One Problama With Obama

Lost amidst the fainting spells, the messiah references, and the fawning media coverage of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama is any form of impartial judgment on behalf of the media or the viewing public. While Obama's oratorical gifts and impressive command of the English language dwarf those of nearly everyone I know or have listened to, I remain dispassionate towards his campaign. In fact, when it comes to Obama and his glossy persona, I keep thinking "socialism never sounded so good!"

Politicians, by nature and reputation, are slick. They have perfected the art of schmoozing and cause senior citizens and unsatisfied housewives to swoon over vague terms like 'change' and 'new direction.' Essentially, politicians make the mundane seem meaningful. Just as the clever salesman could sell a bathing suit at the north pole, Obama has mastered the art of convincing his tundra-dwelling supporters of their dire need of appropriate beach attire. My question: Why don't more people see through this charade?

That's one thing that bothers me about Obama: phoniness. Tuning in to any conservative talk show will yield the same complaint, but I think in this instance the complaint is valid. In a cruel twist of irony, the talk radio community resurrected a move from a moment in the 1984 Democratic Primary debates between Walter Mondale and Gary Hart. Hart, an underdog candidate to the establishment candidate Mondale, rode an early wave of success by promising to deliver "new ideas." Hart and Mondale were deadlocked after Super Tuesday, underscoring the threat of the overthrow of an establishment candidate. It was not until Mondale famously quipped "Where's the beef?" during one of their debates that Hart's campaign was finally sunk.

The parallels between Hart's empty promise of "new ideas" and Obama's equally vacuous campaign pledge of "change" are obvious. I've long given up hope that some intrepid reporter will respond to a candidate's canned answer with (gasp!) a follow up question to allow the candidate to further clarify (or, better stated, finally clarify) his or her stance on a particular issue. My frustration is rooted in two parts: media's negligence in asking important questions and the viewer's acceptance of the candidate's answers at face value.

I realize I'm not exactly going out on a limb here by suggesting that Obama lacks substance and that the media is not helping the situation by serving him the same softball questions over and over. But with the majority of the primary season behind us, and millions of votes cast, I am beginning to wonder whether or not I am justified in losing my faith in my fellow man's ability to recognize theater when they see it.

24 years after Mondale's witty remark the phrase "Where's the Beef?" is still remarkably relevant. I wonder if ol' Walter--or Wendy's, for that matter--had any idea how prophetic a commercial about hamburgers would become years after its first broadcast. Then again, were the question to be asked of Obama, he'd mostly likely tap in to his deific intellect and smooth over the situation by effortlessly creating another phrase that would make Mondale's comment seem ordinary.