My thoughts on…Barack Obama’s appeal
The 2008 presidential elections have been the most exciting in years. Even if you’re a non-American like myself, you can’t help but get excited. Not only because of the prospect of the first black or first female president in U.S. history, or to see who has the guts or the skill to clean up America after all of Bush’s blunders, but mostly because of one candidate. Barack Obama. I love the guy, and not the twisted type of love the picture at the right would suggest. I was gonna start the post with “Obama rox my sox,” but I thought I had to appear at least a little objective.
From big media to the little man the local bar, everyone’s talking about him. No doubt about it, there’s definately something about Obama. He has a powerful appeal, one that has helped him to cross social, racial and political barriers and even helped him get endorsed by America’s royal family of politics, the Kennedys. This type of appeal has already helped him to make history, as the first black man to ever make it this far in a presidential campaign, and actually be considered a threat by his opponents.
So what’s the secret to Obama’s appeal? A high priced marketing team? Great wealth? Friends in high places? A spotless exemplary life? Quite frankly, none of those things. And that’s the secret to Obama’s appeal. He’s a real person. He grew up in a middle class family, had a multi-racial background, and made mistakes when he was a kid. He smoked grass and rode “The White Pony” and isn’t afraid to admit it. That’s what makes him so likeable. He’s just like us. I can imagine him making a speech in front of hundreds one minute and shootin’ hoops with innner city youths the next. He doesn’t seem to have an ulterior motive, unlike what those racist morons are saying that he’s really a Muslim terrorist with the intention to destroy the nation, just because his middle name is “Hussein” and his first name sounds like “Osama.” Asstards! It’s a co-incidence!
He’s just a regular guy (abeit a highly educated and very successful one) that wants to make a change. He stresses unity, and makes Americans believe in a brighter tomorrow. The America he dreams of reminds me of the America I used to dream of going, when I’d read American storybooks ’till I fell asleep and dream of soaring over a bustling metropolis one minute and verdant fields the next. Hilary only has vicarious appeal. The only reason so many people are rooting for her is that she was married to Bill, and let’s face it, everybody loves Bill.
But something disturbs me. Obama is bi-racial. Previous black presidential hopefuls such as Al Sharpton were not. Yet Obama has progressed much further than any of them. Could it be that bi-racial status that has gained him the support of so many white voters? Or has America grown up a bit since their time? Something to think about.
Personally I don’t see what’s so special about him. He has some good points but I don’t feel like he is really all that sincere.
John Edwards is definitely committed to his causes, but he just doesn’t know how to put himself out there. He gets too enthusiastic about his ideas, and then he seems unprofessional.
But Barack Obama is just..I don’t know. the first time I heard him speak I actually thought he was sort of creepy.
Don’t get me wrong though- I don’t like any of the current candidates. I dislike all of them, except for maybe Ron Paul, who is at least serious and seems to know what he is talking about. But Ron Paul is out of the race now.
I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.
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Whatever the case may be, he’s definitely better than McCain.
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I’m with TreatInfamy on this partially. Ron Paul was a good candidate although I don’t swing Republican and after Bushes fiasco there is no way in hell I would even consider voting Republican although on any other given time period he might be a possibility. Edwards is from my state but I still wouldn’t have voted for him either. Hillary I think decided to run too early. Had she waited she might have gotten farther. Obama although may not be ideal by no means on anybodies level is the better choice in my opinion. I can’t honestly believe that people in this country would still hold true to the belief that it should be a white man running the country when that is not true. I mean look what we are having to deal with now.
Only a democratic party in the United States could come up with a black man and a white woman battling for presidence. You gotta love the chances these days are giving them. I think it’ll be interesting to have him and Mrs. Clinton at the office, President and Vice. =)
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Barack Obama is different, there is no question about that. Why? He draws crowds of thousands upon thousands of people to listen to him speak, he encourages people to stand and believe again and none of his speeches mention the “I”, but always the “we.” He is not out to do it on his own, he tells people he cannot do it alone, it will take all of us to do it, to create this change.
As far as his bi racial status, it is possible it is helping him, but I don’t think that is the primary reason he is doing so well. The younger generation of America is closer to color blind than ever before. It may be that he just is the first man to inspire people to stand up and speak in a long long time.
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I think Oprah took Obama under her wing and thought him how to be black without seeming black so that white folks dont find you threatening and embrace you.
Actually I’d say no to your last paragraph. His biracialness doesnt have anything t do with it. Its more jackson and Al ran very limited campaigns they never really tried to appeal to the mainstream. Their fortress was the black community while Obamas isnt although he has a great deal of support there.
If you think about it almost every black person supported Jesse and Al while with Obama he has sort of divided the black community. Yes most of it supports him but there are some elements, the magic johnson’s and bob johnsons and maxine watters who are big names in teh black community still support hllary.
Obama has charisma too. His speeches give hope and he can also make you laugh too.
Without him to be honest no one would care about these elections.
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[...] My thoughts on…Barack Obama’s appeal - My thoughts…on stuff - Very well thought out opinion on the appeal of Obama. Check it out. I was quite impressed. [...]
Barak is charasmatic….
And people harp on his in-experience, but really where has everyone else’s great experience got us??
Also Barack happens to be the whitest black man. Scratch that, he’s a rather international man, rather than a black or a white one…
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