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by jackconaty from chicago

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Obama and the "messiah movement"
Feb 11, 2008 | 1:22 PM
Category: News
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     In recent days there have been a number of articles and blogs that are describing the Obama campaign in terms that would suggest it bears more relationship to a charismatic religious fervor than a nuts and bolts political campaign.  One blog used the term "messiah" to describe Obama and the enthusiasm he is generating on the campaign trail.  One national columnist describes his campaign as "maddeningly vague" and implies that, in the end, it may prove to be a mirage.

     First, a couple of observations.  Obama does have an oratorical style that  would prompt some to see a resemblance to an evangelist.  When he talks about "hope and change" he is tapping into age-old yearnings for redemption and personal growth.  But the message is also grounded in rock-hard, secular politics.  Anger does not sell on the campaign trail.  Americans, at least many Democrats and Independents, are apparently attracted to a poltical message that suggests it is time to change the tone and tenor of the political game in the United States.

     A prominent Democrat from the Chicago area who served in the state legislature with Obama used the term "messiah" to describe him well over a year ago.  It was not meant as a compliment.  It was meant to suggest that the hype and hoopla surrounding the junior senator from Illinois was not justified by his resume or his rhetoric.

     It may well turn out that Obama is unable to jump from "hope" to "how."  It may yet prove to be true that "anything that can make you feel that good can make you feel that bad."  The expectations around him are enormous....the problems facing the next president are too.  But what Obama told me last October may yet prove telling.

     When asked what most surprised him about this presidential race at that point, he said the "superficiality of the national media."  What he meant then was position papers and professorial rountables don't make the evening news...or even most of the national columns....but tears in the eyes of members of the audience do.  The "messiah" analogy is but another example of that superficiality.            

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Mark_Allen read my blog view my photos
Feb 11, 2008 | 10:23 PM

What is it that over 300 position papers on his website NOT say regarding how he plans to implement his visions? I too have worked directly with Obama for over 20 years and he has had more courage and leadership than many of the people who criticize him. I remember the late Lu Palmer and other telling me as a young organizer not to help Obama for he was an outsider who would end up taking leadership possibilities away from local leaders.

Obama took on community organizing jobs that many others would not. He helped raise money for causes that others could not. In 1986 he directed the city-wide voter registration campaign that put over 100,000 new voters on the books. That historic achievement paved the way for the election of Carol Mosely Braun, the reelection of Harold Washington in '87, a new Chicago City Council. What were his critics doing at the time but watching some ousider achieve things that they could not?

Ain't nothing superficial about hard work that many people are benefitting from politically. Most Black leadership DID NOT support Harold Washington until AFTER he won the Primary. People criticized Rev. Jackson in '88 even while he was garnering 7 Million votes and generating enough voter registration to change political control of the country. Where would Obama be without the Jackson '88 Plankof changing the winner take all elections to proportional?

It is amazing that we want to focus MORE on the pundits to attack Obama versus the people who actually worked directly with him and know of his work.

If a majority of the american people say they want

mrcrab read my blog
Feb 13, 2008 | 11:37 AM

Obama is full of BLEEP! I wouldn't vote for him if you paid me. He sucks!!

All he wants to do is get in the White House so he can be called the first Half-breed president of the U.S.A.

He should go join Oprah on her TV show and call it the Oprama Show seeing that she ran to him because he's got black skin.

Who cares about the people who actually worked directly with him. Do you really think Obama cares about you because you worked with him? "NO" He's out for himself and he can give a BLEEP about you.

In 1986 he directed the city-wide voter registration campaign that put over 100,000 new (BLACK) voters on the books. Who cares what he did because I don't and so do thousands of other people.
Mark_Allen read my blog view my photos
Feb 22, 2008 | 5:52 AM

Guess you never saw the results. The city wide campaign registered voters in every part of the city including whites, and hispanics, especially in the Northside where people benfitted like Helen Schiller, David Orr and others.

And yes to your question of whether he cares. Well he helped raise the money that paid for me as a local voter registration coordinator. But let the attacks continue for its clear that the more he is attacked the more support he gets.

He was down by more than 20 points in Texas and now it's neck and neck, so keep it up all the way til you get him the White House.
mrcrab read my blog
Feb 24, 2008 | 7:25 AM

Mark_Allen,

The truth is that you back this goof ball Barack Olama because his skin is black and you know it. Did you forget that he's a half-breed?

You can care less if he screws this country up because he has black skin and so do you and that's all that matters.

You and all the other damn people in this country need to wake up and realize this election is not about color of the skin or male or female it's in fact about running our country and who fits the job the best.

I can care less about Obama and Clinton, they both make me sick. That's all you see on the news every damn day, the media has turned this election into a racial dispute and they only show the negative sides of both parties.

I thought this election was about who will do right for this country, well neither one of them is right for the job...
invisible read my blog
Mar 26, 2008 | 12:18 AM

What's with calling Obama half-breed? You are 100%, what?
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jackconaty

i'm jack conaty...the political editor at fox news chicago.

Member Since: 9/18/2006


 

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