Barack Obama was in the Bay Area this week, this time, live and in-person and not a video feed. Frank and I shelled out a fairly hefty sum (for us at least) to see Obama at Ruby Skye in San Francisco on Tuesday night. Obama was just about what I had expected--engaging, endearing, and inspiring. I'm still unconvinced that he can win the nomination. If he did, however, I think it would start a revolution in this country, one of positive change, hopefulness, and community spirit. Sign me up for that.
The disco was packed to the rafters, full of well-dressed youngish men and women, predominantly African-American. The line to get in snaked around the block, and we ran into one couple we knew standing in line, but never saw them again after that. When we finally made our way in, the Oakland-based R&B Band Tony! Toni! Tone!
The next act up was Elliott Yamin
Elliott surprised me, though. He sounds much better in person than on television. My problem with him on American Idol was that he always sounded like he was in serious need of a decongestant. On stage, he had a great deal more personality than I expected. I might actually like to hear him perform again. I don't plan to quit my job and follow him around in a rainbow-colored tour bus, but I could tolerate hearing him sing in a smaller venue perhaps. I figured that CityMama and Jill, my fellow Idol fans, would get a kick out of this.
After about two hours of waiting, listening to music, paying for our own drinks, and standing around, Kamala Harris, San Francisco DA, took the stage and announced that "The Senator is in the house!"
The crowd went wild, only to be told that he would be out after a short video presentation. It was the bio-video from his website. It's a nice piece, but it was not what I wanted to see. The Hillary Clinton luncheon was looking better than ever.
Finally, DA Harris came back out and introduced Obama. Her introduction was brief and heartfelt, and I could tell that she is a seasoned politician herself. I don't know anything about her or her abilities as DA, but I imagine that she is going places in the political world.
Obama entered to a frenzied ovation and roar from the crowd. I couldn't see a thing. When the crowd finally settled down, I was able to see him pacing on the stage, doing the obligatory reading off of names of the organizers and thanking them.
He thanked everyone for coming out and said, "My goodness, you all are a good looking crowd!"
Pandering? Maybe, but also true. It actually was a good-looking crowd, in that polished-San Francisco- Gavin-Newsom- Mayor-McHottie kind of way. The crowd looked remarkably like the one we encountered at the Bill Clinton speech in March. Maybe he was surprised because he was expecting to see a crowd of unbathed hippies wearing Birkenstocks and reeking of patchouli oil, since this is San Francisco after all. I don't know.
Obama opened by talking about large themes of his campaign, of the spirit of connectedness among people, of a "bond that is bent, but not broken" and how that spirit of unity should not just be expressed through our churches and synagogues and mosques, but in our government as well. He talked about the "core decency" of all American people, and how people are tired of divisiveness and "hungry for a change." He said it is time to turn the page and write a new chapter of American history.
He spoke without notes (other than when he was reading the names of the organizers) and hit on a variety of issues in rapid-fire succession. He identified problems, and offered sound-bite solutions. He said things like, "We have an educational system that despite the slogans, is leaving millions of children behind, and an energy policy that funds both sides of the the war on terror."
When he said, "We're in a war we should not be in," he drew the biggest response from the crowd.
The crowd reaction seemed to energize him, and at this point, the speech started to pick up steam.
He railed against the fact that most people don't bother to vote, and when they do, it's more often to vote against someone than for someone. When that happens, he said, lobbyists and special interests step in to fill the void. People retreat, believing that they can't make a difference. He said that he senses as he travels all over America, that people are beginning to "wake out of slumber" and demand a fundamental change.
He talked about being an optimist, and making an "optimistic proclamation" and being called a "hope monger" by people in Washington. He said, "I want to get something done, and that requires optimism."
From there, he touched on what he hoped to get done, including: a comprehensive healthcare plan, investing in prevention and information technology so that patient medical records are easy to access; early childhood education; higher pay for teachers; affordable college for all; renewable energy sources; re-energizing the inner cities (I hope he starts with Gary, Indiana); ending the war in Iraq; using diplomatic solutions with Iran and North Korea. For the most part, it was the same laundry list of issues and resolutions that Hillary Clinton offered.
