Please try to avoid slang terminology when discussing important matters. The technical term for this is "total, unadulterated bull$hit". It is incredibly effective on a wide variety of people - morons, idiots, numpties, halfwits, and a$$holes. Limited testing also shows it to be effective on drunks and inhabitants of the laughing academy.
When will people learn? Every time a new political messiah turns up, you are 100% guaranteed to get violently a$$-railed. No lube, no exceptions. Look how people fell for the Blair Cretin - seldom has a person been so obviously (and demonstrably, for the wilfully blind) devoid of principle, knowledge, understanding, interest, skill, talent and use.
He got elected three times.
Or look at Brown. How many of today's wiseacres had the sense or the b4lls to point out when it mattered that he was one of the worst Chancellors in history? Almost without exception, everyone pointed to his prudence, his careful handling of the economy and all the other absurd fantasies. I have been ridiculed on more than occasion (by life-long Tory voters, God help them) for pointing out the blindingly obvious - that Brown's "stewardship" of the economy has to end in disaster.
Now, even his best friend would hardly put his erstwhile titan-status down to his charisma and bewitching rhetoric. The man perpetually looks like he's just cr4apped a thistle.
It really has little to do with any hypnotic skill that a particular politician may possess. In very large part it can be explained by the fact that most people are complete a$$holes who are in no way fitted to participate in the democratic process. People will beleive anything you tell them if they want to. Throw in a promise to bribe them with someone else's money (or even their own these days) and you can start measuring up the curtains for SW1A 2AA or Pennsylvania Avenue.
