Feb 07 2008
Obama: A Movement, Not A Cult
Something I read today has really drawn my ire.
In Jake Trapper’s “And Obama Wept,” he offers the viewpoint that “Obama supporters’ exuberance seems to be getting a little out of hand.” He points out others — like Felix Gillette, James Wolcott, Joe Klein and Kathleen Geier — who share the same POV. Some even go as far as to blast Obama supporters for worshiping him like he’s Jesus.
Excuse me, but fuck anyone who shares that opinion and the horses they rode in on. There’s a big difference between being part of a cult and being a part of a movement. It’s not our problem that you’re a bunch of jaded political hacks.
Why does this piss me off so bad? Because every election cycle I hear older people bitch and moan about how young people aren’t active enough in politics, and suddenly we are too active. WTF? I’m still pretty young, so that deeply offends me. Do a somewhat see their point? Sure, I guess, but there actually is something messianic about him to us. Especially after we’ve faced seven-going-on-eight years of George W. Bush.
Is he God? No, of course not. He’s not going to actually break bread or walk on water. So, no, we don’t believe he’s Jesus. What we do believe, however, is that he is our future. He isn’t the redelivery of God’s only begotten son — he’s the re-delivery of hope for my generation.
What’s my generation? I was born a week before Christmas, 1979. That makes me 29, and basically in between Generation X and Y. I guess I’m both the death rattle of Gen X and a Gen Y elder statesmen. It’s with both of those generations in mind that I respond to this “cult” bullshit.
No offense to the Baby Boomers and their parents, but their days of dominating the political landscape are over. They aren’t the ones who will have to face the next half century and the challenges it brings. The under-40 crowd will; That’s why I’m so irked at getting blasted for fervently rallying around the one candidate who can boldly lead us against the challenges like no other could. We might indeed be the ones we’ve been waiting for, but we’ve also been waiting to rally around someone like Barack Obama.
I hear pundits like these and Hillary Clinton mock the “audacity of hope.” Well, sorry, we haven’t given up. We haven’t given up on winning the global warming war. We haven’t given up on achieving racial harmony. We haven’t given up on restoring diplomacy and our reputation around the world. We haven’t given up on using our armed services only as the last line of defense. We haven’t given up on ethics returning to places like Capital Hill and Guantanamo Bay. Most of all, we haven’t given up on the thought that there is actually a candidate out there with integrity who’s capable of winning the presidency.
Hearing McCain talk about Obama today made me equally sick. Here’s a guy who now calls himself the “True Conservative” when he might actually be more to the left than Hillary Clinton, who’s basically a Centerist if you ask me. Here’s a guy who has the nerve to criticize Obama for his stance on the war when he himself is changing his stripes mid-race. He said Obama was acting in the interests of “political expediency.” Actually, it’s just the opposite, Johnny Mac. Obama publicly came out against the Iraq war with a speech when 70 percent of the nation still favored it. That’s called acting in the worst interests of political expediency. Better yet, that’s called acting in the best interests of the people. I know, John, that’s shocking behavior from a politician. I don’t expect you to understand.
McCain acts like wanting to pull out of Iraq is treason or something, when in fact it’s just the opposite. Supporting our troops means putting them in harm’s way only when we absolutely have to. So when they don’t need to be over there — and when we’re borrowing money from the Chinese for them to stay — no, that’s not success. The only true “surge” can be evidenced in this war’s disapproval rating. That brings me back to my generation, er, generations. McCain’s generation or the Baby Boomers aren’t the ones fighting in Iraq — young people are. It isn’t older Americans who will inherit the deficit that this multi-trillion dollar war will cause — young people will. Basically, we’re going to be in debt for a long time to come, and for what? For unnecessarily sending young patriots home in bodybags? So that the oil men that reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. could make us forget about Al-Qaeda?
We’ve been waiting for Iraq to be over since 2002, and at this point we aren’t taking no for an answer. We have the choice between fighting more wars (McCain and Clinton, based on her past judgment), or fighting for peace (Obama). Because at the same time we’re warring against terror, we’re also warring for our collective soul. We not only believe that Obama can salvage Iraq, but also help us salvage this country before our generation is stuck living in a world of shit.
At least McCain believes that our planet is in peril. Idiots like Glenn Beck are outraged that any candidate would spend a trillion dollars on global warming and our planet, when we’ve already spent trillions on the tiny country of Iraq. We’re outraged that Conservatives ignore the environment in favor of their warmongering. But global warming and the Iraq war are just two of the issues that motivate us Obamaites.
Because of this, Obama is a breath of fresh air to us. When you’ve been suffocating under Bush for far too long, yeah, that breath of fresh air is refreshing as hell.
