Is Barack Obama the Messiah?

2012-11-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

2012-11-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

Poster Credit: Ray Noland ("CRO")

Obama - The Transfiguration

2012-11-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

Obama at fund-raiser at Steven and Judy Gluckstern's home, April 9, 2007. George Soros is seated to the right of the stairs. (Published in "How Barack Obama Struck Fund-Raising Gold, New York Magazine April 16, 2007; Photo-credit: Michael Edwards (note that this is the actual photo as published by New York Magazine, and contrary to the claim of William Lowther @ Telegraph, has not been doctored by this blog; (via "Daily Speculations" | What is the "Transfiguration"?)

"I'm asking you to BELIEVE ..."

2012-11-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

"Pass This Bill" = "Feed My Lambs" (John 21:15)

2011-09-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

At a rally on the campus of North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C. Wednesday where President Obama went to drum up support for his jobs bill, this happened.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you, Barack!
THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Applause.) But first — but if you love me — if you love me, you got to help me pass this bill. (Applause.) If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill.
Here's John 21:15, the New International Version, describing a scene between Jesus and his disciples:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Frank James NPR. September 14, 2001.

"God of All Things"

2010-11-20T21:26:00.000-08:00

In its November 22, 2010 issue, Obama has been shown by Newsweek on its cover page with multiple arms balancing several policy issues while raising his left leg mimicking the cosmic dance of the Hindu deity; considered a manifestation of Lord Shiva.
... Newsweek has named Obama "god of all things" on its cover.

SOURCE: Times of India (November 20, 2010).

"The presence of the Divine"

2010-05-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Rabbi David Saperstein, reading from Psalms in English and Hebrew, noticed from the altar that the good men and women of the congregation that day, including the Bidens and other dignitaries, had not yet stood. Finally Bishop Vashti McKenzie of the African Methodist Church asked that everyone rise. At that moment Saperstein saw something from his angle of vision: "If I had seen it in a movie I would have groaned and said, 'Give me a break. That's so trite.'" A beam of morning light shown [sic] through the stained-glass windows and illuminated the president-elect's face. Several of the clergy and choir on the altar who also saw it marveled afterward about the presence of the Divine.

The Promise: President Obama, Year One, by Jonathan Alter.
(Simon & Schuster, May 2010 - p. 102)

"Take up your cross and follow me"

2010-03-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Illustration by Nola Lopez, photograph by Damon Winter/The New York Times

"Obama is, of course, greater than Jesus"

2009-12-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

He is provocative in insisting on an outstretched hand, where others only see animosity.
His tangible results in the short time that he has been active – are few and far between. His greatest results have been created with words and speeches – words that remain in the consciousness of their audience and have long-term effects.
He comes from humble beginnings and defends the weak and vulnerable, because he can identify himself with their conditions.
And no we are not thinking of Jesus Christ, whose birthday has just been celebrated - - but rather the President of the United States Barack Hussein Obama. [...]

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the economy during a visit to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York September 21, 2009. Source: Reuters.

If such a comparison were to be made, it would, of course, inevitably be to Obama’s advantage.
Today, his historic Health Reform is being passed through the American Senate – a welfare policy breakthrough that several of his predecessors have been unable to manage. [...]
On the other hand, we have Jesus’ miracles that everyone still remembers, but which only benefitted a few.
Obama is, of course, greater than Jesus – if we have to play that absurd Christmas game. But it is probably more meaningful to insist that with today’s domestic triumph, that he has already assured himself a place in the history books – a space he has good chances of expanding considerably in coming years.

Source: "Obama greater than Jesus" Politiken Editorial [Denmark] December 29, 2009.

“The Hope can be a Cross”

2009-12-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Obama as the Messiah. Angelo Cruciani in Milan with the work "The Hope can be a Cross":

The effigy of Obama on the cross is doing the rounds of the blogosphere. The work of Angelo Cruciani, on display at the Galleria Voghera 11, is an interweaving of the two icons Jesus Christ and Barack Obama "erected as a symbol of the new martyr for humanity, like the cross that bears the weight of expectations placed on him.

2009-09-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama addresses a town hall meeting on health insurance reform inside a hangar at Gallatin Field in Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009. Official White House photo by Pete Souza. Source: Official White House Photo Stream September 1, 2009

Behold! The Graven Image of our Great Leader is Finished!

2009-06-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

The long awaited, larger than life statue of President Barack Obama has been completed. Over 20 feet high and 12 tons of concrete and steel, internationally known artist David Adickes has completed the latest of 44 presidential statues and on its way to be displayed in the Black Hills of South Dakota, home of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
President Obama's statue will tour through 10 states and 40 cities. The President Obama statue will come to rest in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the internationally known Presidents Park around July 4, 2009.

President Obama is Finished Black Hills Today

"Obama is standing above the country, above the world. He's sort of GOD."

2009-06-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

"In a way Obama is standing above the country, above the world. He's sort of GOD. He's going to bring all different sides together."

