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A Look At Mr Charisma: Jack Straw

The word charisma is bandied about with great regularity these days. Yet perhaps nobody symbolizes the word better than British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

Not since the invasion of the Beatles has there been such a phenomenon. But then again, what would one expect from a man who lists walking and cooking puddings among his favorite recreations.

Today, for the millions and millions of Jack Straw fans around the world, his latest speeches, his latest words, nay, the very fragments of his words are awaited with overwhelming anticipation. For his followers, Jack Straw represents a refreshing change from the grey, bland leaders that have filled the international political landscape in recent years.

Crowds gather at London's Trafalgar Square in yet another example of the adulation Jack Straw receives around the world.

Nevertheless, many are asking the question, does Mr Straw's magnetism, the incredible power of his personality, not distract attention from the serious problems of facing the world today, such as the overthrow of the Iraqi regime and the later reconstruction of the country? In other words, is Mr Straw just too charismatic?
For example, a recent meeting of foreign secretaries in Brussels had to be delayed for three hours as thousands of people lined the city's streets to get a glimpse of the electrifying British diplomat. And the same scene has been repeated from Managua to Madrid, from Tokyo to Toronto. (Washington DC officials secretly fear that the city's operations could come to a standstill when Mr Straw visits his American counterpart Colin Powell next month.)

Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: we are unlikely to witness another politician of such overpowering personal appeal for some time to come.

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