At least since Reagan, we’ve picked politicians who tell us comforting lies over those who confront us with unpleasant truths. In Obamamania we may be seeing the country making the harder choice for once. Why?
Obama’s appeal is largely his thoughtful, elevated rhetoric. He avoids the usual cliches and canned phrases of our politics and outlines new approaches that we might take. He does this without talking down to us and without demonizing any part of the electorate. While he does play regular politics once in a while, like with NAFTA, he does it considerably less than most.
But face it, we are a dumbed down country that goes for reality TV over books and politicians who tell us what we want to hear. Politicians who speak of raising taxes, reducing benefits, sharing burdens, or giving up our comforts are routinely buried at the polls. We pick the ones who tell us we can have it all without pain. We also like it if they pretend not to be too smart. Kerry lost respect when it became known that he speaks French. The Clintons talk more about their love of BBQ then their time at Yale and Oxford. Nixon used bad grammar on purpose to raise his popularity. W also holds a graduate degree from Yale, flew jet interceptors (occasionally), was a popular Governor of our 2nd largest state but was elected as “the one you’d rather have a beer with”.
So why is Obama’s college professor style working? Why isn’t he a joke like the last liberal, professorial type from Illinois, Adlai Stevenson?
Part of it is certainly generational. The Clintons and W have so disgraced the baby boomer generation that Obama gets points just for not being part of it. An even bigger part is that he is so thoughtful and well-spoken that he connects with people who ordinarily just pick the politician who panders to them the most. He is good enough to overcome their bovine reflexes. Not all of them by any means. Most of them moo for Hillary, but he does get a surprising number.
Still, there is something missing. What I’ve described is not enough to explain Obamamania. I don’t know what the missing piece is. For me it’s still a paradox.