- Newsweek editor Evan Thomas

2009-02-24T00:34:00.000-08:00

President Barack Obama pause as he speaks at the close of the Fiscal Responsibility Summit, Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, in the Old Executive Office. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

2009-02-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

US President Barack Obama, seen here on February 4, 2009, speaks regarding executive compensation in Cross Hall at the White House in Washington, DC.

"Tell us what part of Obama is in you ..."

2009-02-01T23:25:00.000-08:00

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. -- Matt. 18:20

You can help build our gallery of faces from people who see a part of President Barack Obama in themselves.
We've got a photo of Obama you can cut out for yourself -- click here to download it. Then follow the instructions, take a picture and send it to us here. Tell us what part of Obama is in you and we'll add your comments to your photo.

"See Obama in yourself" Detroit Free Press Staff. January 21, 2009.

"No one saw him coming ... like Jesus being born in a manger"

2008-11-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

EAST POINT, Ga.—The day after Barack Obama was elected president, Larry Younginer knelt in front of the congregants at his suburban Atlanta church and offered a prayer of thanks.
"Lord, we have again come to you in prayer, and you have heard our cries from heaven, and you have sent us again from the state called Illinois, a man called Barack to heal our land," said Younginer, a 62-year-old retired information systems worker at Coca Cola in Atlanta. "We pray that you will build a hedge around him that will protect him from those who would do him harm."
Younginer, like many others, is convinced that Obama was destined to be president. The mere fact that he won the presidency against the odds has caused some Christians, particularly African-Americans, to see the hand of God in his victory after so many years of struggle.
[...]
[Lawrence Carter, dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel] said many people look for a sign from God when times are turbulent. And, he said, there are many elements to Obama's win in which Christians can find spiritual significance.
"It is powerful and significant on a spiritual level that there is the emergence of Barack Obama 40 years after the passing of Dr. King," said Carter. "No one saw him coming, and Christians believe God comes at us from strange angles and places we don't expect, like Jesus being born in a manger."

Some see God's will in Obama win, by Dahleen Glanton. Chicago Tribune November 29, 2008.

"Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done..."

2008-11-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

Prominently displayed poster at Obama's campaign headquarters in Lake City, Fla.
(Photo: Bruce Hoster; source: World Net Daily)

OBAMA BE THY NAME!

2008-10-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

OBAMA BE THY NAME

THY CHANGE SHALL COME

THY WILL BE DONE ...

"Prepare your heart to fill with hope; Prepare your mind to embrace the change!"

2008-10-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

"Prepare me a Sanctuary,
pure and holy,
tried and true."

This version of the worship hymn "Sanctuary" by Scruggs and Thompson is performed by Asheville, NC singer/songwriter, Billy Jonas.

Courtesy of ManifestObama.com:

Between now and November 4...
Let's spend one minute a day...
Envisioning Barack Obama...
As our President...
Prepare your heart to fill with hope...
Prepare your mind to embrace the change...
Envision Barack victorious on election night...
...Taking the oath of office...
On Inauguration Day...
Believe that this great moment in American history is already a reality...
Say the words to yourself...
To your family...
To your friends and neighbors...
Say it to the world...
Your vision is a sacred trust...
You are a sanctuary of a sacred vision for a renewed America...
Envision it...
Say it...
Feel it...
Believe it...
Make it our reality...
Manifest Obama, America!

He is the Alpha and the Omega

2008-10-04T17:13:00.001-07:00

Urban Community Leadership Academy of Kansas City, MO

Precious Children Sing to Our Glorious Leader!

2008-09-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sing for Change chronicles a recent Sunday afternoon, when 22 children, ages 5-12, gathered to sing original songs in the belief that their singing would lift up our communities for the coming election. Light, hope, courage and love shine through these nonvoting children who believe that their very best contribution to the Obama campaign is to sing.
We are offering the video to everyone, the Obama campaign and all media with high hopes that we can all join together to Sing for Change."

WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD
We're gonna spread happiness
We're gonna spread freedom
Obama's gonna change it
Obama's gonna lead 'em
We're gonna change it
And rearrange it
We're gonna change the world.

YES WE CAN
Music and lyrics by Kathy Sawada
Yes we can
Lift each other up
In peace, in love, in hope
Change! Change!

2008-09-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Scene of an Obama Campaign Headquarters - posted via DrudgeReport September 15 2008

2008-08-27T23:26:00.000-07:00

One particular work invoked the sacred, picturing Obama's great head--illuminated by sunbursts--emerging from the clouds over a bare-breasted maiden who is robed in an American flag and emerging from a volcano. Note that in the lower-right-hand corner an assemblage of people are literally kneeling before Obama.

As observed by Jonathan V. Last in a visit to the "Manifest Hope" gallery, which brings together many of the classic works of Obama along with new additions.

