Gravitas. Wikipedia defines it as the sense of dignity, seriousness, and duty that is one of the several virtues that ancient Roman society expected men to possess, along with pietas and dignitas.

The Wiki entry goes on to explain that Gravitas should not be confused with “gravity” in the sense of importance.

It also reminds us that “Gravitas” was frequently used by news media outlets during the 2000 United States Presidential race to describe the addition of Dick Cheney to the George W. Bush. campaign. Cheney, an experienced politician and member of President George H. W. Bush’s cabinet, according to many media outlets, added “gravitas” to the campaign. What that got us is, well, history. We?ve now been through six and a half years of what has arguably been the worst administration in U.S. history.

Despite what we?ve all experienced together since the Redpublicans stole the election in 2000, this month?s rap on Barack Obama is that he lacks the Gravitas to win the November election. The Reds - who believe that Obama would be tougher to beat than Hillary - are also heating up the old ?he?s an elitist? rhetoric that Spiro Agnew used to bludgeon us blind with back in the 1970’s. Both of those tags are meritless. I see in Obama a man who has the ability to lead us, and while Barack may be different from many of us in troubling ways, he is by far the best of the three candidates, in my opinion. McCain - whose humorous put-down of the Woodstock generation revealed his own elitism - is out of the question. McCain will keep walking us down the same path to economic and cultural marginalization that we all been have walking with Mr. Bush and his friends. If Barack isn?t a perfect human being, I?ll take his flaws over those of Hillary and John. It?s about time we stopped paying attention to the pins on our lapels and the labels we pin on others, and paid attention to the truth. That?s the only Gravitas I?m interested in.