Either you have it or you don’t

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Just recently I had lunch with former Mayor Ed Koch, and I have to say it was a very pleasurable experience.

Some politicians just have “It.” Charisma, personality, charm, the ability to connect with people. Koch has always been one of them.

For 25 years, Koch and I have always had a traditional Newsmaker/Journalistic relationship. I’ve known him as the city’s personable and witty three term mayor, but this time over lunch was different. He was again literally standing as tall as he did when he was mayor. He’s a man in his 80’s, who has had heart problems, but on this day Koch was in his prime. Every weekend, he dines for the most part, with former members of his administration, and it was remarkable to watch Koch hold court without missing a beat. In all these years, I had never seen the private Ed Koch. But this time I did.

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