Editorial: The Obama factor, revealed

WHEN it comes to Barack Obama’s popularity, are some of us just sheep following the herd? Yes, he’s got bucket loads of charisma, but we may be more susceptible to conformity than we imagine (see “How to control your herd of humans”). A recent study shows that we condition our opinions in reponse to those of others – when we agree with the crowd, we get a dopamine kick, and when we disagree, we feel like we’ve been punished. It’s a basic response that’s hard to resist. Once Obama’s popularity reached a critical mass, his success may have been inevitable.…