From The Seattle PI
By Margaret Carlson

In campaigns as in life, traits that are liabilities when you’re young can turn into major assets later on.

The chess-club member who flunked gym or the girl who doesn’t give a thought to her wardrobe come up winners as adults because of the very qualities that once caused them pain: The clumsy dweeb starts a high-tech company. Plain Jane becomes a federal judge.

Early in his campaign, Barack Obama’s most discussed weakness was a detached, even aloof manner depicted as proof of elitism. When Hillary Clinton morphed into a fiery populist downing shots and beers and gobbling the local fare, I urged him to get with the people. Hoist a pint. Have a doughnut, at least. He didn’t heed my advice.

As the 2008 campaign closes and the U.S. finds itself battered by an economic storm, Obama’s unflappable demeanor has a new name. It’s called a presidential temperament.

It’s come in handy during the financial crisis, particularly when John McCain “suspended” his campaign, jeopardizing their first debate, saying he didn’t want to phone in his advice. Then he spent the weekend at his Arlington, Va., headquarters phoning members of Congress.

Obama quietly huddled with former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and billionaire investor Warren Buffett. He refused to cancel the debate on a Friday night, with markets and Congress closed. McCain showed up.

That same temperament prevailed again at last week’s debate. Obama was steady, and McCain tried to be. He talked less about being a “maverick” (condolences to those at home playing the drinking game) in favor of being “a cool hand on the tiller” in rough seas.

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