Barack Obama - "Our American Prayer"

2008-08-25T15:47:00.001-07:00

Obama: "Son of Promise, Child of Hope"

2008-08-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama: "Son of Promise, Child of Hope" (Simon & Schuster, 2008).

Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn't quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.

This is the moving story of an exceptional man, as told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world.

OMBama Yoga - "Invoke the Spirit of Obama's Own Phrase"

2008-08-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Denver hasn't hosted a Democratic National Convention for 100 years, and it's a safe bet that the last time the Dems stampeded into town there were no yoga studios selling tee-shirts with the Boy Orator and presumptive presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan on them.

Did somebody say Boy Orator? The silver-tongued Barack Obama's words are on tee shirts selling at Om Time, an oasis of tranquility sandwiched between the Colorado Democratic headquarters on one corner, and the center for the Obama campaign on the other, along with a slice of tattoo shop and art gallery garnish. "The Union may never be perfect but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected," proclaims the tee-shirt in the Om Time window.

It hangs just south of the shri shrine, and the peace and love tee shirts you'd expect. Walk by quickly and you'd think the silk-screened image of Obama's close-shaved head was Ghandi's.

It was to hear more of those sentiments from the man himself--Obama, not Ghandi--that people started lining up at the Obama campaign office at least an hour before it was scheduled to open.

Source: Ohm-bama time in Denver. Quest for seats to hear Obama's acceptance speech Chicago Sun-Times August 9, 2008.

OmBama - Yes We Can!

OMbama Yoga classes! Enjoy these radically inspiring all level yoga classes of incredible, heartfelt practices for change! Join us for an eclectic and joyful practice as we celebrate the upcoming election and the opportunity of participating in the political process with one another and invoking the spirit of Obama's own phrase, YES WE CAN!

öm time yoga class, Boulder, CO.

"One Nation, Under a New Obama Salute"

2008-08-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

George Bush had his three-fingered W salute that supporters flashed when greeting him at presidential campaign events in 2000. And now, if a Los Angeles creative agency gets its way, Sen. Barack Obama will see fans meet him with his own salute like the one above. "Our goal is to see a crowd of 75,000 people at Obama's nomination speech holding their hands above their heads, fingers laced together in support of a new direction for this country, a renewed hope, and acceptance of responsibility for our future," says Rick Husong, owner of The Loyalty Inc. ...

"We thought, 'Let's try and start a movement where even while walking down the street, people would hold up the O and you would know that they were for Obama,' " says Husong. Much thought went into the relatively simple idea. "You interlace your hands in a circle, the interlacing being a symbol of different types of people coming together and the circle a symbol of unity," he says. ...
"We want to see it everywhere, but more importantly we want this sign to take the world by storm."

One Nation, Under a New Obama Salute U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Whispers". August 7, 2008.

2008-08-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Credit: Atelier Bagatelle' (Source: ObamaArtReport.com)

2008-08-06T18:27:00.001-07:00

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is silhouetted by the sun as he gets off the plane at South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

2008-08-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

"I have thrown myself into a new world—one in which fluffy chatter and frivolous praise are replaced by disciple-like devotion ..."

2008-07-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama must be elected President of the United States. It’s his worldview, his clarity of judgment, and his just plain right-mindedness that resonate with me. Figuring that my efforts were best spent raising money for the campaign, I have thrown myself into a new world—one in which fluffy chatter and frivolous praise are replaced by a get-to-the-point directness and disciple-like devotion. It’s intense and intoxicating. ...

... I have to confess I felt a certain shame that the dress I wore—a bright-red Prada number from next season that my former boss, Carol, insisted I buy the day before—cost more than the $1,000 ticket to the event itself. ... How this paid off I’ll share in a moment. ...

I was on my feet as Senator Obama entered the room. Fate had blessed me in this moment, as I realized that the aisle that was keeping me from my seat was created for him and his secret service escort to make their way to the stage. Within seconds, he was a few feet from me. Cameras were flashing, everyone was cheering, and I knew this was my moment. I pushed my way up to the barricade as he shook hands with as many people as time would allow. I squeezed up front, but Obama was moving quickly and just passed me by. Then, in a moment of divine intervention, he saw me, clad in my red stop-sign of a dress, back-tracked ever so slightly in his procession, grabbed my hand, and gave that brilliant smile of his. I literally said out loud to the woman next to me who witnessed my good fate, "I’ll never wash this hand again."

Elle associate publisher Samantha Fennell. July 2008. Samantha recently announced that she was leaving her position to follow Obama and raise funds for his campaign.

"You'll have to measure time by `Before Obama' and `After Obama'"

2008-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

[Film director Spike] Lee predicted Obama would be elected in November.

"When that happens, it will change everything. ... You'll have to measure time
by `Before Obama' and `After Obama,'" Lee said during the panel. "It's an
exciting time to be alive now." ...
"Everything's going to be affected by this seismic change in the universe," he
said.

-- Spike Lee, American Film Director. July 10, 2008.

