Your Right-Hand Man: Beware of Obama-mania

Obama-mania has its perks, but beware of serious pitfalls.

“I don’t know anything about Democrats or Republicans, I just like Obama.” I heard this said on campus. It seems harmless and nonchalant. That is, harmless if you don’t follow politics, or don’t analyze the political situation in this country with any sense of history or appreciation for an informed republic.

What is great about the Obama fervor is that it has gotten a new generation interested in politics. This is phenomenal. College tends to be the time when one starts to view politicians less as creepy uncles and more like demons, and they seem to go from kissing your baby face to trying to kiss your adult ass so they can stay in Washington. Anarchy becomes downright appealing.

College students, as well as a dejected black populace, have clearly been energized by Obama’s candidacy.

What is disconcerting is why college students have become energized. It’s not policy. Obama is very liberal, but not as much as Dennis Kucinich, who is also more “green,” and is more supportive of fair trade, not to mention a very innovative lawmaker and respected congressman. Alas, Kucinich is short (5’7), and has a high voice, not to mention a strangely hot Jessica Rabbit-like wife, which only adds to the hilarity. Barack Obama is handsome, has a pleasing baritone, and is…ugh… as charismatic as Colin Farrell on cruise ship full of octogenarians.

But if you were to put the voting records (disguising the length) of Kucinich and Obama next to each other, without saying whose was whose, I guarantee 9 out of 10 students who knew anything about the liberal perspective would pick Kucinich as the candidate for them. But if they watched a telecast, the situation would be completely inverted.

My question is; why are we letting this matter? We as college students should know better than to be influenced by sheer charisma and speaking ability. It’s clearly ok to be moved by your politicians, you even should be. And I guess its okay to get the chills or the shakes or whatever when you meet a personal hero, but isn’t that also silly? You should be intellectually moved, not physically flustered.

Of course there have been men that could deliver a great speech that also turned out to be pretty great, i.e. JFK, Ronald Reagan and Martin Luther King, Jr. But it’s also very possible to be Mussolini’ed, and while I don’t think Obama is going to be Mussolini, I don’t think half of his constituency would care if he was.

The sad thing appears to be that once election day has passed, and let’s say half (which, if we’re really honest with ourselves, is generous) of the Obama-maniacs immediately lose interest in a trend they aren’t actually well versed in, then what good did that do the Democratic process?

I couldn’t be happier than for those who got involved in politics because of Barack Obama, and actually learned about issues, and decided for themselves that they agree with a leftist perspective, and will continue to lead happy lives in the public space, serving the greater good that is democracy. But I just don’t think that’s what happened, and the quote I heard personified that.

Here’s the part that should worry leftists, and please pay attention: The Obama campaign is a lot like the Bush campaign in 2000. Whatever you thought was fascistic about that campaign, whether it was the campaign tactics, the extreme fervor, the “trump” card (George W. likes Jesus, so if you don’t vote for him, you must not like Jesus. Conversely, Barack H. is black, so if you don’t vote for him, you must be racist and love the current establishment) or the worst, the single-issue voter, look in the mirror. “Hope” and “change” are meaningless buzzwords just like “weapons of mass destruction,” and sadly, “nine eleven.” Obama himself has become a single issue just the way abortion is a single issue, and people who vote on one issue, at least in my book, are non-thinkers. The political spectrum deserves your whole attention as an American citizen, and if you can’t take the time to read up, why would you vote?

I implore you, those who are both informed and passionate about Obama and his positions, stay involved in politics. Not because it will make it easier for me, a Republican—because it won’t—but it will certainly be better for the country. And who knows, if you spend enough time mulling over the issues, you might even switch to the dark side.