We follow Obama like disciples not because we think he’s perfect, but rather because we feel that his character is as close to perfect as you will ever find — especially in politics. We follow Obama because he gives us a voice in the battle for tomorrow, when we are facing those who are desperately trying to hang on to the scattered remains of yesterday. We follow Obama because, unlike Hillary, he truly opposes FISA. We follow Obama because, unlike Bush, we want FEMA to protect Americans, not a President. We follow Obama because, unlike McCain, we do not want to be a part of a 100-year war. We follow Obama because, unlike Mitt Romney, he isn’t a political Transformer. We follow Obama because, unlike Mike Huckabee, he respects the Constitution. We follow Obama because he is all the things that these other candidates are not, most notably genuine.
After 25 years of the Wallstreet and Evangelical coalition dominating Washington, a more diverse group — the suppressed and the Starbucks crowd — finally has a chance. The Conservatives had to be asked not to boo their candidate today, and the media is asking us to tone it down now in our support for Obama? Just when we finally have our chance? When young Democrats, Independents and open-minded Republicans feel they can come together behind this great man and create a long-standing new majority. A majority run not by the special interest groups and lobbyists, but by the people.
If you don’t understand the movement, I guess you have about four, er, make that eight years of head scratching to do. We are passionate because our future is being delivered to us — by Barack Obama.




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That’s exactly what I’ve told people. That the baby boomers have had their say and now it’s time for the generation that is going to dominate this world for the next few decades to get involved - which we have, and in larger than expected numbers. The thing is, Washington says they want us involved, but only to the point that it doesn’t change the outcome THEY want.
And maybe they think this is a cult simply because it has been many, many, MANY years since there was a candidate that was inspirational and really spoke to a large group of people. You can’t deny the fact that Barack has inspired such an immense part of the population, so I guess the next natural thing to do would be to label this movement as a cult.
On a side note, I went to a Houston Obama meeting today and am absolutely working hard for Obama here in TX. The awesome thing is, the article of mine that you put on this blog was actually picked up by my school, the University of Houston (around 35,000 students), and I have gotten some great feedback from people who have read it - Republicans and Democrats alike. Maybe I’ll change a mind or two. Here’s hoping.
Justin, you don’t rock, you Barack. Texas is SO huge now, so any free pub he can get really, really helps. Especially on a campus like that, where he tends to dominate the vote. I’m going to see what I can do to help. I’ll make calls for sure to down there.
Historically, people tend to label and denounce what the fear and can’t understand. Geier really got under my skin, because she voted for Barack. A lot of people have just been involved in the process too long, they’ve become jaded, cynical. Plus, we haven’t seen anybody like this since JFK. And media wasn’t then what it is now.
I’ve been waiting for a leader like him for far longer than I could vote. One of the dreams of my lifetime is to see a black president as well. When you wrap that up into one, yeah, it’s going to really motivate me, and I’m sure others as well.
Great post! We have to win over voters and take this election and prove all these cynics wrong. Reach out to your friends in the states with the coming contests and start taking specific steps to make sure they get active and show up to vote when the time comes. Since Barack’s weakest demographic is older voters, especially female, young people need to reach out to their parents and even grandparents and passionately convince them to vote for Barack. If even 30% of Obama’s young supporters can do that, we’ll have a clear victory. Start now!
Hey Adam and Justin!
Great Post!!! I couldn’t agree with you more about the majority of the babyboomers… but don’t count us All out brother, just because most of them gave up and gave in and became what we hated and fought against back in the 60’s and 70’s.
There are so Many of us who have Not been compromised… have Not given up Hope and have been laying back and Waiting for someone like Barack to come forward and to carry the True Torch into the Future. We do not want to go back to what was, but rather to go Forward into what Can Be… what Should be… what Will be. YOU are the generation that must carry it forward and make it into what Can be!!! We Boomers may have started something that we could not finish in those times… the world was not then ready yet. But because Many of us stayed quietly (some not so quietly) in the background and continued to struggle to make the incremental changes in society that have led to today, the world is now ready for You to accomplish what we could not.
We are so very Proud of Your generation! …and Barack is the True Statesman and Leader that we ALL have been waiting so desperately for.
Barack ON! NEVER GIVE UP!!!
Pastor Daniel, hey, I hear you. My aim wasn’t to really lump all Boomers together, but rather to convey how us younger people feel about this movement. I know Boomers are on board, and that many of you have become disgusted with the politics associated with your generation (Bushes and Clintons). You will have to face the same challenges we will, and so will your children. We appreciate the pride you take in us, and we will never give up…
Barack Obama shall one day reside at 1600 Pennsylvania. That’s a promise.