years or so have slowly gravitated toward looking competent instead of actually being competent. Our postmodern drive to be continually entertained has driven us to a desert of leaderless wandering, where we prefer style over substance, and are impatient with the process that would bring out character, hastily choosing glitz and glam, hype and spin, all the while knowing that this is the way of destruction. Thankfully, at least for now, we get a new chance to reverse this terrible error of judgement every couple of years.
The Bible, history and literature are full of stories of people who get the leadership they deserve and then repent of the decision and cry out for more "change we can believe in." When will we once again look to character instead of charisma? Soon, I hope.