Dismissing Obama's movement

From Jerome Armstrong's diary, 'Hillary's race to lose':

In Obama latest, he sent me an email titled, "What a movement looks like?" His campaign probably didn't notice the slip, but it's an obvious truth--that adding that "?" in the title. Maybe, he thinks, he's in one... maybe not... who can tell?
Except it didn't say "What a movement looks like?"

If a different e-mail went out, I didn't get it. But it leads me to believe that Armstrong's anecdote of the Obama camp's foul-up is imagined. Reading the e-mail itself refutes the main point of his post: "completely [dismissing] the notion that there's a movement behind Obama."

In the e-mail, Obama relays some information on a recent day of action in which his field campaign organized more than 1,000 events in all fifty states, got more than 10,000 volunteers to go door to door in their neighborhoods to contact more than 500,000 people. Armstrong says Obama's campaign has hyped a movement that doesn't exist. But given some recent reports of volunteer intiative and enthusiasm in my state of New Jersey and elsewhere, I'd say that if they're not a movement, they're doing OK.

Even in a campaign of hype, it's hard to fake this kind of excitement. Armstrong admits that maybe Obama does have a movement, albeit on that has "nothing to do with the fighting partisan netroots; so there's no way I would grasp it, much less feel a part of it..." I don't have a horse in this race either, and I agree that it is, in fact, Hillary's race to lose. But I am continually impressed with the intensity of Obama's door-to-door volunteers. His netroots campaign could be another story.

Still, there's no denying Obama's campaign has tapped something that is pumping people up and getting them to hit pavement for him. Call it a movement, call it whatever you want, but it's something we're not seeing from the other campaigns.

Tags: Barack Obama, Jerome Armstrong (all tags)

Comments

29 Comments

Re: Dismissing Obama's movement
Thank you for posting what may be a discrepancy.
If Jerome made a mistake, perhaps he'll apologize.
by annefrank 2007-06-14 08:27PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

by annefrank 2007-06-14 08:27PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

I also don't "have a horse in this race" but I'm keen to the energy Obama seems to inspire. The main thing about him I've noticed is he talks to people like you yourself would talk to someone. He says things you can relate to. Not just the problems you need fixed but that there are others out there like you. So let's work it out together etc.. blahze...

Plus a lot of the ills from the sixties still exist,and it's long past time for us as a country to still be defined by that shit.
I agree it's Hillary's race to lose.
Not because she's the best candidate,but because there's still a lot of "Jeromes" out there subscribing to what they know. Partisan politics.

I only hope it's really time for a change in our political culture. As long as it's beneficial to as many of us as possible.
And I don't give a damn who brings it.

by g1967 2007-06-14 08:53PM | 0 recs
New Obama

Cherry Obama, Lean Obama, iObama, Obama-lite, President O. Obama Genuine Draft EcObama. H2Obama.

Not a movement, a marketing experiment. Hip Centrism. The Apple add was arch. The video cheesecake. What's next for the movement?

by Rt hon McAdder esq KBE 2007-06-14 09:07PM | 0 recs
Re: New Obama

Obama's campaign is basically an 'American idol' style cheesefest. All fluff, buzz, where's the beef?

by lambiel 2007-06-14 09:15PM | 0 recs
Movements are about people. Not one person.

Nice youtube video from Barack.

by NuevoLiberal 2007-06-14 09:24PM | 0 recs
Re: New Obama

And where is Hilary Clinton beef?The fact that she was`the first lady,if thats the case Laura Bush might as well run for President.So quit hating on Obama.The man is trying to do something postive and you pepole are `still throwing him under the bus.

by edward 2007-06-15 06:15AM | 0 recs
Obama under a bus? bwahahaha.

The guy is a made man now. No, we are watching him so that he doesn't throw us under the bus. The blogosphere was the last redoubt of anti-war opinion that you could find back in 2002. The last bastion of liberal and progressive  opinion.

by Rt hon McAdder esq KBE 2007-06-15 08:50AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

Ha!

I don't think there will be a real apology. If there is, it won't look like one.

Watch!

by ObamaEdwards2008 2007-06-14 09:20PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

Yeah, I think it's narcissism they've tapped into. There is no objective reason to be this excited about a guy who votes in sync with the candidate his supporters most deplore, presents no original ideas and has no real experience for the job.

It's so pathetic the way these jokers yammer on about his years of experience as a state senator and then complain about Hillary speaking about being First Lady.

i don't see any depth to the movement either. I see a lot of largely uninformed people congratulating themselves for supporting Obama. They seem to think it makes them special the same way the Christian thinks they're special.

I like Obama okay - he's certainly a tad bit more progressive than Biden. But his supporters are the most vituperative on the internet and the most blatantly dishonest, as far as I can tell. They creep me out. And their willingness to state that they'll not vote if their candidate doesn't get the nod is just staggering to me. If we don't take orders from them, they'll help turn our nation back over to the Republicans. If that's who Obama's got going door to door, he's probably doomed to failure.

by basement angel 2007-06-14 09:25PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

No I think it is just a lot of us our young, and strongly want change... It isn't really the policy, although that is important, it is the attitude of the politics.  I think the younger generation is much more scientific about policy, we want studies, scholars, and articles, and a black and white best choice.  We are tired of the pattern of for every point a D has a R needs a different one.  I mean have you ever thought why 1/3 of the country, on both sides, agrees on just about every issue?

by gb1437a 2007-06-14 11:50PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

" I think the younger generation is much more scientific about policy,"

Uh...or maybe just still young and inexperienced about it. The thing is, if Obama is "scientific" about policy and wants to put forth the best idea no matter who it comes from, then why are all his policies basically a split difference between the two parties. Isn't there one idea that could come from the left that ended up being "the best idea"?

