I think many people are very excited about Obama’s candidacy, as much as for what it is as for what it is not. I don’t think Obama has painted himself as a Messianic figure, but I do think that people have invested their hopes of what could be into his campaign. I don’t doubt that some people are overly passionate, but that’s the case in every campaign. Because millions support you, doesn’t follow that you support every one of those millions’ personal behavior and ideology. I think the whole Messiah, cult-following rhetoric is more political spin in an attempt to divert undecided voters and discredit the legitimacy of his candidacy.
Being relatively new on the national political scene, Obama is a sort of political enigma that is difficult for people to label and pigeonhole in attack ads. About the best argument they can make is that he is all talk and no substance, and that is supporters are brain dead. That’s really a weak argument when you think about it. I know too many intelligent educated people supporting his candidacy.
Part of the disillusion that I share with so many Republicans is that we were supposed to be the party of ideas, reason, and common sense. The Democrats were supposed to be the party driven by emotion and opinion polls. The Bush presidency has been short on ideas and reason, and it’s a card from the old playbook to label all liberals as brain dead followers driven by feelings.
I like Barack Obama’s personality and character. We haven’t had a president behaving presidential since Bush 41 and Reagan. Bush 43 can’t even speak in public and his policies have not only been unpopular but have also proven to be failures. Clinton disgraced the office of the president, perhaps for a generation. People are starving for leadership, and if they see even the possibility of it, they will flock to it in droves. I grew up as a small child with Reagan as president. He defined in my mind what presidents are supposed to be and do. We went to school hearing about people like John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, and it seems like Ronald Reagan may be the last of the giants that we may see again. Has the American presidency been bought and paid for by special interests, turned by the best political spin machine, craving the best 3 second sound-byte of the day? We hope not.
I’ll be blogging more about Obama’s ideas in posts to come. I keep coming back to this but John Mayer’s song “Waiting on the World to Change” embodies the sentiments of my generation with regards to assuming the mantle of leadership in this country. This may well prove to be the election that engages those in the process who’ve been sitting on the sidelines complaining. I for one would love to see an election where more than 30% of the electorate gets out and votes, no matter who they support. Let everyone make their case and may the best candidate win.
February 25, 2008
Lyndon
3 responses to “Obama Supporters: Passionate or Clueless?”
ruach
March 1st, 2008 at 18:51
Thanks for your commentsn not yet convinced. Just read an article written in Newseeek about Obama from millenialist Andrew Romano(has his own blog stumper (http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/) who says that Obama is mobilizing the new generation like never before. As he writes, I have no idea who will be chosen, “the boomer Clinton who promises to play by all the old rules or the millenial Obama, who promises to change the rules entirely.”
Charles Krauthammer writes a quite extensive article about Obama on Feb 5 in which he discusses further the idea of Obama as Messiah. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/14/AR2008021403105.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns
“We are the hope of the future,” sayeth Obama. We can “remake this world as it should be.” Believe in me and I shall redeem not just you but your country — nay, we can become “a hymn that will heal this nation, repair this world, and make this time different than all the rest.”
Lyndon
March 1st, 2008 at 21:41
Makes we wonder if the concern isn’t so much about Obama being ‘Messianic’ but rather evangelical fear-mongering that he is the ‘anti-Christ.’ I’m not sure this is as much an insult to Obama as it is a confirmation of the ignorance of those who are supposed to be Christians.
ruach
March 2nd, 2008 at 09:39
Well, I haven’t heard anyone saying he is the anti-christ but likely there are some out there saying that. I ignore those guys like you do and feel sorry that name calling is their only solution–religious name calling at that. I guess I am a realist and anyone promising that they can bring transformation is someone with some great new ideas worth listening to or someone that knows how to say the right things to get everyone pumped up and excited. His candidacy is something of a phenomenom and I hope there is substance behind the words. I would rather have someone solid and boring than someone who looks presidential but is ineffective. Still withholding judgment!