The Obama Cult

[8ballrollin]

I listened to Obama and McCain on Friday when they were here in Seattle. Here is my take on both...

I can see why Obama has a lot of support; he is very charismatic and his audiences are ecstatic to see him. I understand a rally is just that - it's not a policy speech to a think-tank, but for me personally, it was a little too Tony Robbins. There was a whole lot of, "I'm pumped up, I'm ready to go!" and "Let’s do this!"

On the policy topics, from memory, he points were as follows...

"We are going to make sure every Americans heath care!" (screaming and cheering from the crowd)

"We're not going to have a health care system that only treats sickness and disease…we're going to have preventive care, to stop things like obesity in children" (screaming and cheering from the crowd)

"If you already have heath care, we're going to reduce your deducible by $2,500!" (screaming and cheering from the crowd)

"We're going to give everyone who wants to go to college a $4,000/year credit. We're going to make education affordable again!" (screaming and cheering from the crowd) "But you're going to have to give back by serving in your community or the Peace Corps" (screaming and cheering from the crowd).

I know I'm biased as a Republican and I tried to have an open mind, but I thought his platitudes were semi-comic. It was like I was watching a SNL skit of an Obama rally. It was almost of as dream-worldish as Gov Gregoire's we're-going-to-end-homeless-in-WA address prior to Obama coming on.

McCain spoke to only a couple hundred people, whereas Obama's speech was to a nearly full Key Area.

I was genuinely surprised by McCain's message and demeanor. He is much better in this type of forum – speaking to a ballroom-sized crowed than he is in the debates. He closed his address paraphrasing Regan's paraphrasing of Winthrop with the whole 'city on a hill’ dealio.

He was very much in his 'greatness of America' mode and I found it effective.