(Cross-posted at Blue Hampshire)
I attended the house party for Barack Obama at the home of State Rep. Bette Lasky's in Nashua today. I was priveleged to get special attention from the Senator in this house filled with 120 Nashua Democrats.
My impressions of the Senator himself will have to wait because they were overshadowed by my overall impression of the event..
While this was a house party in New Hampshire, it sure felt like we were at this "rock concert" the press keeps describing. Unlike similar events this weekend, however, Sen. Obama's event was not heavily stage-managed and thus his presentation fit the form of the setting he found himself in.
And it was a ZOO!
Beforehand, the press couldn't find anything else to talk about besides what a celebrity Obama seems to be - well it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. With more reporters present than I've ever seen before in my life, this traditional New Hampshire rite of passage went Hollywood.
The message of his campaign was greatly overshadowed by all the folks asking repeatedly "Why...Why...Why does everyone like Obama?". In their endless mission to capture the public image of his campaign, they were essentially telling us why we like him. "Because we're talking about him", they tell us.
I mean when I got asked a question by like four different reporters at once about "Why all the fuss about Obama?", (I felt like saying) good question, why don't you ask yourselves!.
"Why are you college students so crazy for Obama?" I dunno, I just wanna see what the guy has to say!
I haven't even pledged to any candidate, yet today I felt like I was responsible for deflecting the conventional wisdom of the press; for defending Senator Obama from media sensationalism.
All I want to see is a fair and meaningful democratic primary. This is not a horse race!
Sorry this diary isn't really substantive but I'll be updating in the morning so I can respond to the (presumably awful) newspaper coverage of the event.