Talking to Us Like Grown Ups
It still astounds me. Barack Obama talks to us like grown ups.
Until Obama came onto the scene, I didn't realize how hungry I was for actual grown up talk on national issues. We have been living in an ADD soundbite world for so long that I think I gave up hope that politicians could offer anything different.
Bush, of course, babbles like a toddler. McCain rambles like a crazy old man. Clinton will carry on a decent conversation when she's confidant, but the minute she's backed into a corner, she reverts to a scolding parent. Her campaign team operates at the level of a high school clique.
But Obama, he talks to us like we're adults.
There are many issues on which I agree with Obama, many issues on which I can justify my vote for him. But some days, I become very aware that the issues are not the driving force. The real reason I want Obama to win is because I really, really, really want a grown-up in the Oval Office.
Until Obama came onto the scene, I didn't realize how hungry I was for actual grown up talk on national issues. We have been living in an ADD soundbite world for so long that I think I gave up hope that politicians could offer anything different.
Bush, of course, babbles like a toddler. McCain rambles like a crazy old man. Clinton will carry on a decent conversation when she's confidant, but the minute she's backed into a corner, she reverts to a scolding parent. Her campaign team operates at the level of a high school clique.
But Obama, he talks to us like we're adults.
There are many issues on which I agree with Obama, many issues on which I can justify my vote for him. But some days, I become very aware that the issues are not the driving force. The real reason I want Obama to win is because I really, really, really want a grown-up in the Oval Office.
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I think your comment shows how our guts and our brains both come into play when selecting a candidate. I like How Barack satisfies both for me, too.
April 28, 2008 3:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
This guts and brains working together is a whole new concept for me. Every other election of my life, I've been forced to go with one or the other, usually in a lesser of evils sort of way.
April 28, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. Except that we're not grown ups. We're starry-eyed fanboys, wet dreams and all.
April 28, 2008 6:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Who you callin' boy, boy?
April 28, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama as Lincoln, huh? I think your subconscious must be bubbling to the surface.
April 28, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
To be fair, there is a difference between peddling a message to an audience that you think isn't made up primarily of grown-ups and being one yourself. While I'm pretty sure that Clinton would behave in a grown-up manner in terms of effecting policy, that's probably the area in which I'm most afraid of McCain. That said, I vastly prefer being spoken to like an adult, too. I think taking that approach was a big gamble on Obama's part, and so far it seems to have been successful.
April 28, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clinton is very good with policy at a wonk level. What's she not so good at is building bridges and making appropriate compromises and getting actual legislation passed. She treats you like a grown-up until you disagree with her, and then she goes into scold mode, essentially saying, shut up, I know what's best for you, and you're going to take it. That's what happened with healthcare during her first go-round, and I haven't seen any real evidence that she's learned to handle the process any better.
April 28, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good point. Her intellectual style is more closed, and frankly a bit autocratic. Hasn't helped her respond to challenges in this campaign, unfortunately for her.
April 28, 2008 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think he could talk to a lower common denominator at times without giving away the store. I think with a little more of a visceral connect, he'd be stronger. I think he has to find it, and will.
But yes, I like the adult thing. Strongly.
April 28, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think when he speaks directly to people, he does fine. It's just once it's cut down into soundbites, it loses a lot of context. High information voters can fill in the context on their own, but low information voters can't.
April 28, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very true. But every time he speaks directly to people, what he says has the potential to become a soundbite. So perhaps the real challenge is to have someone edit his speeches and work nuggety, soundbitey, lowest common denominator bits in?
(Kind of an interesting commentary on our society that Obama simultaneously gets penalized for an overly simplified messages of "hope" and "change" and for nuanced messages about things like why he's opposed to a gas tax holiday probably wouldn't and what race means in this country. McCain and Clinton both seem much more adept at creating soundbites that fit in the middle ground.)
April 28, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have been collecting photographs from this campaign. I've got quite a few now and there are two I especially like.
One is of an 8 or 9 year old black kid at the Providence rally. He's sitting next to a little white kid, maybe a year younger, probably his friend. Behind him on the next level is his mom and the usual mob of people holding Obama signs. He's holding a big, floppy homemade sign that says: Peace - with a blue peace sign, Love - with a red magic marker heart, Barock 'n' Roll - with three underlines under the Rock. He's totally enthralled, missing a front tooth, sporting a huge grin.
The other is of another mob scene, in Des Moines. The view is filled with blond, blue-eyed white faces, goatees, straight blond hair, round, Caucasian faces. Near the front R corner is the back of a tall black man and over his shoulder you see his hands extended to shake hands. You can just nearly see his big, broad grin. He's looking at a young butterscotch colored kid, about 15 or maybe only 14, with black watch cap on top of baseball cap with the brim turned behind the shoulders. The kid has his hand inside Barack's hand, being shaken, and is looking straight up into Barack's eyes. His eyes are completely lit up, huge smile, he has high cheek bones and a long narrow face, arched black eyebrows - looks like Barack could be his father.
Both boys are looking at their life possibilities, looking at a man their color who is doing something they've been taught in school that everyone in America could do - running for President of the United States.
I look at those two photographs and think about my country's future. Imagine how radical a change this could be for the millions of black kids across our country - to see every day the truth of what they've learned in school but possibly come to doubt when they're out in the streets.
April 28, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, indeed. Thanks for the images.
April 28, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Barack is taking a grown up perspective on John McCain's suggestion that the federal gas taxes be dropped for the summer. We're already running annual $300 billion deficits and this would run up the tab another $10 billion. Hillary, apparently, has already agreed to McCain's pandering and both have scolded Barack for not selling us deeper into debt. He seems more committed to holding his ground and has the intelligence to explain in a satisfactory manner why he takes his position. He'll be a great president.
April 28, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't it ironic that Obama is the youngest candidate?
And, off topic: Lalo, your avatar makes you look like an Obama supporter. You really threw me off for a sec.
April 28, 2008 9:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, I'm not sure if sarcasm works in terms of avatars. It's like having a sarcastic bumper sticker ("Oh, my Obama '08 sticker? It's sarcastic. I don't really like him. Get it?"). That being said, I really dig the picture (not sarcastic).
April 28, 2008 9:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
what's an avatar?
April 28, 2008 10:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I think he could talk to a lower common denominator at times without giving away the store. "
Do you mean, like he was speaking to the lowest.. in Pa. He almost gave away the store there.
But then, he can always say, those lower comon , "denomination" white folks with the guns ,just won't vote for a black candidate.
April 28, 2008 9:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I have been collecting photographs from this campaign. I've got quite a few now and there are two I especially like."
Please don't tell me you didn't know those photos were staged, just for your benefit.
Two county fairs and a bunch of rock concerts, and I have yet to see such fawning.
April 28, 2008 9:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Its good to read these calm reflections on the soul of the matter. I continue to believe that November will give us an Obama presidency and a democratic majority in the house and the senate.
But I'm feeling down that our guy is in such trouble here. The discourse is impossibly banal. The problems so crushingly huge. The polls in Indiana looking bad.
I only hope the Obama campaign can renew its commitment to Barack's voice and Barack's message.
He has to rise above the national hen party that passes for journalism in the US.
April 28, 2008 11:41 PM | Reply | Permalink