Reagan was convincing because he was a good actor. Obama is convincing for a different reason, I believe: because he is sincere.

We can throw rhetoric back and forth all day, but in the end, what convinces me is where people have put their time and energy. Graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law, with lots of big money offers on the table, he turned them all down and went to organize poor neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago for $12,000 a year. Meanwhile Mrs. Clinton was sitting on the national board of directors for Wal-Mart, where the records show she made no waves. I find those two well-established facts pretty hard to argue with, along with the fact that Obama has run an impressive campaign without accepting any PAC or lobbyist money. She owes a lot of people favors. He owes ‘We the people’ instead. Obama’s got my vote, and a significant bit of my money as well. I consider it well-spent.