June 2010 Blog Posts (8)

Charisma: Its Effect on Politics & Media

The 1960 Kennedy-Nixon Debates ushered in an era of politics that has transformed how politics plays in the media as well as how public policy is formulated. The emergence of candidate-centered politics made individual personalities as important, if not more, than policy platforms. Eminent sociologist Max Weber transformed the concept of charisma from its religious origins to its secular manifestations. Weber asserted that charismatic personalities gained power and significance through sheer… Continue

Added by Edward Brown on June 25, 2010 at 3:39pm — No Comments

Mass. State Police Sgt. Weddleton Was A 'Trooper's Trooper' By Karen L. Bune

A devoted father of four sons, a husband to his wife, Judith, a 28-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, and well known as a “Trooper’s Trooper,” the profoundly tragic death of Massachusetts State Trooper Sgt. Doug Weddleton, who was killed in the early morning hours of June 18, 2010 while working a detail, is a profound loss. Sadly, his death follows-- one week to the day—the vicious…

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Added by Karen L. Bune on June 19, 2010 at 2:00am — 1 Comment

Charisma & The Illusion of Power

Power, as an illusion, represents the idea that power is not created or conjured up, but transformed from one reality to the next. Reality is represented by one's mindset. Internally, nothing has changed, but externally, all has changed. Take for instance the idea of a rare and precious painting selling for millions of dollars years after the death of the painter. In life, the painter was a struggling artist who had rejected materialism and worldly possessions. The most he ever sold in his… Continue

Added by Edward Brown on June 18, 2010 at 2:26am — 1 Comment

Mourning The Loss of Maryland State Trooper Wesley Brown

The brutal, cold-blooded ambush killing of 24-year-old, Maryland State Trooper, Wesley Brown has left those of us who work in the law enforcement and criminal justice arena cloaked with shock, sadness, and profound grief. The larger community also feels the pain.…

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Added by Karen L. Bune on June 12, 2010 at 2:00am — No Comments

HOMETOWN HEROES ACT---Dept. of Justice

On 3-25-05 the world my 13 year old daughter and I knew would forever change. It was Good Friday and "Chris", an Eagle Scout, 5.6 year Airman, NC State Trooper, and 15 year US Secret Service Agent, collapsed in the elevator of a Federal Bldg in downtown Atlanta, after his customary 3 mile jog. An agent with 10.5% body fat who did cardio/weights 4X weekly and jogged 3 miles, 6X week went into complete cardiac arrest. An AED delivered 3 shocks and got his heart rhythms back. After 17 days in… Continue

Added by Kathy Smith on June 11, 2010 at 3:00pm — 4 Comments

Deciphering the Messages of Charismatic People

A common sense approach to dissecting charismatic rhetoric from rationality might be:

1. Using deductive and inductive reasoning to pierce the veil of rhetoric. Deductive reasoning arrives at a specific conclusion based on generalizations. While, Inductive reasoning takes events and makes generalizations (Trochim 2006). Whether the generalizations come at the end of a case (Inductive) or in the beginning (Deductive), it is important to follow the logical connection between the… Continue

Added by Edward Brown on June 11, 2010 at 2:20pm — 1 Comment

Portland's First Class Police Officer Vs. No Class Cafe Co-Owner By Karen L. Bune

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Added by Karen L. Bune on June 9, 2010 at 1:00am — 2 Comments

Narcissism Fuels Passion Within Charismatics

In many respects, narcissism is the fuel that prompts charismatics to go farther than the average individual in achieving goals within and without crisis situations. Eminent psychologist Alfred Adler described this aspect of narcissism as the “Superiority Complex.” Maniacci (2007) asserts:

They see others from the vantage point of who is above—or below—whom. If they are not on top, they feel grossly inferior. Others tend to feel inadequate around them. They are overly responsible,… Continue

Added by Edward Brown on June 4, 2010 at 2:52am — No Comments