Presidential

[twirlgrrl]

Lately I've been seeing so much (and collecting so much) video of the Republicans, and none of the Democrats. I started to think about why that is. Well, the Rs are sensationalistic these days. There are temper tantrums, folksy winks, train-wreck interviews, incoherence, seething refusals to shake hands with one's debate opponent or even to look at him, reptilian tongue thrusts, cheesy repetition of catch-phrases and talking points, and false accusations being thrown around. And let's not forget SNL parodies. Which all add up to some pretty fascinating video.

But then I thought, why am I not seeing as much video of Obama? This video shows a little bit of why I think that is. It also shows why I like him. He's calm, measured, engaged, intelligent, confident, and coherent. He talks about the issues rather than spending all his time attacking his opponents. He has plans that I largely agree with and he believes in those plans and in his team's ability to carry them out. He understands that a large part of the presidency is being a tone-setter, like the CEO of a major corporation--you have to communicate, give people a sense that someone is minding the store, let them know we're on the right track and call on them to participate. It may sound silly, but seriously guys, the figurehead aspect of presidency is SO important. Our mood and image as a nation depends on it. (Remember Ronald Reagan? Why do you think so many people loved him? Was it because of his policies? Or was it because he could convince them that we were A-OK?) Watch this video and imagine having this guy address the nation as we stumble through this crazy economic crisis, rather than our current 'president' who barely even bothers to show up on TV anymore.

EDIT: I am talking about the big video embedded in the story below, that says "Obama talks about the economy" or whatever.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5985237&page=1

Also, it kinda cracks me up how much he says "look."

Comments

[alexisyael.livejournal.com]

I think this addresses a larger issue with this race, which is that the media sets a LOT of the tone for who gets airtime/ coverage. And the media, by and large, do not like Obama. Now, even though they did that to him in the primaries (showed him less than Hilary) he still won in that race, so maybe it won't matter in the big election, but I am still worried...

[twirlgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's interesting... I definitely don't see them favoring the Republican candidates in their tone this year, except for Fox of course. And Obama isn't getting as much BAD press as I thought he would (yet.) But good or bad, the Republicans definitely get a lot more press. And the whole thing really is a familiarity contest more than anything else, so it is worrisome. I really think a huge percentage of people vote for who they see on the TV screen the most, regardless of their policies or positions. That's why I was so upset when Gray Davis was recalled here in CA; it seemed like no one could really articulate why they thought he should be recalled, they just wanted a movie star in office. And when I asked people why they wanted Schwarzenegger instead of Davis, they never said anything about his policies--they all said "He's the Terminator, man!!" Sad sad sad. Oh, sorry, tangent. Kinda. :)

[alexisyael.livejournal.com]

I totally totally agree! I wonder if some of the (liberal) media get this? Like SNL -- I freaking LOVE those Palin skits. They're hilarious and I adore Tina Fey. But you know? They make Sarah Palin much more palatable to non-conservatives. She looks like a folksy kook instead of like the SCARY Conservative she really is! I think they go for entertainment value and not for the WOW, we're gonna be screwed if she gets more publicity! angle...

M said yesterday he thinks she might run for president in '12if McCain doesn't get elected... and she'd probably have more of a shot! (We're seeing a LOT of voters down here who really only like her on that ticket. McCain is "not conservative" enough.)

[twirlgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think SNL is doing the same thing the rest of the media is doing, which is focus on what's funny and weird and interesting. I haven't seen any successful parodies of Obama yet--he's a lot less dramalicious.

I can only hope that the people for whom McCain is not conservative enough are a smallish minority nationwide.