At a cursory glance Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are akin in some ways. Both are graduates from Harvard Law School apart from being analytical and smart. Both hold their emotions in reserve, are traditional in family values as reflected in their own personal lives; but while Obama appears self-sufficient Romney is "other-directed". The phrase was used in a 1950 classic, "The Lonely Crowd" by David Riesman.

Riesman analyzed that each new era spawns different types of personalities. During the time of agricultural dominance of the economy the individuals were tradition-directed. The lives of the people centred on cycles fed by beliefs and customs. The children mimed the parents without questioning.

In the industrial age the personality type that was inner-directed. They had uncompromising internal convictions like Victorian morals. This person was a tough pioneer the impassive engineer or the tenacious steel worker. Their focus was on physical stuff. These persons although rigid were steadfast.

In the age of service and information technology has emerged the other-directed type of personality. The majority of workers are not dealing with physical stuff their work is manipulation of people. The other-directed types are good at pleasing outsiders by selling off himself. This type moulds his character according to what others want of him. He is pliable and always endeavouring to be accepted. Rigidity of character is not their noted feature their personality appears smooth and silky. Romney seems to be a classic example of this type.

Having attended business school he learnt to dance to the tune of the market. He didn't try to specialize in any line like airlines or shipping. He became adept at managing management. In politics he has become the product that he is selling and he keeps changing that with changes in the market. He is seen in this campaign as a chameleon a hired soldier cut off from any roots, from any specific product, community or location.

The voters are not ignorant of the fact that politicians sell themselves. But in the case of Romney people are having doubts about whether marketing is the tune from start to finish. The other-directed person is not what America needs now. There is a pervading spiritual anxiety among Americans wondering if they have lost the tough pioneering zeal that built the nation and humbled fascism as well as communism. In these days when there is an overload of information, where fragmentation is social distrust is uppermost, the people need a leader with roots who is resolute.