Obama’s Feel-Good Campaign

My first DailyKos Diary! Read below or find it (and vote in the poll!) at DailyKos


Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 08:32:04 PM PST

Warning: My first Diary ever! Please don't be cruel..in fact, be kind. And as for advice, just forget about it...the wise don't need it and fools won't heed it. I usually alternate between wise and foolish, with little time spent in between.

My first Diary is not so much an attack on Sen. Obama as it is an observation on how many of my friends relate to his campaign. This started as a comment, but I realized that I should start making diaries out of all my several paragraph long comments. So here we go:

I keep on hearing people talk about what "appeals" to them. Does anyone else see this as a problem? Follow below for my thoughts (and a great poll!).

Of course Obama "appeals" to people. He has built his entire campaign (and arguably his entire political career) to be as appealing as possible. It's a common thing to see people who belong to a minority but live in a majority of "others" change themselves to be as appealing as possible. "Don't give them any reason to not like you." I am sure my mother told me that when I headed into unknown territory.

His campaign basically makes people feel good for buying into it. Don't get me wrong, all good campaigns have to stroke the egos of their donors and volunteers. Obama has gone much farther than just appreciating his supporters. He has tapped into the aspirations of people and made them believe that by being active in his campaign they are doing what is right and what is good.

IMO, Obama appeals to the psychological needs of many, and that is why he is so popular. So many people, now feeling guilty (and foolish maybe) for their tepid Bush vote or their previous tepid dedication to the Democratic Party, need the perfect excuse for why they have never given a damn but why they all of a sudden do.

Thank you Sen. Obama for enabling the masses of the mushy-middle and the politically unaware, uninvolved, and uncommitted.

Poll

I am active in my candidate's campaign because:
it's the best investment of my finances.
0% 0 votes
I feel good afterwards.
0% 0 votes
my candidate gives me hope.
31% 5 votes
my candidate is likely to get me a sweet civil service position.
0% 0 votes
everyone in my circle supports the same candidate.
0% 0 votes
I am a purist and my candidate is pure as snow.
6% 1 votes
my support will push a great candidate just over the line.
6% 1 votes
they asked me to. (its amazing how a personal call can do that!)
0% 0 votes
my union/company/organization that represents me made an endorsement.
0% 0 votes
they have the best chance of beating a no-name Republican.
6% 1 votes
they are the candidate who can beat a McCain-Huckabee ticket.
6% 1 votes
my capital (and capital earnings) will grow.
6% 1 votes
my labor will rewarded more.
0% 0 votes
their campaign will deny another candidate the nomination,
0% 0 votes
all ships will rise in their tide.
37% 6 votes

| 16 votes | Vote | Results