The need to worship is hardwired into the human psyche. Yet, as unfashionable as it's become in the last century to worship the God of Creation, the same cannot be said of the worship of political heroes. The most notable – and horrific – examples that come to mind are found in the frenzied, almost religious zeal that led to the rise of tyrants like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. One would think that the 20th century would have broken us of our delusions about one man's ability to perfect society, but think again.
The American people – exceptional though we are in so many ways – are among the best at creating political golden calves. We are obsessed with image; we love a good stump speech; we can't get enough of soaring rhetoric and a snappy slogan! The almost cult-like enthusiasm for Barack Obama is only the most recent example of this phenomenon.
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