In view of the US presidential election, an interesting discussion on the topic ‘What three adjectives would you use to describe your ideal candidate?’ was initiated by the website www.democraticunderground.com and those who took part in the discussion used many different adjectives to describe their ideal candidate and here are some of the adjectives listed by them: progressive, forward-thinking, hardworking, visionary, insightful, courageous, intelligent, knowledgeable, fair-minded, smart, and tenacious. PTI gave a new report after he won the election that described Obama very differently:
Barack Obama, who won a second term to the White House on Wednesday against all odds, is a hard-nosed leader with an even-keel temperament, charismatic speaking skills and a knack for consensus-building (www.ibnlive.in.com/news/obama--a-hardnosed-leader-with-charismatic-speaking-skills/304317-2.html). According to the article Barack Obama is a (an) independent-minded leader with an even-keel temperament, charismatic speaking skills and a knack for consensus-building.
The word ‘hard-nosed’ is used to describe a person who is tough and realistic and takes decisions rationally rather than emotionally. Such a person is guided by experience rather than theory and is said to be down-to-earth and practical. Some similiar terms are: business-like, hard-headed, pragmatic, realistic, uncompromising and unsentimental. Here are examples:
• It is very rare to find a hard-nosed politician in India.
• It helps the chairman of Microsoft in his transition from a hard-nosed businessman to a man who wants to save the world from diseases.
‘On an even keel’ is an idiomatic expression. It means ‘well-balanced’, ‘steady’ and ‘to remain in a calm and untroubled state’. The opposite of the term is ‘fickle-minded’. For example:
• Leaders are expected to maintain an even keel.
• When my sister lost her job she was very disturbed but she got back on an even keel.
The term ‘charismatic’ is used to describe a person who has charisma or who can very easily attract others and inspire them. Charismatic persons use their personal allure to lead others. Look at these examples:
• John F Kennedy was arguably the most charismatic president of the United States. He had good looks and personal charisma.
• Charismatic employers can make a difference in the workplace and inspire employees to become more productive.
Just a few days before the US presidential election, opinion polls suggested a ‘neck-and-neck race’. The idiomatic expression ‘neck and neck’ means exactly even, very close or equal. If two people are competing neck and neck, it is not clear who will emerge a winner.
• Americans vote in neck-and-neck race for the White House.
• Is it going to be a neck-and-neck contest between the Congress (I) and the BJP in the next general election in India?
Many Barack Obama jokes are available on the internet and here is one of the jokes that I enjoyed:
Q: What did Osama Bin Laden’s ghost say to Romney?
A: Don’t be sad, Obama’s foreign policy killed me too.
Rayanal@yahoo.co.uk