It is kind of amusing though this idea of getting past partisanship to govern and the meme of "leaving behind the old arguments" from the 60s. Because this is exactly the kind of talk that was used by Arthur Schlesinger to describe the upcoming generation around JFK's time, who were tired of the old arguments from the 30s!

by adamterando 2007-06-15 04:13AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

They creep me out. And their willingness to state that they'll not vote if their candidate doesn't get the nod is just staggering to me.

It shouldn't be after all if he is bringing new people into the process doesn't that make perfect sense?

by sterra 2007-06-15 02:19AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

I think you've identified the difference between a celebrity-driven campaign and a campaign driven by values and principles.

One is about a single candidate, the other can be about many candidates.

by billybob 2007-06-15 05:25AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

For your information basement angel,I do not considered myself uninformed.The reason I like Barack Obama is because of his message.By being able to work with others.You people are going to have to realize its just not about the left or right it is about all of America.And besides do you really think Miss Hilary can bring this nation together,I do not think so!!!!!

by edward 2007-06-15 06:36AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

I bet if David Broder were 13 years old, this is what he'd sound like.

by Peter from WI 2007-06-15 08:23AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

No it's about the poor, the opressed the disenfranchised. It's all about justice and equality. If America is coll with that then i'm cool with America.

by Rt hon McAdder esq KBE 2007-06-15 08:52AM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

That should say "the Christian right" thinks they're special. I got no beef with Christians in general and apologize for that typo.

by basement angel 2007-06-14 09:26PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

Good Christians tend to show it by their acts. Much like Good people in general.

by Rt hon McAdder esq KBE 2007-06-14 09:57PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

most of you people are pricks...just thought I'd restate that.

by dlh77489 2007-06-14 09:55PM | 0 recs
Re: Dismissing Obama's movement

LOL - aw c'mon

by annefrank 2007-06-14 11:14PM | 0 recs
Subject Line: What does a movement look like?

I found the email.

Even the subject line says: What does a movement look like?

Received Wednesday, June 13, 2007 2:53 PM

by parahammer 2007-06-15 02:03AM | 0 recs
There is no movement

If there was truely a movement it would be easy for everyone to see.  

A movement would be more clearly defined.  There would be something that it was trying to acheive and most people - even people not a part of it - would know what it was.

A movement would effect others, not just Obama.  I don't see any House or Senate or local school board candidates caught up in any movement.  This is because there is no movement.

Go back to the late 60s and the counter culture.  That was a movement.  

Obama is just a popular pol that draws good crowds.  Any talk of change is just political speak (just like when Edwards calls for it, or Clinton calls for it, or a Republican calls for it).  Any talk of a movement is pure campaign hype.

 

by dpANDREWS 2007-06-15 03:37AM | 0 recs
Re: There is no movement

In my day movements had to walk uphill in the snow both ways before they were acknowledegd as a movement.

by sterra 2007-06-15 03:46AM | 0 recs
Thank you

It is nice to see some humor here.  People are always so serious.

I would like to add a point about the 60s and also about a more recent movement that I assume most of here were not a part of.

The movement away from traditional norms in the 60s and the search for more freedom and individuality effected everyone.  It effected women trying to enter the workplace.  It effect comedy.  It effected music.  It effected tv.  It effected government.  It was wide and far reaching.

On a smaller but still powerful scale with have seen the movement of the religeous right.  Starting with the likes and Falwell and continueing today with guys like Dobson (and think starting to fade out).  Their aims were clear to inject their conservative religeous bbeliefs into our government, schools, and communities, and undo a lot of what was done in the 60s and 70s by the movement I mentioned above.

Again this involved schools, government, entertainment (the rise of conservative am radio), the courts, and other institutions.

My point here is to simply show some people what a real movement is.  There is no movement occuring around Obama right now.  

by dpANDREWS 2007-06-15 06:28AM | 0 recs
Re: Thank you

That is the problem with alot of you people,your still living the past.Your still talking about the 1960s.This is 2007,you have to get up to date `here.I am in my early 30s I want to know`whats going on in the present time.Quit  going down memory lane.Yes the 60s where a important time.But that time has passed,we need to deal with whats going on in the 21 first century.So yes what Obama is doing cannot compare to the 60s,but he is getting people involed that could have cared less about politics and that is a good thing.

by edward 2007-06-15 06:50AM | 0 recs
Re: Thank you

This is just laughable. I am not much older than you, but found this sort of 'movement' talk is silly and cheap.

by lambiel 2007-06-15 06:58AM | 0 recs
Re: Thank you

Like I said it may not be a movement,but at least he is out there getting people involed who could have cared less about politics.And I'll say it again that is a good thing.It may not be your liking,but who cares.

by edward 2007-06-15 07:43AM | 0 recs
That is great

But it is not new and it is not totally Obama.

Look at the Kerry campaign.  They did very well on college campuses and signed up a lot of first time young voters and got them to the polls.  Kerry got more Democratic votes than anyone in history largely as a result.

But in no way would I say it was a movement.  

Obama is a good looking, charismatic, youthful (in political terms anyway) guy.  I am not surprised that many people, especially young people, find him appealing.  I think it is great that he is continueing where the Democats left off in '04 and really agressively targeting younger votes who tend to overwhelming support Democratic ideals.

by dpANDREWS 2007-06-15 07:35AM | 0 recs

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