Inspiration vs. Substance ... The Obama Ministry.

[IcyPatriot]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...710721,00.html

Hopefully Hillary stays the course. Too many voters going to the polls all revved up from the gospel like revival speeches. The country has problems that are not going to be repaired with songs and preaches to make us all feel good. Is Hillary a great candidate ... No. Is she better and more qualified than Obama ... no question in my mind on that.

Funny that in this era of voter disdain for the ultra-religious ... the democrats are jumping for joy for a man running his campaign like a gospel revival celebration at a local storefront turned into a ministry.

"We are the ones we've been waiting for," Barack Obama said in yet another memorable election-night speech on Super-Confusing Tuesday. "We are the change that we seek." Waiting to hear what Obama has to say — win, lose or tie — has become the most anticipated event of any given primary night. The man's use of pronouns (never I), of inspirational language and of poetic meter — "WE are the CHANGE that we SEEK" — is unprecedented in recent memory. Yes, Ronald Reagan could give great set-piece speeches on grand occasions, and so could John F. Kennedy, but Obama's ability to toss one off, different each week, is simply breathtaking. His New Hampshire concession speech, with the refrain "Yes, We Can," was turned into a brilliant music video featuring an array of young, hip, talented and beautiful celebrities. The video, stark in black-and-white, raised an existential question for Democrats: How can you not be moved by this? How can you vote against the future?

And yet there was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messianism — "We are the ones we've been waiting for" — of the Super Tuesday speech and the recent turn of the Obama campaign. "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." 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.

[Real World]

Originally Posted by F.B.N.

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.

This is why he might have some serious problems in a heads up election. right now style works, but once your the nominee, it becomes more and more about substance. He's extremly captivating as a speaker. That's unquestionable. Where is he on the issues though? That's what people will ask come November. He'll need specific answers, as will McCain too.

[IcyPatriot]

Originally Posted by Real World

This is why he might have some serious problems in a heads up election. right now style works, but once your the nominee, it becomes more and more about substance. He's extremly captivating as a speaker. That's unquestionable. Where is he on the issues though? That's what people will ask come November. He'll need specific answers, as will McCain too.

That's a fair statement ... perhaps he will speak well on the issues ... but right now this rah-rah kumbaya stuff is making me want to puke.

[QuiGon]

Originally Posted by Real World

This is why he might have some serious problems in a heads up election. right now style works, but once your the nominee, it becomes more and more about substance. He's extremly captivating as a speaker. That's unquestionable. Where is he on the issues though? That's what people will ask come November. He'll need specific answers, as will McCain too.

He is Deval Patrick times 100.... a nice, light skinned black man that all the white liberals feel comfortable with.... and he will run (win?) on a platform that consists of absolutely nothing but touchy-feely campaign slogans. Then, if he got into office like Deval, he would do absolutely nothing of any significance whatsoever...

[Real World]

Originally Posted by F.B.N.

That's a fair statement ... perhaps he will speak well on the issues ... but right now this rah-rah kumbaya stuff is making me want to puke.

Originally Posted by Obi-Wan

He is Deval Patrick times 100.... a nice, light skinned black man that all the white liberals feel comfortable with.... and he will run (win?) on a platform that consists of absolutely nothing but touchy-feely campaign slogans. Then, if he got into office like Deval, he would do absolutely nothing of any significance whatsoever...

FBN, I was thinking similarly for the first time the other night. I was about to go to sleep when McCain was speaking (pun intended), and saw Obama coming to the stage and decided I'd wait and listen. My cell phone rings and it's the gf who wants to chat cuz she needs to go to sleep. Anyhow, I tell her Obama is about to speak and that I wanted to listen to him and she says "what for, he always says the same things". I listened to a few minutes and started to wonder about that. Is he a fad? Is he someone who is peaking right now, and attracting audiences, only to fade with repitition? I don't think so, but it was the first time it really crossed my mind. It was the first time I felt that. We shall see I guess. He'll need to add more substance as we go along. Especially when the pubs pick on his record.

Obi, I'd never heard of Patrick till the governors race. When I first saw him on TV, I was impressed with his ability to articulate. However, after hearing "together we can" about 100 times in 2 weeks, I quickly realized that he was an empty suit. He had nothing else to say. I'm waiting for my property taxes to go down like he promised. Obama at least, is a Senator, and he's far more intelligent, and substansive than Deval. Still though, Obama needs more specifics. Deval is totally in over his head as governor. Hey, you get what you deserve. The people of this state never cease to show me how stupid they are. Afterall, we're the Kennedy state right?