"Barack Obama is the Platonic philosopher king we’ve been looking for for the past 2,400 years"

2008-07-10T12:39:00.001-07:00

Barack Obama is the Platonic philosopher king we’ve been looking for for the past 2,400 years.

Plato argued that without a philosopher king there could be neither happiness (V, 473e, VI, 500d-3) nor personal perfection (VI, 499a-b). Therefore, none of us will attain the four excellences required for true unity — each of our souls will remain internally divided, broken (IV, 441c-d, 443c-e) — until the philosopher king arrives.

Thus, Plato wrote:
[W]e have to fix our souls – our souls are broken in this [city-state]. . . .
. . . [The philosopher king is] the only person in this race who has a chance at healing this [city-state].
Or was that Michelle Obama?

Oh. It was Mrs. Obama. Either way, it works. Mr. Obama will fulfill the Platonic prophecies.

But he’ll do even more. He won’t just heal our city-states and souls. He won’t just bring the Heavenly Kingdom — dreamt of in both Platonism and Christianity — to earth. He will heal the earth itself.

And that, my friends, is taking the philosopher king to the next level. Only a Christian Platonism could predict what Obama will do.

We might say, then, that Obama is not only post-partisan and post-racial, but post-Platonist. The context in which he lives, moves, and has his being may have been first designed in the 300’s B.C.; but it was radically re-designed in the First Century, A.D.

Micah Tillman, July 10, 2008. Tillman is a lecturer in philosophy at The Catholic University of America.

DISCLAIMER: further investigation leads us to suspect that Tillman may not necessarily believe what he claims. Despite his lack of faith, we think his argument sound.

Obama = The New Mahatma

2008-06-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

... followers willing to wait for hours on end to hear him speak have been crowding out huge concert halls and sports arenas to get a glimpse of their new progressive avatar and drive long distances to obtain the Obama darshan or to simply be in his presence. One can just imagine what the peace and flower-power concerts in the 60's might have been like. Many even see in Obama a messiah-like figure, a great soul, and some affectionately call him Mahatma Obama. Clearly, people are hungry for a change and want an inspirational leader who can serve up some hearty 'chicken soup for the soul'. ...
Like the Mahatma [Gandhi], Obama is becoming a global symbol of the 'hopes and dreams' of millions around the world. Those who look up to the American ideals, consume American media, and dream American dreams are tuned into this historic election. While Gandhi marked the end of the colonial era, Obama with his multicultural background and upbringing represents the age of globalization. Obama is in an unprecedented historical position to not only be the first African American president, but the first 'global president' of America. Obama's images on T-shirts, magazine covers, and TV screens around the world may be a harbinger of the next American century, if the American people are willing and able to lead it.

Obama's Satyagraha: Or, Did Obama Swallow the Mahatma?. June 27, 2008. (Dinesh Sharma is a marketing science consultant with a PhD in Psychology from Harvard).

Behold the Great Seal of the ObamaNation!

2008-06-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a meeting of Democratic Governors at the Chicago History Museum in Chicago Friday, June 20, 2008. A new seal debuted on Obama's podium Friday, sporting iconography used in the U.S. presidential seal, the blue background, the eagle clutching arrows on left and olive branch on right, but with symbolic differences. Instead of the Latin "E pluribus unum" (Out of many, one), Obama's says "Vero possumus", rough Latin for "Yes, we can." Instead of "Seal of the President of the United States", Obama's Web site address is listed. And instead of a shield, Obama's eagle wears his "O" campaign logo with a rising sun representing hope ahead.

Obama: Change We Can Believe In

2008-06-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Credit: Crus Rincon @ Flickr

"This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased"

2008-06-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

... And when ~~Jesus~~ OBAMA was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Sen. Barack Obama walks to the pulpit to speak at the Apostolic Church of God service about fatherhood in Chicago on Sunday. PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Brandon; Associated Press. June 16, 2008

Temple Priests offer prayers to Indian God for Obama's Victory

2008-06-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK: It's unusual. But, it's a fact. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic party's presidential nominee, is seeking the blessings of Hanuman in his battle for the White House.

The 46-year-old senator from Illinois, who defeated his rival Hillary Clinton in an epic 17-month long electoral battle for Democratic party nomination, carries a "tiny monkey god" apparently representing "Hanuman" with him for good luck.

A recent photo posted on Time's White House Photo of the Day collection shows the first ever Black-American nominee of a major US party for the Presidential elections carries with him a bracelet belonging to an American soldier deployed in Iraq, a gambler's lucky chit, a tiny monkey god and tiny Madonna and child.

That "tiny monkey god," of course, appears to be a statue of the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman, says the posting but editors and the photographer has not identified it as such.

Obama seeks Hanuman's blessing for White House race The Economic Times June 10, 2008.

The priests of Sankat Mochan temple offered prayers to Lord Hanuman, to seek blessings for Obama for the upcoming presidential elections.
During the prayers Caroline Saurce, the Indian representative of Obama, was present at the temple.

