Last week I went to see Obama speak at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill. I thought he gave a good speech (once he took the stage an HOUR late). This was the first political rally of any kind I have been to. I must say, as much as I like Obama and think he is the best candidate, I was scared by the extreme adoration, almost infatuation that many of his supporters have for him.
It really is a Cult of Personality. It was like watching an old film from Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union under Stalin. I even found myself getting caught up in the fervor at times. I think there is a big difference between thinking someone is the best candidate of the three and thinking they are the greatest person who ever lived. And anyway, being the best presidential candidate is like being the best item at a hardware store; at the end of the day, you are still a tool.
Yes I want Obama to win. And I do think this Cult of Personality has its advantages: at least young people are getting interested in politics again. This is really the first time since Kennedy that young people have become excited about politics to a point that they will turn out in large numbers to vote. Not surprisingly, JFK had his own Cult of Personality. Is this an indictment of the will of young people, or is it just a marker of a unique candidate? I don't know.
But I do know that cults are never good. And I wonder how many of the people who support Obama actually research what his positions are, other that the fact that he is for hope and change.
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