I went to the rally in Chicago on Sunday. I have never been to such a thing before. I saw many people there who said the same thing. There were a lot of political first-timers at that rally. It was also a seriously diverse crowd. Old, young, black, white, Puerto Rican and Hatian, Samoan, Elvish, etc.
I’ll agree with the statement above by Least Original. Like Dean did before, Obama is getting to people who have never before been interested in the process.
He dealt pretty well with a group of protestors there, not too impatient with the interruption, respecting their right to make a point, and applauding them for trying to make it. It’s just such a breath of fresh air.
He hasn’t been an executive, that’s true. Maybe a governorship is in the cards if he can’t get at least the VP this time. But this “more time on the national stage” thing is overcooked. After watching Congress pretty closely over the years, I don’t think it’s the kind of place where you get better the longer you stay.
I volunteered. I’ll back this horse until I see a good reason not to.
Speaking as a Brit, simply having read a few articles and seen a video clip or two, it seems to me that Obama has the air of JFK. Interestingly, so too has Romney. I can’t put my finger on the exact reason for either, except that they’re fresh and different.
That said, David Cameron made a great speech at the right time, got elected leader, and look what’s happenned now.
I first heard (and was memsmerized) by him when I heard his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (free download via iTunes here).
I actually woke up to it when NPR broadcast it the following morning. I remember thinking “Who is this guy? He sounds like a cross between JFK and MLK!” I was struck by the positive tenor he maintains even when talking about difficult topics (a Reaganesque quality). I was struck by how different his outlook was from the politics of the time: in a time where the country was dividing itself into warring ideological camps (and the Republicans were running roughshod over what used to be a system of checks and balances), he reminded us that though we have our differences, that we have more in common than we tend to think. Pardon the expression, but I do believe he is a “Uniter, not a divider.” Beyond that I also bought his book, “The Audacity of Hope,” (another iTunes link) on which his vision is expanded upon.
Regarding his lack of experience: it’s a good thing. Being a relatively new to the Washington political grind, you can hear the lack of trenchant cynicism in the way he carries himself, a quality that erodes a little bit every year one is subjected to the Washington grind.
Moreover, the president has always been a figurehead of the nation to provide vision and direction. Experience? His cabinet needs to be experienced. The President needs to be honest, visionary and charismatic to get people to hitch themselves up to his wagon. For my money, no politico that I know of in my lifetime has had these qualities to the degree he has.
I think it’s because he’s no bullshitter. He actually answers questions. No evasion, no political crap, no speaking out both sides of his mouth.
He actually answered the dope-smoking question. Granted maybe he’s lying through his teeth but he actually answered it. And didn’t have a shit-eating, ha-ha I am fucking you over!, smirk while doing it.
True, but some people cast a “anyone but candidate x” vote. Some people also vote their pocketbooks or morals, and those can arguably be very different.
The best thing about him to me so far is that he sounds like he actually answers the fucking question.
All of the other candidates have their canned answers to the utterly predictable questions. I’m sure he has his canned answers too, but he doesn’t just spit out his talking points. He listens to what the reporter asks, stops and thinks for just a moment, and says something that seems to actually respond to what he was asked. And when he answers, he doesn’t sound like he’s full of shit. Refreshingly, he’s also a bit self-deprecating. He doesn’t come off like this person who has to be perfect all the time.
He also seems like he isn’t so compellingly interested in getting the job to feed his ego. It’s pretty clear that he hasn’t been dreaming of and scheming for the job for years and years like some of the others. Rather, he seems to have been caught up in the hype and enthusiasm, and decided to give it his best shot. His run for Senator was similar, in that he was a long-shot, outsider candidate who got the nomination and was elected, despite not really expecting to.
In short, he seems to be a smart guy who isn’t just another fucking politican. I don’t know if he’ll be my guy when the time comes, but he’s a lot more refreshing than the rest of the knuckleheads out there.
When José María Aznar first ran as Partido Popular’s #1 (ie Presidential Candidate, but they have to get chosen for Parliament first), he was too young to be a US Senator. He’d been President of one of the least-complicated Autonomous Regions, which would be equivalent to Governor.
A reporter asked him why him, “you’re way too young!” After a pause waiting to see whether the reporter had any other bullets, Aznar said “is that all? You know, time heals that illness” and went on to win.
The only people who have experience for President are ex-presidents, you know.
Because he can check the box “Black/African American” yet still not scare white people.
And I HONESTLY believe it is that simple. Why Paris Hilton? Why Anna Nicole? Because ‘the American people’ are political dolts. They can’t even choose a celebrity based on ability and talent, and all they do is follow celebrities and Holywood!!!
We expect them to make sound decisions about politics when they don’t follow a lick of it!!!
Of course, his lack of national experience means a lack of experience in national campaigns. Lots of time between now and the primaries for Hilary to fuck him over, or a bimbo eruption, or for him to crack under the strain of campaigning and say something stupid, or whatever.
If the Republicans have anything, they can save it until he is nominated and then cut the legs out from under him.
Pretty, wrote a book, no governing experience - the same could be said for JFK. And Ann Coulter.
Most candidates fall into this category. The task of running a successful campaign has as much to do with the experience of one’s campaign manager, no?
Again, this would be true whoever ran, wouldn’t it? My impression of the guy is that he has it together and is probably the least ethically compromised person out there. But I concede that’s just my read, rather than anything based on intense microscopic scrutiny.
