Obamania
I just watched a Nightline special on the zeal of Obama's supporters. Whether it was the slant the reporter put on the crowds... I don't know. In any case, I was surprised and a little unsettled by the extreme emotive response he seems to trigger. Women fainting, men crying... clearly these people were moved on a deeply personal level by his speech.
What gives rise to this? What does it mean when people seem to consider politicians on such deeply personal terms? Do you think this is a new phenomenon, or has this long been the nation's mood?
For myself, the first reaction is a mixture of bafflement and disgust. I can't sympathize because I've never had a similar reaction to any politician. Perhaps these people feel very empty and purposeless in their daily lives. I believe the "change" rhetoric strikes a chord with people who are frustrated with life in one way or another and have developed the idea that the presidency holds sway over their daily happiness.
Nearly every Obama supporter I've spoken with repeats the "change" mantra. Thing is, I'm confident most of them don't have the slightest clue what changes he is proposing. Further, I'd bet 10 cases of beer that 90% of Obama supporters can't articulate the current policies that so need the changing.
I don't intend this to be an anti-Obama rant and I apologize for the foray into some very amateur pop-psychology. I don't plan to move to out of the country if he wins... I just can't shake the worry that many people view the federal government as a gateway to personal fulfillment.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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