Babs has taken a big interest in the presidential primaries, so last night she persuaded me to sit down with her to watch the Wisconsin returns and Obama's speech from the Toyota Center in Houston just a few miles up the road.
Aside: there were about 20,000 people in the Toyota Center. Admission was by ticket only in order to control the crowd. Tickets were free, but the campaign ran out of them and started issuing "stand-by" passes a couple of days before the event. Momentum, anyone? In contrast Bill Clinton spoke to a mucho-dollares-a-plate fundraising dinner just a few blocks away at Swanky Hotel. I don't know whether that event sold out.
Aside: there were about 20,000 people in the Toyota Center. Admission was by ticket only in order to control the crowd. Tickets were free, but the campaign ran out of them and started issuing "stand-by" passes a couple of days before the event. Momentum, anyone? In contrast Bill Clinton spoke to a mucho-dollares-a-plate fundraising dinner just a few blocks away at Swanky Hotel. I don't know whether that event sold out.
The speech was received with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for rock stars. Since I believe that the first priority of the federal government is national defense, Obama will not get my vote, though I concede he is an attractive, talented candidate, albeit with little experience or record of political accomplishment.
I expect both he, Hillary and Bill will be back in town again before March 4. And by the way, fellow TexasBloggers, early voting has begun so vote early and avoid the crowds on election day!
Anyone besides me and Babs getting a bit creeped out by the cult of personality developing around Obama's campaign?
I expect both he, Hillary and Bill will be back in town again before March 4. And by the way, fellow TexasBloggers, early voting has begun so vote early and avoid the crowds on election day!
Anyone besides me and Babs getting a bit creeped out by the cult of personality developing around Obama's campaign?
19 comments:
Creeped. Yes. Remniscent of the rise of a particularly charismatic leader in Germany in the 1930s.
No! I'm more creeped out by Hillary and a campaign of cold calculation and another four to eight years of a 'Clinton' Presidency (and I voted for the first Clinton twice...) I think she will be a disaster and were seeing that right now as her campaign begins to fold.
As far as Obama is concerned we all know the President doesn't make decisions in a void (or shouldn't at least) and so the issue of foreign policy doesn't concern me as long as Obama selects the right leaders around him he'll be fine.
Plus, people I know who know him well think he is bright and the real deal.
We're counting on you Texas not to mess this up!
That's my two cents worth anyway...
I'm with my geeky church friend. What you call "cult of personality" I call an inspirational leader. I don't want a president who tries to make it seem like they can single-handedly come up with a solution to every problem.
There are brilliant and creative people out there who can outhink Clinton, Obama or McCain on every issue. I want someone who knows enough to listen to the right people. And I want someone who I trust and respect and who makes me believe in them and their desire to make things better.
It's recently been proved that any idiot can be President as long as he has smart people around him. I don't believe that Obama is any less intelligent than Hillary, but even if he was I'd still probably vote for him because I believe in what he stands for, and trust him to know how to find solutions.
Mmmm...I'm a little creeped. I don't want to be, but I am.
I am big time creeped. Like cheese I don't really want to be, but I can't help it. My mom is mega creeped, all this talk about people being mesmerized by his speeches is a little to much for her! BTW I was creeped a little by bill clinton back in the day too.
Got creeped out when I heard someone play six, (count 'em) different Obama speeches where someone in the audience fainted and he said almost exactly the same thing each and every time (by #3 you could tell they were all staged). Definitely creeped.
Then I heard a woman who lived in Cuba when Fidel rose to power and she said that Obama sounds exactly like him. Exactly.
Don't want to be, but I am creeped.
So I should be walking around shouting "Heil?"
I think comparing him to Hitler is a bit extreme.
Indeed, SB.
Obama's verbal fluency is refreshing after 8 years of a president who can only speak in sound bites and who has dropped the bar so low in terms of honesty and ethics. I agree with songbird, the comparison to Hitler is extreme especially in the light of our un-provoked attack on Iraq and the horrendous loss of life there.
Creepy, really creepy is the fear mongering of Bush's lacky McCain
While I don't believe Obama will leave the same path of human destruction that Hitler did, I see the point that Jean is making. Obama has a cult-like following who are mesmerized by a charming man with eloquent words who tells people what they want to her. But he has little or no substance to back up his charm. Given that, if he is elected, I really do fear what will become of our country, both domestically and on the world stage. Put me in the creeped out camp.