The two things that Obama touched on that Clinton did not were: 1) reducing our nuclear stockpile; and 2) closing down Guantanamo. I was glad to hear about both of those issues. I don't think there has been serious discussion of nuclear disarmament since the 1980's, and it's high time someone paid attention. On Guantanamo, the notion that any individuals--enemy combatants or not--can be held indefinitely without any regard to due process of law just flabbergasts and enrages me on a daily basis. Do NOT get me started on that, people. I was glad that he at least mentioned it.
Obama wants to proclaim to the world that "America is back" and lead by deed and example, not by military force. He said that the world needs America's idealism and high aspirations, not brute force. He thought that America needs to recognize what the prior generation envisioned in the Marshall Plan, that investment in the welfare of other countries was the way to build alliances around the globe and garner respect. He touched on the roots of terrorism being planted in areas where violence hardens people around the globe, so much so that they want to do harm to us and others.
He went on to say that he could not accomplish all of this alone. He illustrated the notion that people need to get involved in the process with the story of how the leader of the Pullman Porters, A. Phillip Randolph met with FDR and talked about a comprehensive plan for civil rights. FDR's response was to say that he agreed with the plan, but to tell Randolph, "Now, make me do it."
The most effective and moving part of his speech came at the end, when he spoke about his experience in going to Selma, Alabama to speak on the fortieth anniversary of the march on Selma. He talked about the marchers crossing a bridge, faced with armed police and tear gas, and their bravery in marching on despite being attacked. He spoke passionately about what that march, and what the entire Civil Rights Movement meant to him:
I was four years old when that march on Selma occured... People often wonder how they could have marched on across that bridge, facing tear gas and police brutality, putting themselves in harms way for what they believed in. I like to think they imagined a child. They imagined that a child of theirs could grow up and be educated at Columbia and Harvard. They imagined that he could be elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. They imagined that one day, that child could grow up and run for President. They imagined me.
I stand here on the shoulders of those giants, of those people who marched for Civil Rights in Selma and Birmingham... and stood up for the rights of all people. I stand here, a candidate for the United States Presidency, because of them.
I admire Obama a great deal for spreading this message, one of hope and optimism, one that is forward-looking and inspirational. I know he's given variations on this speech a thousand times over, and will give it a thousand times more before the end of the election. I hope he can deliver it with the same passion and conviction that he delivered it on that night. I hope that he stays positive and doesn't fall prey to the temptation to go negative on his opponents. I think if strength of character were the only issue to be decided in this election, he would sail through to the White House.
Overall, I was favorably impressed with Obama, but until the very end, he didn't wow me the way I was expecting. His rhetorical style is one that starts out slowly and builds to a crescendo. The video of his speech to the ministers in Selma is a good example of this, and I recommend that you watch it if you want to get a sense of how he comes across in person. It's a bit stilted at first, seems a little disorganized, but builds up to a very powerful message.
The concern that remains in my mind and in my heart is whether this passion and strength of character are enough to actually govern a nation in need of leadership and unity. For far too long, we've divided ourselves by state, by region, by race, by economics and by deeply held personal beliefs. What has been debated on the national stage have been the most deeply personal issues a person faces -- whether to become a parent and who we marry. We won't ever agree on some fundamental beliefs that we hold. We should leave it at that and move on. We need to counter the politics of fear with the politics of hope. Can Obama do this? I don't know.
Perhaps Obama's strength is not in the actual day-to-day management of government, or a deep knowledge of foreign policy, but the ability to inspire others to rise up to the challenges ahead. I think that the best candidates have both the leadership and the managerial capability, have a clear vision and the ability to build a roadmap to get to where we need to go. I think Obama has a vision, and it's one that I share, but the specifics on how we get there is not entirely clear. It's also not clear how his vision and roadmap differs from Clinton, Edwards, Richardson, or even Mike Gravel for that matter.
One of the things I took away from this meeting was a sense that I need to be more involved in this process. I used to march in demonstrations to end apartheid in South Africa, for nuclear disarmament, and a host of other issues that concerned me. Now, I'm content to write checks and yell at the TV. That has to change.
Those of us who are blessed to be parents look into the face of the future every day. We count our blessings and wish for the best for our children, but that's not enough. We have to get involved, we have to put aside the inconveniences and the routines of daily life and the petty reasons why not. We have to do what has to be done.
If Obama can inspire people to do more, to take action on behalf of their children and the grandchildren and great-grandchildren they might never see, then it doesn't matter if he wins or not. He will have succeeded either way.
