Obama’s one of us (sorry Baby Boomers)
I was fascinated by this article on the Millenial Nature of Obama’s message in Newsweek. Written by a member of my generation, Andrew Romano points out the diversity, the optimism and the sense of community inherent in Obama’s campaign. He speaks to the generational divide between the Democratic candidates and why he believes Obama will engage the youth vote in ways we’ve yet to see. Definitely worth the full read.
“Obama’s message first struck me as essentially millennial three days after the Iowa victory party, on an unseasonably balmy Sunday in Manchester, N.H. When I arrived at 9 a.m. for a rally at the historic Palace Theatre, I found a line of anxious supporters stretching around the block. Hundreds never got seats. At the time, Obama led by at least 10 points in the New Hampshire polls, and when he swept onstage, the combination of rapturous applause and U2’s “City of Blinding Lights” made the moment seem cinematically inspiring. It appeared obvious—at least to someone covering his first presidential election—that the Illinois senator was destined to repeat his Iowa rout. First, Obama thanked Kimberley, the young volunteer (and daughter of a Congolese immigrant) who introduced him. “Hope is an idea, it’s a feeling, a belief, a revolution, a role, a possibility,” she’d said. Then he gave a shout-out to regional field director Jack Shapiro, one of “the young people who are pouring their hearts and souls into this campaign.” Finally, Obama gave a speech brimming with pure millennial uplift. “It’s time for us to put aside the partisan food-fighting,” he said. “If you know what you stand for, if you know what you believe in, if you know who you’re fighting for, then you can afford to reach out to those who don’t agree with you on everything. We can create the kind of working majority that we haven’t seen in this country for a long, long time. If I’ve got the American people behind me, I fear no man. Nobody can stop us. We can do everything that we want to get done.”
I’ve already stated my opinion on this arena. But at the risk of being repetitive I would say that for the first time in my life, my friends and colleagues are excited about politics. Interested in the issues. Having relevant spirited debates on everything from the Stimulus package to Universal Health Care. For me, I need no other proof of the change Obama can bring. Now we just have to influence or parents and grandparents… oh yeah and those super delegates.