I'm not creeped.
The reason that I voted for Obama on Super Tuesday is that I feel that Hillary will be just as divisive a leader as Bush was - only on the opposite side. We don't need division.
I'm also not sure that I feel that experience is Washington is a good thing right now. I think I'd rather have good quality raw material than someone trained in how to do things wrong.
In the interest of full disclosure, I took up this topic at my place.
Beware! RM's ranting again! lol
thechurchgeek's wife wanted to post the following comment, but since she doesn't have a blogger account she wasn't sure how, so thechurchgeek submits the following comment on her behalf (all her words though):
I have to admit that as an Obama supporter, I am offended by comments comparing him to Hitler, and to those of us who believe in him as mindless.
My perspective on his following is more "ecclesiastical." I think he is doing exactly what a good preacher does--create a vision of the world that is possible, the world that we long for. And when the vision is powerful enough, is hopeful enough, it gets us off our butts and working in our lives and in our communities to do what we can to build up the reign of God right here and right now. That’s what I see happening.
I am hopeful about politics for the first time in nearly a decade because I believe Obama's vision is powerful enough to bring "we the people" together to "be the change we seek."
[And to the “no substance” claim—I hardly consider someone who was tops in his class at Harvard Law, a visiting professor of constitutional law at University of Chicago, and a community organizer with and for the poor on the streets of Chicago to be an empty suit.]
I continue to feel that Hitler is an awfully dire comparison. The man attempted to wipe out a race and several categories of people (Jews, gay people, the mentally handicapped). He used his cult of personality to advance a personal agenda that was beyond creepy. Tell me you think Obama lacks experience. Tell me you think he's just a good talker. But don't tell me he's just like a guy who made a living at genocide. The other party's candidates have strong negatives, as they say in the polling world, for me, but comparing them to dictators and megalomaniacs seems out of bounds to me. This is the problem we have today. We cannot simply disagree. We have to take the disagreement to an extreme. I'm just waiting for someone (not here, in general) to call him the Anti-Christ.
Churchgeek, don't hold your breath too long in the hope that the average Texan voter will get things right. We voted overwhelmingly for GW and you know what a disaster he has been. And we did it knowing he had bankrupted our great state leaving things in chaos. You also have to remember the average republican thought GW better than McCain and with the former setting the bar so low what does that tell you about Mc Cain!!
Songbird sadly some react with a knee jerk when faced with an individual who is different from them. It may be the mob mentality which is ironic given the topic!
Wait no longer, Songbird!
No, I'm not creeped out. Nor am I an Obama maniac who would cry or faint if I met him. (There aren't many people I'd cry/faint over. In fact, none at all that I can think of!) I am, however, one of those who has been captivated by his charisma and his energy. I have never - and I mean NEVER - felt hopeful or excited about a potential presidential candidate. I don't know if he can truly unite as he says he wishes to do. But he makes me believe that maybe, just maybe, our political system could be a little bit different. And by different, I mean better.
I think the last 7 years have made most of us so incredibly cynical and disgusted that we aren't really willing to accept anyone who promises anything - kind of like a teenage girl who has been dumped so many times she thinks that all boys are worthless. She might be almost right, but not completely right. Nor are we completely right.
I'm with Songbird and others who take offense at drastic comparisions - like Hitler. Come on folks. We make fun of Bush. We don't copy him!
Goodness. I was out all day and come back to quite a kerfuffle caused by the first comment.
Let me say that I do not think Obama encourages the response that gives me pause. In the speech I heard he specifically discouraged the idea that one person can create change alone and appealed for help beyond the campaign, if elected.
I think that the response to Obama is reminiscent of the early enthusiasm for Ross Perot's third party candidacy,(for those of you who remember him.) And please note that I am comparing popular response to these men and not their qualities or qualifications. Time will tell if Obama's momentum and appeal is sustained.
Meanwhile, as I said before, be sure to vote your convictions. Or else, as my grandmother always said, "you can't complain."
Well, gonna stop any more comments on this campaign. Should've been clearer. Like you've said on other blogs, my creepiness is from the reactions around, not the person.
Personally for me, I do not like any of them. Not the ones in the office. Not any of them running for the office.
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