Obama Wows Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Meditators

Obama had positioned himself in alignment with the rotation of the earth, in accordance with the teachings of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whose followers moved en masse to this small Iowa city more than 30 years ago.

The Maharishi’s transcendental meditators, along with vacationing pilgrims from the East Coast, turned out in large numbers in the town’s traditional green square to hear the Illinois senator deliver his stump speech on the night of July 3 — more people, Fairfield’s sheriff said, than had come out to greet a sitting president.

“I saw him and I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is somebody who could lead us into a new era,’” said Nancy Watkins, an international student adviser at the Maharishi University of Management.

“The memorable part for me about the connection we have to each other,” said Keith Ratzlaff, a creative writing professor from nearby Pella who was a Kucinich delegate. “That’s not something we’ve heard from the other candidates.”

"Obama wows Iowa meditators", by Ben Smith. Politico July 5, 2007.