"If Obama comes to town, can we go to the concert?"

[polichick]

A guest on NPR this morning told the story of a five-year-old who asked his parents that question.

The discussion was about Obama's stump message, and whether or not it has enough substance. One guest pointed out that Obama knows what people want from a personal appearance ~ not to sit through a long list of policy details, but to feel empowered and good about their country again. They want to leave the venue feeling excited and part of something ~ and Obama knows that he can invigorate the entire process by doing it his way.

It was also pointed out that there are actually more policy details on his site than on Clinton's, and that voters do go there and read up.

imo this is about a major change in stump campaigning, as much as it is a change in tone and in the way voters get their information.

[SoFlaJet]

1. Obama is the new Boss

I postyed a thread a couple of weeks ago comparing him to Springsteen circa 1975

[polichick]

2. That's pretty good - sure doesn't hurt that he's cool! nt

[Tarc]

4. That's pretty sad that that is what many flock to, the "cool" factor

Forget substance or issues or politics, just "vote for the hottie".

[SoFlaJet]

7. yea we're all so shallow

right Tarc? Unlike you sophisticated Clinton supporters-we can only HOPE to someday be as smart as y'all

[denem]

10. same as the old boss

... sorry couldn't resist.

[Tarheel_Dem]

22. and you don't think people did that with Bill Clinton?

Which is why Bill seems so bitter and animated when he talks about Obama. He knows his days as the party "rock star" are quickly coming to a close. Sorry you can't celebrate the fact that we have a very popular candidate who appeals to a wide swath of the American electorate. But that's your loss.....

[madmom]

45. they also did this with bush

[grantcart]

43. yes because it is written if you have style then you absolutely could not

also have substance.

[Whisp]

11. yes, he is way cool.

my daughter who is not very political at all, usually, is now talking about him with her friends and beginning to think more seriously about the heavy issues we all face today - in the bigger picture sense. I've tried to encourage her to pay more attention to politics - that getting into it is better than any spy novel or disaster or a slash'em movie. :) The menu is limitless!

[polichick]

23. It's so good to see the kids fired up and, you're right, they're looking into the issues...

Obama knows exactly what he's doing!

[Cha]

25. I have to laugh..I was talking to my

son on Kauai last night about our favorite subject..Obama. I said there were a lot of people at the concert in Toledo..lol, I mean Rally! :9

[VolcanoJen]

3. polichick... did you see this article in the Chicago Tribune?

It's an important one that I feel too many have missed. It's an in-depth analysis of Obama's stump speeches, and it reaches a fascinating conclusion:

In fact, read side-by-side with the other candidates' current stump speeches, the Obama script makes at least as many references to policy proposals as do theirs.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama-speeches-analyzed-feb24,0,7672692.story

[Cha]

29. Thanks, Jen..

"Let's be clear, speeches don't put food on the table," he said recently. "But the only way that we're going to bring about change is if all of you get excited about change."

I'm fired!

[polichick]

34. Great read - thanks for the link...

Maybe this explains some of the negativity about Obama's campaign "concerts":

"There's a deep-seated cultural ambivalence we have about eloquence," Zarefsky said. "We seek it out, especially from leaders in times of crisis. On the other hand, we're suspicious that someone who is talking really well is putting something over on us."

[COFoothills]

5. Hilarious...

My five year nephew is for "ba-wok" too.

[Abacus]

6. /agree

"It was also pointed out that there are actually more policy details on his site than on Clinton's, and that voters do go there and read up."

Yep. The "empty suit" claim always said a lot more to me about the people making the accusation than it did about Obama.

[polichick]

20. Cinton supporters are too bitter to see what's going on. Oh well. nt

[MyNameGoesHere]

8. Obama is the newest American Idol.

Even Simon gets a "tingle up his lag" for him.

[jgraz]

9. Yep, and Hillary is new Sanjaya

[K Gardner]

12. OMFG !! *dies laughing*

[MyNameGoesHere]

13. Uh no she is William Huang

I think that is his name, She Bang!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. ...

[better tomorrow]

16. Is American Idol on tonight?

I don't know...I quit watching it after last season......when I finally opened up my eyes....

[MyNameGoesHere]

26. Don't know but i am sure your tv guide can clue you in.

[better tomorrow]

31. ha ha, I was just being funny

I gave up on American Idol once I found out how rigged it really is.....

