President’s Day

Those of us volunteering for the Obama campaign in Western Pennsylvania know that there is no guarantee that Senator Obama will ever stop in Pittsburgh. We are all pulling together to create community events that will engage a variety of demographics and even the arts, and we hope that leads to a positive energy that empowers Pittsburghers. Pennsylvania will be one of the last big primaries after Texas and Ohio (March 4th), and although we can hope that Barack Obama & co. make a pit stop out our way, those decisions are made only days prior.

To celebrate President’s Day I persuaded an apolitical friend to take me to Youngstown State University for the Obama rally. I had very much wanted to go, and thought I had to work but my office surprisingly got the day off. Even after that fortune it seemed no one from the Pittsburgh for Obama group could go out to YSU, but a friend came through at the last minute!

It was anything but disappointing. We arrived at 11:30 am, doors opened at noon. It was non ticketed, but they had to keep count, so people were just amassed around volunteers who had sign-in sheets (just to get volunteer info, really). Thousands of people lined up the length of campus. Luckily, we got in promptly, decided to stand up near the stage opposed to the bleacher seating. Why would one rather sit up in the bleachers opposed to on the gym floor front and center? Well, it was a 2 hour wait; but it was well worth the wait.

Obama shared rhetoric pretty similar to his last few speeches, all inspiring yet stern and specific about why and how he plans to provoke true change. I didn’t even realize how thorough it was until people started asking me about it… I realized he covered all his bases. Here is a bit of his “Keeping America’s promises” speech.

Rallies are no place to become politically educated. It’s like stepping into a megachurch and seeing a euphorically energetic congregation chanting and cheering; it can seem dogmatic and cult-like with no context (bad example?). So while the energy at these rallies are through the roof, and speakers like Obama outline their platform with eloquent proverbs and points of action, of course it doesn’t provide context. Which is why most people go to rallies with their minds made up, just like the Senator goes on stage already knowing what he stands for. Otherwise, its easy to criticize the energy purely as charm and rhetoric with no substance.
However, I happened to go with a friend who really does not buy into the importance of the national political process; the entire car ride there it was an on going discussion. I hear it a lot, and I understand people not being into ‘politics’, but I don’t understand not being inspired by the human spirit. In any case, my friend left saying that the messages seemed authentic and were pretty convincing. I still sent him a Hillary speech just for some perspective; errr for the kids reading at home, don’t just watch speeches, read third party articles and look at the political records too.

So, here I am, a bit tired and disheveled,  but supporting Obama no less!

Cheers & L’Chaim