Ted Kennedy visits

Kennedy had already declared his support for Barack Obama in the primary, of course. On Sunday afternoon, he was supposed to stop by the Barack Obama headquarters on W. Market Street.

I don't know if this was part of the plan from the beginning, or just a fortunate coincidence for all concerned. But the county Democrats had already scheduled an open house and barbecue that afternoon in their headquarters, located almost directly across the street.

The Obama campaign said they couldn't confirm in advance that Kennedy would stop by the open house. But clearly, there was no way Kennedy could leave town without at least walking across the street to say hi. Not without it coming across as a snub.

I showed up about half an hour early. I was escorted to a back rooom where about 70 people -- campaign volunteers, I assume -- were seated and waiting. York Mayor John Brenner and councilwoman Toni Smith, both Obama supporters, were also present.

Soon, Kennedy walked in, a phalanx of picture-taking cell phones popping up as he came into view. Once again, I got that disorienting sensation I referred to earlier on this blog. That sensation of seeing someone I know well from television, and feeling like I've somehow wandered into the screen.

Kennedy was a bit heavier than he looks on TV. But at 76, he's still a strikingly handsome man. I'd say I hope I look that good when I'm his age. In light of the fact that I don't look that good now, however, it hardly seems likely.

He started out by getting the crowd riled up, and giving them two pieces of "good news": that Bush will be out of office in nine months and that Obama will be president.

He made it clear that making the second part of that prediction come true depended largely on how hard they worked in the hours ahead. He reiterated the national and international prominence of Pennsylvania in the race. And he told them that the next 44 hours could be among the most important of their lives concerning the future of their state, their county and their country.

Hey, no pressure.

As he walked out, people swarmed him to ask for his autograph and to get their pictures taken with him.

Afterward, he did head across the street to the Democratic headquarters. He spoke briefly, and didn't hang around long. To his credit, he didn't say anything pro-Obama for the Democratic open house, presumably sensing that people from both camps would be present.

He thanked Democratic Party volunteers in general, saying that senators such as himself and Bob Casey couldn't get into office without them.

After he left, I spoke with state Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-West Manchester, a Clinton supporter. I asked him if he minded having Kennedy in town to stump for Obama. DePasquale said he was happy just to have that nationally prominent a Democrat in York County, whoever he was supporting.

Brenner had said much the same thing about a visit a couple of weeks ago by former diplomat Joe Wilson, husband of outed CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson.

Yes, individual Democrats still want their chosen candidates to win. But heck, that doesn't mean they can't bask in their newfound sense of collective celebrity. While it lasts, anyway.

For me, the most interesting part of Kennedy's visit came just before he headed across the street. Members of the press were able to meet with him for brief one-on-one interviews.

One of the questions I asked him concerned what he thinks the Obama campaign means to a city like York, with a history of racial violence.

Frankly, his answer to that one wasn't spectacular. Just some generic stuff about the need to eliminate racial prejudice.

I was more interested in his response to a question I asked him about the economy. I referred to the imminent downsizing at Harley. I mentioned Hillary Clinton's emphasis on job preservation and creation at her rally the previous day. And I asked why workers, particularly in manufacturing, should support Obama instead of Clinton.

I expected him to talk policy. To refer to some aspect of the Obama plan that Clinton's is lacking. But he didn't. He talked personality. He said, in effect, that both Obama and Clinton have job creation plans, but Obama has the kind of personality that can get his proposals through the legislature.

I found that interesting, because it seemed to confirm something I had been thinking recently.

When I ask Clinton supporters why they support her, they're inclined to say things like "she's qualified," or "she knows how things work." Obama supporters frequently tell me things like "I think he can really bring American together."

When you boil it down, it seems to me that this ultimately amounts to a contest pitting Clinton's experience against Obama's charisma.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that Obama is all style and no substance, anymore than I'm saying that Clinton is entirely devoid of charisma. Neither is true. But those qualities do appear to be their respective specialties.

The importance of experience, I believe, is self-evident. And charisma? You may disagree, but I'd argue that was the main attribute that Ronald Reagan brought to the presidency. And if you want to see it translated into a quantifiable form, just take a look at York County's voter registration numbers.

Before the county got swept up in the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s, it was historically Democratic. And despite a recent 6,000-plus surge in Democratic registrations, Republicans still maintain an advantage to the tune of 40,000 registered voters.

I'm guessing the brother of John F. Kennedy knows charisma when he sees it.

But again, that determination will be up to the voters today.