A front-page article on TPM “explains” how Obama seems to be running from “who he is” by playing to small crowds in small town libraries and gymnasiums. That Barack needs to embrace his true identity as a “celebrity” as being the thing that made him who is and brought him to these staggering heights.
I disagree.
The thing that made him a “celebrity” was the guy who traveled to every small town in Illinois in a bid to be their senator. The man the spoke at the 2004 democratic convention wasn’t a celebrity. The guy who won the Iowa caucus wasn’t “selling out” huge stadiums. The “naive novice” who beat one of the most experienced politicians in Washington for his chance to compete for the presidency on the democratic ticket didn’t start the race with a silver spoon shoved in his nether regions.
The people who care about big stadium events besides the media and pundits are already voting for Barack. He doesn’t need to shore up that group of voters. He needs to speak to small town folks who are little turned off by all the fuss. He does best in small intimate settings where his personality and humor aren’t blocked by a teleprompter. I am quite sure “his people” aren’t afraid to get him in front of “real crowds” when it is appropriate.
If this is what passes for advice on the left, I am glad Barack follows his own script on this election.
Conventional “wisdom” for democratic presidential candidates has led to 7 losses in the last 10 elections. This is why Barack will win despite the hue and cry from the choir. His supporters on the left don’t seem to understand his strategy and are baffled by his tactics, which leads me to believe he is on the right path.
Those of us more firmly in the center have been enthusiastically impressed every step of the way.