The priests gave her a gold idol of the deity to be presented to Obama after consecrating it at the end of 11 days prayers.
“After performing prayers according to Hindu rituals the idol would be consecrated and then it would be handed over to Saurce, Obama's India representative who would carry it to America," said Brij Mohan Bhama, a Hanuman devotee.

Temple priests offer prayers for Obama's victory Sify News June 10, 2008.

"We just like to say his name. We are considering taking it as a mantra."

2008-06-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

"While Obama's campaign operation was stagnating under a lame-duck campaign manager, Bettylu Stalzman was working hard. She was pulling together fund-raisers and lobbying [eventual campaign manager David] Axelrod hard on her belief that he indeed had a budding star on his hands in Obama. "I'm sure she used the word magical," Axelrod said with a smile. [Emphasis in original, page 183.]
In Chicago, Obama was listed among the dozen or so politicos who had "IT." Beneath a flattering photo of a smiling, confident-looking Obama, the [Chicago] Sun-Times breathed heavily: "The first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review has a movie-star smile and more than a little mystique. Also, we just like to say his name. We are considering taking it as a mantra." [page 218]

They serenaded the Hyde Park Democrat with chants of "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!" Obama drew such a passionate outpouring from the crowd that even he and his aides were overwhelmed. "At one point, I thought Barack was going to rise up over the people and start saying, 'My children, my children, I have come to free you,' joked his driver and bodyguard, Mike Signator. "It was just incredible." [p. 297]

As quoted in David Mendell's Obama: From Promise to Power (Via NRO's "Campaign Spot").

Obama is a LightWorker - an Attuned Being with Powerful Luminosity and High-Vibration Integrity who will actually help usher in a New Way of Being

2008-06-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama isn't really one of us. Not in the normal way, anyway.
This is what I find myself offering up more and more in response to the whiners and the frowners and to those with broken or sadly dysfunctional karmic antennae - or no antennae at all - to all those who just don't understand and maybe even actively recoil against all this chatter about Obama's aura and feel and MLK/JFK-like vibe.
To them I say, all right, you want to know what it is? The appeal, the pull, the ethereal and magical thing that seems to enthrall millions of people from all over the world, that keeps opening up and firing into new channels of the culture normally completely unaffected by politics?
No, it's not merely his youthful vigor, or handsomeness, or even inspiring rhetoric. It is not fresh ideas or cool charisma or the fact that a black president will be historic and revolutionary in about a thousand different ways. It is something more. Even Bill Clinton, with all his effortless, winking charm, didn't have what Obama has, which is a sort of powerful luminosity, a unique high-vibration integrity.

Dismiss it all you like, but I've heard from far too many enormously smart, wise, spiritually attuned people who've been intuitively blown away by Obama's presence - not speeches, not policies, but sheer presence - to say it's just a clever marketing ploy ...
Here's where it gets gooey. Many spiritually advanced people I know (not coweringly religious, mind you, but deeply spiritual) identify Obama as a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre earthly experiment. These kinds of people actually help us evolve. They are philosophers and peacemakers of a very high order, and they speak not just to reason or emotion, but to the soul.
The unusual thing is, true Lightworkers almost never appear on such a brutal, spiritually demeaning stage as national politics. This is why Obama is so rare. And this why he is so often compared to Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., to those leaders in our culture whose stirring vibrations still resonate throughout our short history.

Mark Mortford ("Is Obama an enlightened being?" San Francisco Chronicle June 6, 2008).

"Another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance"

2008-06-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

“I cried all night. I’m going to be crying for the next four years,” he said. “What Barack Obama has accomplished is the single most extraordinary event that has occurred in the 232 years of the nation’s political history. ... The event itself is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance.”

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. on Obama's winning the Democratic presidential nomination (Politico June 5, 2008).

"this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal ..."

2008-06-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment - this was the time - when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Obama's Nomination Victory Speech In St. Paul June 3, 2008.

"his speeches give an aura of immortality that belies the fact that he's a living breathing human"

2008-05-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

The crowd just erupted in expectation of Obama's appearance but aides called him off. The fact that Stacy Ritter started a chant is reflective of the confidence Obama has instilled in the populace. My voice hurts right now as I have screamed for the good majority of 10 minutes. It's the least I can do for a campaign that has battled so much.

Obama is here! The noise level is absolutely crazy. People are screaming and waving as the man makes his way to the stage with about 10 Secret Service agents behind him.

The crowd immediately ceased the roar when Obama approached the mic, eager to hear whatever the man has to say. ...

Obama's speaking:

"It's good to be in sunshine."

"I love you back"

Barack is recounting why he chose to run, invoking Dr. King's quote about "the urgency of now"
Seemingly whatever he says is being applauded; In a lighthearted way, he said he hasn't done anything yet. The people obviously don't care, drowning out the beginning of his talk.

