This is a diary about hope, the emotional bond humans feel with an inspiring speaker, and the way that Barack Obama and Joe Biden can re-create the momentum the campaign needs to win in November. Most people connect with each other on a "gut" level. Candidates are no different. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are both charismatic candidates. But they are not putting their talents to their best use by doing only town halls. Maybe some town halls are necessary to clarify policy positions. But winning this election is about connecting with the voters. And town halls are not the best way for Obama and Biden to connect. The very size and nature of a town hall negates the buzz and excitement that these candidates generate. Senators Obama and Biden need to return to the formula that worked so well for Obama in last spring--the big, hope-filled rallies.
Obama-Biden can pull the momentum away from McCain-Palin in a matter of days and focus the media on their campaign by embracing the hope-filled rallies. Everyone remembers them. They made the "inevitable" Clinton campaign seem flat by comparison. They were the way that Obama reached out to millions of people for the first time, brought them to tears, lifted them up emotionally, gave them a reason to care about his campaign and to fight for it. Obama was passionate, and he was in his element.
The Clintons and the Republicans were jealous of the rallies. After Iowa and New Hampshire, word of mouth was sufficient to draw thousands of people on very short notice. Peggy Noonan wrote about this phenomenon early in the primary season, complaining that the Democrats didn't seem to "realize what they have in this guy?" Obama's brilliance, warmth and leadership were on display. These were not empty, platitude-filled events, like the McCain-Palin rallies of the past week. Obama talked about the issues too, but did it in a way that gave voters a reason to believe that he was a strong leader who could move mountains. He made painfully ordinary people like me feel like I mattered to the future of this country again. Americans want to feel inspired. That is true even if they are policy wonks.
***It would be one thing if Obama were a brilliant candidate but not a forceful, compelling speaker (Al Gore).
***It would be one thing if Obama were a Vietnam hero/popular senator with a record of fighting for Democratic ideas, but not so good at expressing those ideas. (John Kerry).
But Barack Obama has no such shortcomings. He is Barack Obama. Why doesn't he start acting like him?
The Republicans have charged up the corpse-like campaign of John McCain by seizing on Sarah Palin, a person with a likeable, folksy demeanor that NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman has compared to the Rosanne of 80's television fame. No matter that Palin and McCain have radical, right-wing values that would destroy this nation. No matter that Palin is not qualified to hold any government office. No matter that McCain is at the top of the ticket. Are the big crowds that are now gathering to see McCain and Palin really interested in re-electing the Republicans, or could it be that something else is going on?
Could it simply be that the McCain-Palin rallies are filling a need that our candidate used to fill?
Senator Obama--
I will continue work hard to elect you and Joe Biden this November, phone banking, donating, canvassing. That is a given. But it is up to you and Joe to reconnect with the voters who turned out for you all over this country in the snows last spring. To this end, please consider setting aside the town halls for a while and return to the big, hope-filled rallies. Give the voters what they are hungry for. Once they are in the arenas, the media will follow. The focus will be back on you and Senator Biden. More people will be listening again and you will be better able to get your message out. We know that you can lead. But first, you have to get elected. Get the roadies together, grab Joe, and take that "last hope" tour now. Because electing Obama-Biden is seriously our country's last hope.