On a scale of 1-10, how enthusiastic are you for your candidate?

[Hortensis]

10. :) Inclination to high rates of enthusiasm comes first from within

the enthusiasts, and they tend to be drawn to candidates who are able to connect to that need for someone to feel enthusiastic about. Rarely a new leader generates wide enthusiasm; usually that happens for someone who's been in office for a while. FDR was an unenthusiastic pick for most in the beginning

Venal media have done a job on us by insisting those candidates who aren't generating demonstrably enthusiastic followings are doing something wrong. What's really going on is that exciting leaders, like Trump, sell newspapers. Good citizens are self directed, though, and don't need candidates to come "excite" them out of a politically vegetative state.

And we're the liberal party, and most liberals just don't tend to be devoted followers. Calm liking for a candidate in one person is just as good as enthusiasm in another, and often far more committed. In fact, Democratic voting rates are highest among those who don't require being excited, and we usually elect people the media excoriated for not providing the excitement they need.