Obama is successfully rallying people's emotions; the crowd's response is greatest when he talks of universal issues such as self-confidence or a lack thereof. Obama is driving home his messages of equality to a chorus of "yes we can"

I can't believe the man whose speeches I watch on YouTube everyday is so close to me. his speeches give an aura of immortality that belies the fact that he's a living breathing human. ...
His oratory skills are unparalleled. He has created an atmosphere in which each person feels that Obama is talking to them. This communal feel is emblematic of the campaign strategy. I can't help but feel as if I am listening to a speech that will one day be discussed in history books all over the country.

"Every child is our child."

Obama has put a modern twist on the log cabin campaign. This has been one of the defining moments of my very young life.

Obama owns the podium as he walks the walk of a champion. I trust this man. and he has influenced more than he has time to think about. ...

The Obama rally in Sunrise: Blogging live South Florida Sun Sentinel May 23, 2008.

2008-05-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Via the Flikr Obama Art Pool

Behold, Barack Obama's Waffle

2008-05-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

A seller named "dixpea" placed what is purported to be Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's half-eaten breakfast from his Monday visit to the Gilder Diner in Scranton, Pennsylvania up for auction on eBay this week, with a suggested bid of over $10,000.
"This is Barak (sic) Hussein Obama's breakfast," the seller wrote, "winner gets his used diner plate with his used silverware and an uneaten portion of his waffle and sausage link."
A note from the seller on ebay explained a waitress at the diner wrapped Obama's uneaten breakfast with plastic wrap after he left the diner and gave it to "a loyal customer."
"This is 100% authentic," the seller writes. "His DNA is on the silverware."

Obama's Half-Eaten Breakfast Sold on eBay April 22, 2008.

* * *

Barack Obama's Waffle (Artist's Interpretation - $90 EBay (sold)

"Faith. Hope. Change. Obama."

2008-05-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Official Barack Obama Campaign Advertisement, Kentucky May 2008

"And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light." (Matthew 17: 2)

2008-04-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Illustration which accompanied the Wilamette Week's endorsement of Barack Obama April 30th, 2008

His story exemplifies the quest of the Solar Hero -- does it not feel Some Special Hand is guiding his journey?

2008-04-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

The constellation Perseus pictures the story of the Hero Perseus, holding the head of Medussa, which he had just severed with his sword. Perseus was greatly aided by the gods in his quest to destroy the Medussa, whose very glance could turn a person into stone. He was given a magic sword, Athena's shield, winged sandals with which he could fly, a magic cap which rendered him invisible, and the guidance for him to not directly look into Medussas face as he battled her, but to look at her in the reflection of his shield.
There were two stars that were highlighted by the comet's passage, Mirfak, and Algol. Mirfak is the elbow of Perseus's sword hand. Algol, Medussa'a eye, has long been seen as one of the most malifec and evil stars in the heavens.
Obama was born with his sun in Leo, and his story exemplifies the quest of the Solar Hero. His father, who joins with his mother on an island, conceives a child, and soon thereafter leaves the child and mother to continue his own journeying. Obama, a 'special 'child, left to create his own internal image of 'father', and related meanings of strength, protection, leadership, etc.
The Holmes comet appears just as the presidential race is kicking into high gear, illuminating the concept of the hero vanquishing the monster, a monster that turns people into stone if they gaze upon her. Does it not seem as if our country today is all locked up, constricted, restricted, with ever shrinking mobility and freedom of movement?
Perseus had help from the gods. Does it not feel as if some special hand is guiding Obama on his journey, I mean, as he has said, the utter improbability of it all?
The instructions to not directly look at her, but to look at her reflection in his shield. What is Obama's shield, in essence? I propose it is his belief in hope, redemption, and his ability to channel the essential goodness of the American people. The Perseus myth clearly indicates he should not confront his opponent by face-to-face, tit-for-tat combat.
Of especial significance for me is the star Mirfak, the elbow of Perseus's sword arm. At some point, he does need to utilize his elbows, and when the moment comes, cut strongly and swiftly.
And lastly, let us not forget that the comet is BLUE.
So let us have hope, the gods are on our side, and the Hero will prevail.

Daily Kos, April 26, 2008

"I thought the Rolling Stones was good. This is better"

2008-04-08T07:01:00.001-07:00

MISSOULA — Missoula roared Saturday morning for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. In the Adams Center, Montanans shook their collective booty, held up their babies and even wept for a presidential candidate they believe will restore the American Dream in their towns and integrity to the White House.
“I’ve lived here in Montana all my life. I’ve never seen anything here like this before this energy today. Montana is coming alive,” said Carole Meyers, of Missoula. ...
shortly after 8 a.m., the line of people that curled out the entrance of the basketball arena and down Arthur Avenue started moving.
Amanda Cooper used the time in line to pretty up her baby, Aislyn, for Obama. As the Bozeman woman made her way into the arena, she used a makeup pencil to write “Kiss me” on the side of her 6-month-old’s forehead.
“Say, ‘Kiss me, ‘Bama.’” ...

