Probably my favourite paper at university was a second year American history course taken by Dr Rob Rabel at Otago University.  It was always going to be a favourite when Rob let me do an essay on whether Happy Days was a reflection of the social climate of the 1950s (conclusion- no it was a reflection of the yearning in the 70s for a version of the 50s that possibly did not actually exist).

One of the things Rob emphasised was that American voters hugely valued character in their politicians.  He drew a picture with the Nixon period at the centre that showed that incresingly the character, integrity and value set of a politician mattered to Americans. For Barack Obama most Americans I have met on this visit have a sense of a strong character. He has fessed up to a few indiscretions in his youth, but he has generally engaged Americans as someone with personal integrity- a good husband and father, honest, forthright and not likely to lead them astray.

One thing everyone we have met with agrees is that Obama has bucket loads of another very important C- charisma.  It is an essential trait for an American President, and anyone who meets him or hears him speaks comes away in awe of man who can hold a crowd, send a message, give off a clear emotion.

But the question that keeps being asked in meetings here is the other critical C- credibility. On any number of issues people are looking for the substance to match the undoubted vision and rhetoric. Establishing credibility was the same answer to questions I put to a left leaning academic and right leaning economist on how he would succed with climate change and healthcare respectively. Both said that Obama needed to establish his credibility in these areas if he was to bring the American public with him.  On climate change it is to present a credible position that finds a multilateral solution that does not “destroy” the American economy, and on healthcare to credibly show how all Americans will be better off with his reforms.

So how, in this madly complicated, multi layered society, can you build credibility? Obama has blitzed the Sunday talk-shows, and is easily the most media accessible President in the modern telecommunications era.  But he is running into another problem- the credibility gap created by the very media agencies he is on.  We had a great presentation here on the increasing partisanship of the major media outlets, and it is not running in Obama’s favour.  More and more people are watching the cable networks and listening to talkback both of which running heavily against him.

In the campaign Obama was credited with speaking directly to the people through a potent combination of new technology and old fashioned organising and campaigning. There are some on the Democrat side of politics who are looking to the Obama administration to recapture that spirit now, before the key policy debates get away on him.

For many, including me I might say, we want to give him the benefit of the doubt.  His working style is often of low-key engagement, working the room rather than shouting through a megaphone.  But that is a slow path to establishing public control of the issues.

Whatever, spending time here makes me realise the value of another C, that was fairly absent in the last eight years in the USA. Competence.  That is one thing with Obama that Americans can be sure of, and very grateful for.