January 22, 2008

The Barack Obama Cult: No Policies, Please - Just “Personal Conversion Stories”

It’s no secret that the Obama cult is creeping us out. In meatspace conversations, I’ve opined, many times, that while Obama himself may not be entirely responsible for the drooling infatuation of far too many slack-jawed, glassy-eyed Obamaniacs (who react with sheer hostility when you ask them to cut the “He’s so inpirational!” crap and actually define their idol’s policies), he’s not doing anything to tamp down the frenzy, either.

You have to wonder what “inspires” this kind of cult-like frenzy in the first place. Obviously, there’s something The Man is saying, or doing, that taps into some primeval instinct devoid of rationale. Do they implant chips in Obamaniacs’ brains at every rally? Are they beaming some sort of subliminal signal through the TV during Obama’s speeches that turns viewers’ brains to mush? Whatever it is, I’m immune to it. Thank God.

Chip implants and Halloween III-like mind control aside, it’s now clear that the Obama campaign is indeed fully aware of what it’s doing, and responsible in great part for the unthinking, unblinking, mindless worship.

From the January 21 edition of the Sacramento Bee:

Obama basic training

Volunteers told to share personal conversion stories with voters - not policy views.

In a storefront on Q Street in Sacramento, Kim Mack told a crowd that spilled out onto the sidewalk how she came to back Barack Obama.

With a son serving in the Iraq war, which she opposed, Mack was looking for a like-minded presidential candidate. She was impressed by the Illinois senator’s books.

But the clincher came on March 17, when she met the Democratic contender face to face. She describes how he lit up the room with his wide smile, shook her hand and thanked her for volunteering.

“He looked at me, and the look in his eyes was worth 1,000 words,” said Mack, now a regional field organizer. Obama hugged her and whispered something in her ear – she was so thrilled she doesn’t remember what it was.

Then Mack brought home the point of her story for the crowd of 100 or so eager volunteers, sipping coffee and watching a PowerPoint presentation in the Obama campaign office on a recent Saturday.

“Did that make more impact on you than if I had talked about his health care plan or his stance on the environment?” she asked.

On the verge of a hectic few weeks leading to Super Tuesday, the crucial Feb. 5 multistate primary including California’s, Mack wanted to drill home one of the campaign’s key strategies: telling potential voters personal stories of political conversion.

She urged volunteers to hone their own stories of how they came to Obama – something they could compress into 30 seconds on the phone.

Whoa… “how they came to Obama“?

You come to Jesus — you don’t come to Obama.

“Work on that, refine that, say it in the mirror,” she said. “Get it down.”

She told the volunteers that potential voters would no doubt confront them with policy questions. Mack’s direction: Don’t go there. Refer them to Obama’s Web site, which includes enough material to sate any wonk.

So that’s where that comes from! By “that,” I mean: Every time I confront an Obama supporter with the dreaded question, “Hope for what? Change what? What, exactly, is Obama’s plan for [healthcare / Iraq / the economy / name your favorite issue]?” the answer is, without exception: “It’s all on his Web site. Go read his Web site. He explains everything on his Web site.”

(This, of course, is always followed immediately by some variation of “Why don’t you want CHANGE?! Don’t you have any HOPE?!” in a shrill register bordering on hysteria.)

The idea behind the personal narratives is to reclaim “values” politics from the Republican Party, said Marshall Ganz, a one-time labor organizer for Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers who developed “Camp Obama” training sessions for volunteers.

“Camp Obama”? Good Lord.

When people tell their stories of how they made choices and what motivates them, they communicate their values, Ganz said in an interview.

“Values are not just concepts, they’re feelings,” Ganz said. “That’s what dropped out of Democratic politics sometime in the ’70s or ’80s.”

That’s the problem: Obama supporters are basing what may be the most important vote of their lives on feelings. Feelings! Not issues! Feelings!

Working as a precinct captain is “easy,” according to one of several campaign Web sites.

“Just follow Barack’s lead and be honest with them,” the Web site advises. “You don’t need to debate policy or discuss the day’s headlines. You have a very personal reason for investing your time and energy in this campaign – that is the most compelling story you can tell.”

Indeed, participants in the Saturday morning precinct-captain training were already adept at telling their Obama-conversion stories. …

Jesus Christ — and I really do mean Jesus Christ — “conversion stories” are for born-again Christians, not political activists.

Are you afraid yet? Very, very afraid? I am.

J.P. Maurice brought his two sons to the event. Not only did they learn to be precinct captains, but the two sons also registered to vote for the first time.

Like many at the event, Maurice, 50, said he had not felt as excited about a candidate in his lifetime and is eager to spread the word.

Spread the word. Personal conversion stories. Come to Obama.

Jesus Christ.

Posted by: Sapphocrat

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