It feels like this is a part of history we’re going to be lucky we saw,” said Mary Kelly, of Missoula.
At 9:22 a.m. in the arena, a flash of stage lights elicited whoops and catcalls from the crowd. At 9:35 a.m., the energized early risers started the wave.
“I just want to touch him,” said one.
Just before 10 a.m., the crowd began chanting Obama’s can-do theme, and they chanted faster and faster.
“Yes we can, yes we can, yes we can.” “Yes-we-can. Yes-we-can.
Yes-we-can.” “Yeswecan.Yeswecan.Yeswecan.” After campaign organizers said thank yous and officials gave introductions, someone yanked the podium off the stage.
Then Obama met his Montana fans “We love you!” and it was Mon-Bamania all around.
Junell Gill, who is visiting family in Missoula, was a Clinton supporter until she heard Obama talk in person.
“He was just very, very inspiring, and very convincing with his convictions,” said Gill, of California.
Many people left the arena quickly after Obama did, but one man was so moved by the possibility of hope and change that he sat quietly in the stands and cried.
Doug Frandsen said Obama represents hope that there’s something better for this country. The Missoula man said Obama is charismatic, but it isn’t his charisma that speaks to him. It’s his message.
“I don’t think I’ve experienced anything quite like it. I thought the Rolling Stones was good. This is better,” Frandsen said.

Missoula crowd cheers, weeps for Barack Obama, by Keila Szpaller. The Montana Standard April 6, 2008.

"He communicates God-like energy..."

2008-03-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

I have been examining the Obama phenomenon myself, and have concluded, at least for myself, a Midwestern white male, that Barack’s appeal is actually messianic, it’s something about his aura, his spirit, his soul, that exudes enlightenment in the making.
Oh, he’s not fully enlightened, being that enlightenment is a process, not an event. But for reasons I can’t fully articulate, he is one of those individuals who communicates God-like energy (metaphorically speaking), in whom you can “feel” God.
Now, I’m using the term “God” to mean the loving, honest, just, and inspiring part of the force behind it all. You may not believe something’s behind it all, but I do. And I look for God constantly — that which exudes love, integrity, humility, depth, kindness, generosity — and more ... supposedly.
So, Geraldine, I’m taking a special look at Barack Obama because he’s a lot closer to a Jesus-type than the other candidates, by quite a bit. What if God decided to incarnate as men preaching “hope and change.” And what if we didn’t recognize them, because we are so dull, and let them slip away, not availing ourselves of the opportunity to be led by God! Lord knows we’ve elected the anti-Christ often enough. Excuse me, George.

Steve Davis, Charleston, SC March 31, 2008.

2008-03-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

A small child is held up above the signs to see Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speak at a rally at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa., Monday, March 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

"The Obama Phenomenon"

2008-03-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

...."The phenomenon in question is this: the intense desire of every human being on this planet to overcome and transcend the materialism and selfishness that shape the global economic arrangements and permeate the consciousness of all people, to overcome the looking-out-for-number one consciousness that divides us and the technocratic language that shapes our public institutions and denies us access to our common humanity, and to overcome the alienation from each other that this way of being has created so that we might once again recognize each other as embodiments of God or Spirit (or however you want to talk about the force-field of goodness, generosity, kindness, justice, peace, nonviolence, and care for each other and nature and the entirety of all that is).....

Michael Lerner, Tikkun

"a man of resplendid vision with the wisdom of Solomon"

2008-03-28T17:31:00.001-07:00

On the Internet video sharing site YouTube, the pulsating steel-pan fused Barack the Magnificent, by Trinidad calypso king The Mighty Sparrow, has gotten more than 70,000 hits. Earlier this month, Jamaican reggae dancehall crooner Cocoa Tea released Barak Obahama, a laid-back reggae-tinged tribute that tells listeners, "This is not about class nor color, race nor creed. Make no mistake it's the changes . . . what the Americans need." . . .
"He's no ordinary man," said Sparrow, who calls Obama a man of resplendid vision with the wisdom of Solomon, the biblical king of Israel. ``I see people my age in the 70s, 80s, 60s, 50s screaming out in appreciation like when the Beatles first came to America. I can't believe that older people would react that way. That is one of the reasons why I believe he was sent by the Messiah."

Caribbean sings (literally) Obama's praises Miami Herald March 28, 2006.

