Barack Obama may be the perfect candidate for our narcissistic age. We may be way too fixated on issues and his character when all that matters is us. We learn from a Pew Poll:

While Mr. Obama’s positive personal image plays an important role in his high favorable ratings, the polling found that his ratings are more influenced by how he makes voters feel than by specific characteristics they attributed to him. In particular, views that Mr. Obama inspires hope and pride are the strongest determinants of a person’s opinion of him. In other words, he is a charismatic candidate who has made large numbers of Democratic voters feel good, and this is even more important to them than specific perceptions of him.

In an era in which many believe they are “special” for not doing anything in particular, they may have found the “special” candidate for them. No wonder Oprah adores him.