Jamie

Weinstein

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April 21, 2008

The Obama ‘Change’ Industry is Booming in Philadelphia

The next pivotal primary takes place in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, and the conventional wisdom is that Hillary Clinton will win the Keystone State. But looking at the size and passion of the crowd that gathered in downtown Philadelphia on Friday to cheer on Barack Obama, you would have every reason to believe that the conventional wisdom is wrong.

Before Obama took the stage at Philadelphia's Independence Park, I interviewed about two dozen people of the estimated 35,000 people who showed up to hear the Illinois senator speak. What I gathered from my interviews is that Obama's support is not primarily due to specific policy stances that differentiate him from Hillary, but more due to intangibles such as his engaging personality and inspirational style.

"I just think he represents the Democratic Reagan. I think he represents an opportunity to change America in a fundamental way," one supporter told me.

"I think probably politically they are very similar," another middle age Obama supporter confessed to me, "I think style-wise they are miles apart. And I think style is very important at this time."

"I guess change, that is obviously the key word," a 20-something-year-old supporter emphasized in explaining why he supports Obama. "I have a hard time explaining the feeling you get from him. You know, like inspiration. He is probably the first leader who ever made me care about politics."

A woman, who emphasized that she was in her late 40s and fit neatly into the demographic that should be leaning toward Clinton, said that she chose Obama "because I believe that he demonstrates qualities that are important in a leader . . . I think he is able to think problems through and look at many facets of them and come to a conclusion of his own."

The same woman told me that she would find it difficult to vote for Hillary in the general election if she were to somehow win the nomination.

In case after case, specific policies played a limited role in why each supporter backed Obama. It was his thoughtful demeanor, his inspirational rhetoric or the fact they truly believed that Obama would bring something new to the White House. This is why one so often hears words like "inspirational" and "transformative" to describe Obama's appeal. 

But when policy issues did come up, more often than not the Obama supporter would point to foreign policy questions in general, and the Iraq War in particular.

One undecided member of the audience who said that she would more naturally be a Hillary supporter because she liked "the idea of seeing a woman in the (White House)," explained she remains undecided and is flirting with supporting Obama because of the Iraq War.

"The fact that Hillary voted to go to war is a problem," she said.

Several other Obama supporters echoed this undecided's view that Obama's position on the war, as opposed to Hillary's vote to authorize it, was a differentiating factor.

But in foreign policy generally, Obama supporters see their man as being someone who can not only mend international "fences" with our allies, but can transcend global problems almost divinely and bring the world together in one grand rendition of kumbaya.

"It is wonderful to hear Obama talk about engaging the leaders of other countries and the non-leaders of other countries including those that we have had some disputes with," an aged community activist told me.

"Mostly for global change," another supporter explained to me why he supports Obama. "I think he represents the best prospect for diplomacy globally."

Still, image and personality are what separate Obama from Clinton the most. While Obama may not defeat Hillary in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, he is all but assured of taking the Democratic nomination barring some great unforeseen event. And this triumphant victory over the once-thought-to-be unbeatable New York senator comes down to the natural political gifts with which Obama has been endowed. It almost makes you feel sad for Hillary. If only her husband's innate political talent was transferable to her.

As intriguing as anything I heard in the park where was what I saw. One could not only buy standard political fare like bumper stickers and buttons with Obama's name on them, but t-shirts and large posters with the senator's face emblazoned. It appeared to me that Obama was quickly becoming an industry. In some sense, as far as image goes, he is becoming the American Che Guevara. While Che's image, inexplicably and disturbingly, now stands as the universal symbol of "revolution", Obama's image is perhaps now becoming the international symbol for "change," whatever that really means.

No matter what happens in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Obama must soon face the prospect of transitioning into a general election candidate. In this new role, his compelling personal narrative will certainly be an asset for him – as will his vague, but rhetorically pleasing, exhortations about change.

But there must come a time when this act will grow old with the electorate. If Obama cannot adapt and change some aspects of his own campaign, he might come to discover that the only change many voters will be asking for is for someone to change the channel.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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