Barack Obama: The Man and the Moment

I don't often agree with Andrew Sullivan, but his take on Barack Obama is accurate (if effusive), and representative of a larger phenomenon. This candidate, and his movement, are for real. I've felt the momentum building for a while. When Obama talks about hope, about transcending old political divides, about bringing to the political process fresh ideas and calmer heads, I see why he has such appeal. It's my generation. I believe that young people are cynical about politics as is, and tired of the battles of the 1960s that don't concern them. Young people, not all of them, but many, are drawn to politics not by issues, but by personality. The issues are secondary. The messenger is the message. Barack Obama has tapped into that feeling, the politics of anti-politics. Obama's support (and Ron Paul's, and Mike Huckabee's to a lesser extent) comes from the feeling that he is not an ordinary politician. His main competition, Hillary Clinton, reeks of old politics, and it is no wonder that he beat her, even in Iowa, a state not exactly a perfect fit for Obama. The thing that Obama did was expand the voter base. Historically, young voters have been vocal, but difficult to turn out. Every candidate boasts of being the one that will finally harness the power of the youth vote, but none manage to do it. Howard Dean put his trust in young voters, and he fizzled. Young voters were supposed to carry Kerry in '04, but they turned out in roughly the same numbers as in '00. Barack Obama may have finally hit upon the formula. Young voters are looking for candidates who are optimistic, pragmatic, and dynamic. Young people are cynical, yes, but they are looking for a reason not to be. Obama's emphasis on hope is successful, in large part because he represents a change large enough to stun America out of cynicism. If a black man, "with a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas," can win the presidency, America really is the land of opportunity. Obama has cornered the Democratic market on optimism. Obama has also defined himself as a figure who can transcend partisan dogma, and bring pragmatic solutions to difficult issues. He is not a battler, he is a conciliatory figure. He is betting that the Right v. Left dogfights are a thing of the past, and that his "post-partisan" (to borrow an Arnold-ism) is the way of the future. Even in a very liberal Democratic electorate in Iowa, Obama's image of pragmatism won the day. Finally, Obama is dynamic in a way that few candidates manage to be. His victory speech in Iowa last night had the feel of a revival meeting, with Obama as the beloved preacher. He is fresh, new, and even his slogans and campaign imagery practically scream new, fresh and viral. More than any other candidate, with the exception of Ron Paul, Obama has mastered the art of the viral campaign. His "Hope" signs are ubiquitous and striking, and have the easy eloquence that great campaigns rely on. This is not meant to overestimate Obama as a politician. He is young, inexperienced, and in many ways he has been caught up in a wave not of his own making. He may not be able to capture the moment, and he may leave his supporters frustrated when the ugly realities of politics intervene. But in my more pessimistic moments, I think the tide may lift Obama into the White House, and that there's nothing we can do about it. The man and the moment may have met. PHOTO SHARED ON FLICKR.COM