I really don't care when it is on....I'd rather watch the debate anyway...but thanks for being kind enough to try to suggest a help. That's a nice Democrat. You guys/ladies are the best.

[better tomorrow]

14. cute but sad...

but then, what do you expect when they see the crowds and rallys for Obama and the cheering and the music and then the drone of the McCain speeches. Obama, one smart cookie.....not even Bill Clinton's sexophone playing could elicit that kind of emotion from a five year old.....

[BlueGirlRedState]

17. My 10 year old wanted to go to the rally in Austin

"cause Obama is famous." I didn't take her -- it was too late (9 p.m.) and she's too short to see anything in the crowd.

Yeah, it did remind me of a rock concert -- but it was also well organized, started on time, the sound was great, the music was upbeat and varied. The crowd was patiently anxious, amusing themselves with beach balls and doing the wave to pass the time. He started the rally with a moment of silence for the fallen police officer in Dallas who was in Hillary's campaign detail. Obama was on message, funny and inspiring. Set under the Texas stars with the capitol in the background, you couldn't help but feel proud to be a Texan -- and feel like you can help to make a difference.

And we left there, discussing issues with my neighbor's middle-school daughter, feeling hopeful (yup, there's that word again!).

[polichick]

24. Thanks for sharing that - you're so lucky...

If he comes to PA, I'll be going to the concert too! :)

[Cha]

30. It's like a melding of some

of our culture with the vital issues that confront our country. This can't be bad.

[better tomorrow]

32. wasn't that what Woodstock was all about?

[Cha]

35. ..And We Got To Get Ourselves

Back To The Garden!

[polichick]

36. WE SURE DO!

I'm putting that song on right now ~ thanks for the reminder! :)

[Cha]

40. It's all good,

babyB-)

[better tomorrow]

38. uh..it isn't the Mothership in today's world?

[better tomorrow]

44. I heard somewhere that Hillary

wanted some kind of earmark for a Woodstock museum? Was that true?

[The_Casual_Observer]

18. I wonder if he would keep up those rallies if he were president?

[polichick]

21. That would be great for the country! nt

[Raven]

19. I heard Obama up at Dartmouth College. He was thrilling,

inspiring and substantive. His wife stopped to talk to us because the person I was standing with told her they were from the same neighborhood in Chicago. She was almost more impressive that her husband. As she was leaving, I asked her how she managed the campaign schedule with the two kids. She told me that she and the girls were heading back to Chicago because she had a PTO meeting the next morning and she was responsible to bring the orange juice. Very genuine, very real, these people.

[polichick]

27. Thanks - I love hearing stories like yours...

Somewhere I read that Barack hasn't missed a parent-teacher meeting throughout this campaign.

[better tomorrow]

33. bring the orange juice to PTO....heck, Bush couldn't even

go to his daughter's college graduations!!!!

[cooolandrew]

28. Kids don't like politcs it is very significan the are for Obama.

[polichick]

37. Young voters are helping boomers and older voters feel idealistic again...

That's another thing they mentioned on NPR today ~ how Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver both mentioned joining their kids.

We've needed a good dose of idealism in this country!

[better tomorrow]

39. Geesh...this boomer has been

trying to get you young un's excited for quite awhile now...but, hey, whatever it takes. Now, just VOTE, dern ya. After all, I mastered YouTube video posting just for you.....and I still have all my eight tracks.....

[polichick]

41. I'm a boomer too...

You still have your EIGHT TRACKS?!?!?

A few years ago my husband and I sold our collection of LPs, never thinking they'd be collector's items. Then a couple of years ago a relative shipped a coffin-sized box to my musician son with hundreds of LPs from the sixties and seventies and it was like ten Christmas mornings at our house. Every young musician within ten miles showed up to check them out!

[better tomorrow]

42. Yep and I even have...

a player to play them on. It sits next to my phonograph which sits next to my cassette player which sets next to my boombox which sets next to my MP3 player which I can download through my Blu Ray onto my cell phone.....

And, I still have my movie projector which sits next to my VCR player which is integrated with my DVD player...but, darn I never got a TiVO.....but I DID get a 72 inch big screen TV which sits next to my black and white that I use when storms put the satellite out.

I do have Michael Jackson's "Thriller" LP still and my collection of 45's. Oh, again, those good old days.