Friday, August 29, 2008

Obama's Not The Messiah, Just A Very Clever Boy

By the end of the day, Obama Superstar's anointment at the Mile High stadium will be yesterday's news. As the Washington Post puts it, 'more pageantry than politics'. News moves fast in presidential elections and by November, the Democratic convention could go down as one of the biggest political disasters in US history. 

After last night's Obama Superstar performance, the Republican target just got a whole lot easier. 

It boils down to two words. 'Hubris', of which Obama has a lot and 'Change', of which there was little evidence at the convention or in his speech, which had the familiar ring of Democrat speeches from the past. 

McCain knows that, the Clintons know that. Both are waiting for Obama to fall off his perch. And both words will figure in the election battle which now starts in earnest.

It's hard to know what the Democrats were thinking, as they were taken in by the hype of the Obama campaign and its theme of "Change". 

After returning from his "Audacity of Hype" tour, speaking to the multitudes in Berlin, the Chosen One headed to Hawaii for a vacation and became the "presumptuous, presumptive candidate". But that didn't matter to his slick marketing team.  

Then onto the convention first night. While the banners read the candidate of 'Change', it was dominated by homage to Edward Kennedy, who ran for president in 1980. 

Obama allowed the second night to be dominated by the candidate he defeated for the nomination in the Primaries and whose supporters felt bitter and cheated. Hillary Clinton, who has been on the political stage since 1992, gave the best speech of her political career.

No change either with Obama's selection of running mate, silver-haired loser, Joe Biden, who's been a senator for 35 years. 

While the convention was running, polls showed the expected 'Biden bounce' didn't happen. That should have given Obama quite a few points lead but instead it was McCain who edged ahead. 

Obama allowed the third night to be dominated by the charisma of former president Bill Clinton, who's been around since 1988. Again, just where is the change?

Even after he knew he'd clinched the nomination, Obama allowed the Clintons to take over the convention and neither gave Obama their outright blessing as commander-in-chief. 

Throughout the four day Obamafest, words like hubris, arrogance and 'narcissistic celebrity candidate' were not too far behind. What's more, there are elements of Obama that voters are uneasy with. Like his house deal with Chicago crook, Tony Rezko. 

Onto Thursday and the spectacle of the 'Temple of Obama', timed for the 45th anniversary of King's "Dream" speech. No stuffy convention hall full of Democrat delegates - it's outside to the Invesco Fields stadium, a theatrical extravaganza before an adoring throng of more than 75,000 Obama faithful.

Democrats started to become decidedly uneasy and queasy that yesterday's outdoor spectacle may backfire. The opinion poll jury is still out on that one.

Pictures of 200,000 mesmerised followers in Berlin didn't help Obama's campaign. Older voters don't like all that celebrity stuff. An expensive theatrical stage-set in Denver doesn't work with working class voters. 

How does he get away with it? He's got the majority of the Main stream media on his side, that's how. 

Never mind the voters, never mind the opinion polls, this all makes great TV and great pictures - and they're happy to run with it. 

Last night's gut-wrenching spectacle was missing just one thing. You'd expect Terry Jones to run on stage shouting - "He's not the Messiah he's just a very clever boy." 

And that concludes Act One in the Life of Barry.

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