Just What Does Obama Mean by Change? You Can’t Find Out From a Soundbite
January 27, 2008
My good friend Ben Adlin wrote a great blog post earlier this month debunking the popular criticism of Barack Obama that he’s all rhetoric and no substance. The money quote:
The problem, I think, is that Obama’s message doesn’t fit easily into soundbites, drastically hurting his ability to respond to everyone’s favorite criticism. And so those too lazy to do their homework fall back on the same argument they’ve heard their smart Republican friends (or Hillary supporters) use: that Obama simply has been ‘too vague’ or ‘hollow’ in his description of just what he means by ‘change’.
This is, I think, part of what Obama feels is broken about our political dialogue. People want arguments made in ten-second clips, in thirty words or less. The truth is, politics are messy. Oversimplification is friendly, but it’s ultimately misleading.
It’s not as simple as asking, “Yes, but what does he mean by ‘change’?†and then expecting a concise response. That’s not an argument. After all, the response can’t be concise; most liberals (and, I hope, conservatives) recognize that much about our country needs reform. Yet because it can’t be printed on a bumper sticker, the apathetic American voter thinks that Obama’s message lacks substance.
Maybe what needs to change is us: our expectation that politics be spoon-fed, our quickness to jump all over the other guy because it helps us score points. Outlining how to change these things is difficult. Historically, pulling huge numbers of people together from disparate groups has required strength of character, near-genius, and powerful rhetoric.
Aren’t these the areas where Obama shines?
Quite right, Ben. You’re in good company taking that position. Just check out Daniel Koffler’s article in The Guardian Unlimited from the following day for a great rundown of Obama’s policy perspectives.
Still, I think it’s naive of us to think that the American people are going to wake up overnight and read lengthy articles like Koffler’s to get their political information. Unfortunately, most people just aren’t that involved. Yes, Obama can move the nation in that direction, even with his candidacy. But he needs to be aware that we’re working from a short attention span here.
I’m curious what you guys think. If you were Barack Obama, how would you combat the erroneous “style over substance” argument?
The changes that need to be made in this country cannot be made by Obama alone. Indeed, he like everyone else will face a bureaucracy that will be resistant to reform, and a Congress that will oppose many of his initiatives, so he has to rely on the people of this nation to demand that the change they want is actually enacted.
It will also be those same voters that put him in office (if that happens) that will predominantly be called on to create that change. That’s where he can inspire and rally the nation to tackle the tough issues that face us. This nation suffers when it relies on others to get things done. Obama will not be able to do this alone. We need to understand that each of us are part of the solution, each of us have a role to play in the transformation of American politics. Obama’s style has the ability to move mountains, which matters greatly since that’s what it will take.