Let me preface this by saying I do not consider myself a political person by any stretch of the imagination. I am not afraid to say I did not vote in the last presidential election or even in my last local election. The whole electoral college thing has me feeling a bit cynical about this country's political process. But, at the end of the day, in America (The United States of) money talks and if you can get people to raise enough money on your behalf, the machine known as the U.S.A. just might let you call some shots. That being said . . .
The song itself is quite amazing and somewhat reminiscent of a spoken word piece set to music, which given Obama's cadence and rhythm is essentially true. And of course the video as an artistic work is very thoughtful. Shooting in black and white and utilizing shots of each supporter against the white backdrop speak to the level of bare humanity the Obama campaign presumably seeks to reach. The style of the video appeals to a variety of ages and walks of life, not falling prey to any particular demographic in terms of tax bracket, former political affiliation or set political issue.
The question then becomes, is the message sincere? In a world where even the news is scripted and spoonfed to us, how can we, as objective viewers, truly see anything objectively? Is there a manner in which I can watch this video without thinking "damn, that is a great campaign idea" or "Nice way to skirt the real issues and appeal to an emotional response." The idea that the video itself does exactly what it aims to achieve, makes me slightly suspicious of it, and generates the opposite of the desired response. Instead of being sure that my vote counts I want to know:
Does this man really mean what he says or is he just really good at playing the game?
More food for thought on Obama:
Is he destined for assassination? Pearl Jr. writes about the fear held by many Black women.
3 comments:
Very interesting insight. I think it, but apparently you say it. Keep bloggin' sista!!
I believe that his actions and effort are truly sincere. This Universe being Just and Rightly ordered he will achieve his goal. Thanks for the forum ~M Love You Truly & Dearly
I'm glad to see you finally got this working for you. I retract my previous comment (I was being facetious...of course) and leave this in its place:
I know that for a long time we as citizens have lived in a an America where our politicians have fed us so many lies that we tend to expect the same from all of them. But for the simple fact that this man is so fresh and has come so far from left field...so fast, I truly believe they haven't had the chance to influence his thinking.
Is his message sincere? I pray he's given the opportunity to deliver and he will deliver. We've spent too much time holding on to the past; racism, the "N" word, reparations, fear of the power structure more commonly known as "The Man" that we've become dumb to the message of hope. Why can't he be the real deal? Why can't he bring the change we seek? Why can't he be catalyst of what MLK dreamed about? There should be no excuse...here it is, right now!!
~KF
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