Feb 07 2008
Barack Christ?
ABC News really sums up my feelings on the campaign about nothing.
Joe Klein, writing at Time, notes “something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messianism” he sees in Obama’s Super Tuesday speech.
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” Obama said. “This time can be different because this campaign for the presidency of the United States of America is different. It’s different not because of me. It’s different because of you.”
Says Klein: “That is not just maddeningly vague but also disingenuous: the campaign is entirely about Obama and his ability to inspire. Rather than focusing on any specific issue or cause — other than an amorphous desire for change — the message is becoming dangerously self-referential. The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is.”
You already know I’m going to tell you to go read the whole thing, so get your ass moving and kudos to ABC News for having the stones to say it. They’re the first mainstream outlet I’ve seen that isn’t dazzled by him just because he doesn’t speak ghetto.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
My first thought watching that speech was “this dude is way good… if I had slightly less brains I would totally fall for this”. I mean, after Bush, I would like someone who can speak well and inspire us, but I think Hillary does it and she actually has something to say.
And I agree, it was a bit creepy, and definitely disingenuous. I see why people are quick to liken him to Kennedy, but that’s just a surface comparison. It doesn’t hold up if you really look at it.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I heard a few minutes of the speech before I started watching the practically orgasmic woman just behind him. She was swaying, swooning and crying through the whole speech.
It seemed that every last sentence of the speech that I did hear, could easily be responded to by saying “How?” The problem is, no one’s asked him any “Hows” for the most part, or at least his robotic supporters haven’t paid attention to any of his answers.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Vin, have your predictions changed? Do you think the world will get wise in time?
February 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am
You should see this -probably the best political advertisement ever…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
February 8th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I threw up in my mouth the first time I saw that.
February 9th, 2008 at 12:16 am
What? Why? It’s great!
February 12th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Watching the youtube music video, it’s motivating, sure. If I was 10 years younger I might not notice that it’s a fluff speech. He doesn’t actually say anything. He does manage to inspire though. That’s a very dangerous combination in my opinion. After seeing that video, I wanted to run out and vote for him on the spot, but I had no clue what he stood for.
And it kills me to agree with Vin, but these people who follow him are like zombies or robots or something. And he’s all about change, but he never really gets down to saying how he’d manage to make changes. He wants to be anti-political, but correct me if I’m wrong, won’t the House and the Senate be filled with politicians? It’ll be business as usual for them, and he’ll be like “I’m the anti-politician! Why won’t you do what I want?!?!” And then he’ll have to play the game, which is what every President does.
Every President preaches change when they run for office… hell, Hitler did as well. (now you can all yell at me for invoking hitler’s name)
February 12th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
For a while, I struggled with what I thought was the ‘emptiness’ of the Obama campaign. Then, I realized the importance of his ability to inspire. On the issues, he’s really no different than Hillary and his proposals are hardly new and innovative. What’s amazing, though, is that he is galvanizing huge support from disaffected and previously apathetic crowds. His ability to help people realize that this message -a populist one, to be sure- is significant, that it is resonant, and that it is possible is nothing short of remarkable.
Let’s be honest, our government, like it or not, is, in many ways, a reflection of the collective American attitude. I think that Americans, as a whole and for a long time, have wanted many of the provisions that Obama is promising. Americans however, have let petty differences interfere with progress and Republicans, for too long, have exploited these differences in order to preserve the Status-Quo.
February 12th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I think the most amazing thing about Barack Obama is that he managed to get all those black people who for whatever reason were being “kept” from the polls to vote.
Somehow no obstacle could stop them from voting this time around.
Funny how that worked out, if you ask me.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
But the point is, if he’s not so different, why do we think he can give us what Hillary can’t? He doesn’t have the experience, and he just talks of how he’ll do things differently. Problem is, he needs the house and the senate and they won’t just change because he’s charismatic.
Maybe it’s just a ploy to get votes… maybe he’s the Johnny Fairplay of the political realm. He’ll get the presidency and then be all like “Dude, my grandma ain’t even dead!!!” Ok, maybe that’s a bad analogy.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Vinny,
Keeping black people away from the polls…that was an allegation pertaining to general elections of the past, surely not a Democratic primary.