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How Obama Should Respond to "Celebrity"
"It's true that people like me. But if people are enthusiastic about me and my campaign, then it's because they like my ideas. They like me as a legislator, and they like the idea of me as President of the United States.
"I'm not a movie star. I don't sing. I'm not a supermodel. I'm not famous for any of those things. I'm known for my political ideas, my political philosopy, and my record as a legislator. I'm popular because people want change in Washington, and they see me as the best person to bring that change.
"Let's not forget that Senator McCain only clinched the Republican nomination after all the other Republican candidates had been rejected by voters for some reason or other. John McCain was the fourth or fifth choice of Republican voters -- he's not very popular even within his own party.
"If people like me better than John McCain, it's because they think I would be a better president than John McCain. If his campaign wants to keep highlighting that fact, that's fine with me."
Comments (9)
You know, I'm tired of this BS of the Democrats playing defense!!!!!
I'm really beginning to believe more than ever that the corporations run everything and the "two party" system is just a ruse to fool Americans into thinking we actually live in a democracy.
Aside from that, why doesn't Obama just admit that he is a celebrity, and cite other admired celebrities such as MLK and JFK, or Lincoln -- all of whom drew crowds because they understood that at least 1/2 of good leadership is the ability to INSPIRE. McCain is just jealous!! The big media are just looking for a frivolous excuse to make this into a race -- and guess who loses?? YOU, ME, the PUBLIC!
Further, our political system and media circus is all about CELEBRITY. This is why Biden and Dodd and others who were well qualified for the job didn't get it -- they weren't celebrity-like enough! WTF is wrong with you people in America!!?? You have a political system that relies on the fact that we're all a bunch of star-fuckers, and yet this pathetic little cretin McCain, who's no longer some smart-ass pretty boy himself, tries to get away with this nonsense of calling Obama a celebrity -- as if in America being a celebrity is a BAD THING?? The president de facto is EXPECTED to be a celebrity.
Anyone on the fence who buys this line of McCain nonsense deserves to be knocked comatose for four months so they can't vote.
Shame on the brain-dead corporate media for running with this. They just go from bad to worse.
Executive summary: 1) almost all of our admired leaders were so popular they achieved celebrity status, 2) our political system is built to promote and select for celebrity and 3) our big media are a bunch of brain-dead pablum-puking idiots who never met a GOP talking point they didn't like.
August 6, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senator from ExxonMobil would like to respectfully disagree.
August 6, 2008 7:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama Response plan:
1. Shave head, post on You Tube
2. Take umbrella, attack McCain's SUV
3. Make sex tape, use profits to boost economy
August 6, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Grow up.
August 7, 2008 12:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
4. Find Pomereiner that looks like McCain. Make Veep.
August 7, 2008 4:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am astonished at how angry you still are. I really don't get it.
August 6, 2008 8:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Calm down Joe, their silly ads will mostly fall on deaf ears anyway.
Relax on count of:
a) Most people will already have a good of idea for who they'll vote for.
b) People are quite used to mud-slinging ads (& McCains arent even that great)
c) Obama can outspend McCain in ads anyway.
So stop hyperventelating on a count of repubs being repubs.
August 7, 2008 5:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
People aren't mad enough in the US -- it's somehow "uncool" to take to the streets, or express rage at a government that has run this country off the cliff. But hey, people don't realize they're screwed until it's too late. The whole "Saddam-Al Queada-9/11" brainwash is a perfect example. When I protested in NYC in 2003 along with millions of people around the world, I was called a nutcase by my family. Lo and behold, who was right?
So live on in your bubbles of comfort, while you delude yourselves that "things will work themselves out". Remember the Mexicans who took to the streets about immigration? It got results. Why can the average Joe whitebread American get through his thick skull that being "too cool for school" and not getting pissed off and doing something about it is the same as being the subject of a king. This country was FOUNDED by hothead REBELS.
Benjo765 -- don't tell me to relax, you're the exact type of lame brain I'm talking about that will complacently pooh-pooh the GOP-owned media's brainwash of the public that the race should even be close. Activism is the only thing that can mitigate the process. You have far too much confidence in your own "cool" and the judgement of the masses to make the right decision -- where is your evidence for your position? I have mine: the past few election cycles, where people voted for "have a beer with" Dubya TWICE, where "Blue Dog" Democrats are reelected, where there is hardly protest over FISA, wiretapping, habeas corpus, where few call in to radio and TV stations in protest or write their representatives -- all things which I do -- because ya know, people have better things to do. Such people, which might include you, would be better off in a dictatorship: don't criticize, just "trust us".
Don't you get it? Keep the masses really busy, don't give them any time off, because with time off they can RELAX and THINK and maybe TAKE A DAY OFF AND PROTEST.
Where does my perspective come from? Living abroad on and off for many years, and lots of travel. Other countries do certain things much better than we do, and if the US could just LEARN and ADOPT these ways, we could be a better country! Other countries adopt our ways all the time. But no, you just tell me to "chill out".
I'm more than happy to be called the "hyperventilator" -- because every time I've gotten angry about something, that anger has turned out to be more than justified. So basically I don't care what you think, because you're wrong about "chilling out", and I have my past experiences, judgement and current information to back up my positions.
August 7, 2008 8:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
They can try and paint him as an empty suit. But as has been chronicled, Obama has more pre-Presidential experience than 3 of the 4 men on Mt Rushmore!
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/years-experience-government-2111870-president-obama
August 7, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
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