Commentary

Obama’s Got Much More Than Kool-Aid

With just days to go in the 2008 election, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama hit the prime time airwaves last night (videos after jump) with a thirty minute infomercial for the broad American public, followed by a spot on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he conceded the faint likelihood of his snagging too many votes from the Sean Hannity tribe of Republicans.

According to the NY Times, Barack Obama is the first presidential candidate to buy such a large chunk of choice network time in 16 years. The last candidate with deep enough pockets was billionaire candidate (and certified wing-nut, in my opinion) Ross Perot who ran as an Independent against Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush in 1992.

The infomercial cost $3 million to produce – money well spent, in my view. Sure, it was highly polished, for $3M, it should be. When I sat down to watch, my ass and cynicism hitting the chair in unison, I was ready to be unimpressed. After all, I am not a Kool-Aid drinker – I won’t even sip the stuff of hope and dreams. (I slake my thirst from the goblet of gloom and doom, and complain that it’s half empty.) But, I was actually moved. I felt like the Grinch on top of Mount Crumpet as his heart grew by a factor of three.

I have been an Obama supporter for a while now, but it was mainly because I thought he was the lesser of two evils. Last night however, after sniffing around the glass for the last few months, I discoveredt he juice was more than palatable. Granted, it was an infomercial for a candidate running in the last week of the race for the American presidency, and Leader of the Free World. It’s supposed to be good.

Might I venture that I was convinced? Perhaps that’s because at this stage in my campaign watch, I wanted to be convinced. But I think that’s ok, because nothing meaningful is going to happen without Americans, from east to west, and from left to right, taking responsibility for themselves and the fate of the nation.

In my view, the most important message was his 2008 election call for people to get involved. He’s not an elitist. He did not have anything given to him. He’s proof of the American dream, and what someone can achieve through long, hard work. And hard work, together, is what it’s going to take to fix the misjudgements and errors of the last eight years.

I believe, now, that he will listen. He will adapt and will change course as necessary.

Call this my endorsement. As I said, I was already a supporter, but it’s amazing how effectively good production values can touch the heart – even a tiny rocky one like mine.

He does not want to take what is yours and give it to whomever he chooses. He wants to help turn things around so that everyone can receive tangible benefits – not stale, gift-wrapped cliches – from the hard work they do every day. He has concrete plans for solving the financial crisis and the continuing economic meltdown. He is not un-American – or as the lunatic fringe insists, a terrorist sympathizer. As far as national security is concerned – he will engage world leaders – showing respect when earned and caution when needed. In this election, there really is a dramatic difference between what the Democrats and Republicans have to offer. Barack Obama is calling on us all to participate in fixing our problems, while his Republican rival, John McCain is just calling people names and diving Americans apart.

Obama also showed a lighter side on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night. He was in friendly territory, but it wasn’t a nauseating love-fest. He joked about conceding the vote of Sean Hannity’s minions, and of his need for therapy to deal with his “white-half’s” urge to vote for McCain.

Here are some useful campaign watch links to articles in major papers and political blogs concerning the Obama infomercial:

The Washington Times

The Huffington Post

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© 2008 Splendid Marbles.