University of Virginia psychiatrist Jonathan Haidt, in trying to explain to fellow liberals why culture matters in how people vote, said the first rule of moral psychology is this: Feelings come first and tilt the mental playing field on which reasons and arguments compete.
The second rule, which Dr. Haidt says liberals tend to discount, is that morality is in large part "about binding groups together, supporting essential institutions and living in a sanctified and noble way."
As Dr. Haidt avers, move the hearts of men, and their minds will follow. The ability to win the trust and loyalty of the majority is a critical component of leadership. Mr. Obama and Ms. Palin possess unusual degrees of charisma in its older definition - that is, the innate personal authority that makes for an exceptional leader. Given that each candidate weds that gift to distinct value systems, it's by no means clear that their discrete personal characteristics are a distraction from "real" issues.
By Rod Dreher - Dallas Morning News editorial columnist.
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