K on Barack Obama

[highlyeccentric]

I keep getting weirded out by all the Obama-mania, and find that the best way to think of it is not so much as people electing a politician, but as America electing a temporary king. It is weird to get so het up about a politician, but if you're treating someone as the consummate symbol of your nation, that's close enough to a king for me.

Says K just now: "I keep wanting to slap people on my flist and say "he's just a man!... You're right about the king thing, Americans electing their king. It's like the English thing where the King can cure scrofula. Except the whole country's got scrofula. Which is pretty gross, actually."

Comments

[areyoustrange.livejournal.com]

I keep getting weirded out by people getting weirded out by Obamamania. Not because I think he's teh savi0ur, but because it's exactly what you'd expect from Americans in this situation. Their political culture and approach to the process of electing people to high level public service roles is characterised by dramatics and identity politics at the best of times. Now that they've finally turfed Bush, especially in favour of someone as liberal as Obama, and someone associated with such crucial racial symbolism, it's no wonder people are going berserk.

Also, FUCKING EW SCROFULA.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

*shrug* I know it's characteristic of Americans and American politics. But Americans and American politics weird me out all the time. No human being should be the focus of that much adulation :s.

The last time we had a PM that charismatic was Whitlam, and look how well THAT turned out...

[areyoustrange.livejournal.com]

But it's not just him, it's what he represents. I am also weirded out by American politics, but this I can completely grok, especially the support for him in the black community. Nobody thinks he's Superman Halo Dude, it's not that kind of adulation. I mean, for a US president he's pretty good, but the things he represents are in some ways more important than that.

And I think Whitlam's Prime Ministership was one of the best things that's ever happened to Australia. His charisma wasn't his biggest flaw, the galactic size of his ego was, and frankly I don't care about that because he's got a list of social justice achievements as long as my arm, which I personally benefit from every day.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

Not saying Whitlam wasn't great: I just have this expectation thanks to high school history that every time a popular hero politician comes along, a BRICK WILL DROP ON YOUR HEAD.

Although the US doesn't have Sir John Ker looming, ten points to them.

Anyway. Just the *position* of US President gets far more adulation than I'm comfortable with...

[areyoustrange.livejournal.com]

Good, for a second I thought you were talking smack about Whitlam. Then I would have had a bit of a sook.

Yeah this is why I'm iffy about Australia becoming a republic. I tend to get a touch of the If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix Its because I'm scared of America's presidential style.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

Exactly. QEII isn't so bad. She leaves us alone and we leave HER alone and no one thinks she has a mandate to do anything. *hums* Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl, but she's pretty much obsolete... *hum hum hum*

[avedaggio.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of Americans are just *relieved*. No more Bush, no more Cheny... A lot of people thought that the last 2 elections were stolen from the American people, and while I don't read quite as much into it as they do, I share in the relief. And it's relief I also see in people in other countries (I am one of the rare americans who not only knows there is a world outside of America *gasp* but I even follow the BBC news. I should get a gold star or something.). Relief that Obama won't pre-emptively strike them with nukes for possibly having thought about WMDs in the last 20 years.

I'm afraid you'll have to endure my countryfolk being giddy for a while. :) I avoid it by simply not watching the news.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

Oh, I get the RELIEF thing. The entire world is relieved... ;)

American politics is weird in general from where I sit, though. The position of president is... well, king-like. I've had people who don't like Bush at all still tell me not to insult "the president" just because he's the president. It's WEIRD.

[anachronisma.livejournal.com]

I am an American and I am still freaked out by Obama-mania. It's not just because I voted for another party. Whenever public figures transcend the reasonable expectation of what any human individual can accomplish or mean, and seem to feed off it, I feel wary. The world started it's party when he was elected, and I sat around going, "congratulations, Mr. Obama... why the hell is this so important to so MANY people, you're just another politician!"

...plus, I don't find him very charismatic on a personal level. I actually find him a boring public speaker and just plain uninspiring to listen to, so on another level I just don't understand why everyone is enchanted by him.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

I actually find him a boring public speaker and just plain uninspiring to listen to, so on another level I just don't understand why everyone is enchanted by him.

huh, really? I was impressed with his rhetoric in the acceptance speech- he *preaches*, have you noticed that? But he didn't say much. If it were a sermon (which it sort of was) it would be the kind which gets you emotionally worked up, but doesn't teach you much.

*shrug* I'm glad he's in, for the sake of the sanity of the rest of the world. But now he IS in I'm moving straight on to the Healthy Suspicion stage.

[anachronisma.livejournal.com]

I find his speeches lack substance. I feel like I learned nothing listening to him, and I'm extremely wary of being emotionally manipulated from being in too many churches where the same techniques were used to get away with preaching sermons full of bad theology. But I'm someone who can cry because of a pretty phrase, and while I am teary-eyed go "what an interesting rhetorical technique! but I don't agree with that"

Besides which, I swear every speech of his I've heard, he pauses every couple of words in places that don't need pauses, which drives me absolutely mental, like he doesn't know how to speak in sentences.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

I'm extremely wary of being emotionally manipulated from being in too many churches where the same techniques were used to get away with preaching sermons full of bad theology.

Me too. I want my sermons to be delivered like an academic lecture (albeit with appropriate drop in brain level for the congregation), and I DON'T like it when politicians preach their speeches. See my hackles? They're good at rising.

[anachronisma.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of the American people bought into the Obama style more than the message. The slogan "yes we can" means absolutely nothing (we can what?) but a lot of people took it mean that they were part of the democratic process, that they had a voice with Obama, that his success would mean their success in a personal way. Obama pinned so much of his hope of election on this style of... well, I'd call it evangelism, so much so that people who can't tell me a single one of his policies still are crazy about him.

[ahsavka.livejournal.com]

I was going to say this.

Remember, in '04, it was Bush vs. Kerry. Kerry was boring, but how could anyone who wasn't totally bizarre or acted like an idiot in public lose?

And then he lost.

This new guy, meanwhile, is better spoken, a bit of a geek (he loves Star Trek, he will fight for net neutrality), consistent (esp. compared to the competition), not half bad looking ...

I don't own any Obama stuff. The "mania" completely makes sense to me, though. The night of the election I saw more talk about it from my non-US friends than citizens. Is it all over your news, or something? Are people freaking out in Australia? We have groups of people still ridiculously happy, but despite living near the capital I haven't seen any in the flesh. Just on the blogs and such. I think maybe it's being overhyped. (I think the two biggest pieces of news being used against Mr. Obama right now are that his fans are overzealous and that he speaks well. XD)