"He appeals to all that is innate and created in us in a longing for that “better country, that is a heavenly one” discussed in Hebrews 11"

2008-03-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

The only thing that would have made it more delicious would have been if he had come to Eugene, Oregon, on Palm Sunday rather than on Good Friday. And if his supporters had been waving palm fronds rather than “Change You Can Believe In!” placards. The Obama phenomena has risen to the level of religious, almost messianic fervor.
I see among many of the young a hopelessness that is almost tangible. Alongside that is an inability to trust others and to believe in ultimate truths and values. The mantra is that authority cannot be trusted and that the loudest voices in society want to do nothing more than “sell” something. Broken homes have created a generation with absolutely no one to look up to and to turn to for advice. So direction is lacking, commitment is rare, and despair is rampant.
Barack Obama strides into that void. While voicing “other worldly” themes he suggests “this world” solutions. His soaring oratory and his ambitious promises make his appeal to hope and his drive for change seem reasonable and attainable. He appeals to all that is innate and created in us in a longing for that “better country, that is a heavenly one” discussed in Hebrews 11. And he offers fulfillment in his election to the presidency at which time he will unleash the power of government to set things right in a world currently turned upside down. Thus he offers a messianic hope with the full weight and force of the U.S. government to back him up. For many right now, with the youth leading the way, this is a compelling combination. Heaven on earth is indeed appealing rather than having to wait.

Peter Wierenga, World March 27, 2008.

"not just an ordinary human being but indeed an Advanced Soul"

2008-03-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

I listened to that endorsement and Barack's speech afterwards and Obama, to me, must be not just an ordinary human being but indeed an Advanced Soul, come to lead America out of this mess, if we no if They, let them, but we too have a say in this Democracy, this Barack well knows. Through this trial-by-fire, recently experienced by him, he has been Humble, Noncombative, Noncritical and committed to doing his work on this earth to make it a more better and perfect union. He has kept his promise not to tear one another down but to build us up. He has courage in the face of fire, not a courage of anger but a courage of goodwill and harmlessness in spite of the difficulties. That is why he can say with honesty that he can work with the other side because where others see hate, he sees love and the good within an individual... that takes a special person to see the good when bad is all around that person and may be to bring that good out within that person.. to transform them, while all the time transforming theirself.

Commentator @ Lyn Sweet's The Scoop from Washington Chicago Sun-Times March 21, 2008

"What he is offering ... is a covenant for PERFECTION"

2008-03-18T22:33:00.001-07:00

... there is no other like Obama. Absolutely none. ...
What he is offering is not for the naive, nor the fainted-hearted, its not for the uncourageous, nor the unchanging.
What he is offering is for the courageous, for those who have the heart to move beyond just dreams, and into realms never experienced in American history.
What he is offering is beyond hope, hope is just a starting point, like the intimate binding of struggle between his example of the young white girl and the old black man.
What he is offering is for those who look to the next generation, believing that perfection is not in the eyes of the beholder, but reality which we can't avoid
What he is offering is a solution for opportunities for more solutions to tackle root issues that have paralyzed a nation fit for perfection
What he is offering is the antisynthesis to an ideology of hate and a philosophy of inferiority
What he is offering is an agreement between struggles and a covenant for perfection, in that nothing is impossible if one begins with hope and the assurance of faith
What he is offering is a contract between the old and the young, black and white, citizens and immigrants, rich and poor, priviledged and the impoverished
What he is offering is beyond what we think could happen, it is what will happen someday, though the opportunity is one that we can grasp ...
I am ready for what he is offering, though I also understand that this time, fate might not be ready, though if indeed our generation's destiny, if indeed this time when we speak of such taboo truths, is indeed the time we've so longed for, to move one step closer towards perfection, then I am ready for what he is offering.
That is all that matters, no matter what the political outcome is, he has tapped into a force greater than what we have ever faced, he speaks directly to our hearts, bypassing our conscience and connecting with the root of our psyche. So that even if we try to hold hard to that which continue to divide us, because of our fear, our ignorance, and our childish philosophies of unchanging solutions; his message transcends our reach.
So on behalf of Senator Obama's message, who is truly the epitome of a dream that can only be dreamt by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., I am truly inspired that hope, change, and perfection are all means and ends which one day, we will achieve, within this nation and the world at-large.

Akindele | March 18, 2008 12:11 PM [Comment on Lynn Sweet's Chicago Sun-Times blog]

"The Hope of a New Generation"

2008-03-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

The book was a REVELATION. Here was a man whose honesty about himself and understanding of the human condition are both deep and compassionate. ... Born to a white mother and an African father, he was raised in multiracial Hawaii and for several years in Indonesia. He drifted through some druggy teenage years — no apologies! — before emerging as a star at Harvard Law School. He chose to work as a community organizer in the projects of Chicago rather than join the wealthy insider world of corporate law. And as a young adult, he searched, in the distant villages of Kenya, for the father and family he never knew.
As I read all this, so elegantly written, my mind kept rolling over: Might it be possible? Is there some fate by which we could have this man as president of the United States?

The similarities between John Kennedy and Barack Obama come to mind easily: the youth, the magnetism, the natural grace, the eloquence, the wit, the intelligence, the hope of a new generation.
But it might be more to the point to view Obama as Lincolnesque in his own origins, his sobriety and what history now demands. ...
We need to recover the spiritual and moral direction that should describe our country and ourselves. We see this in Obama, and we see the promise he represents to bring factions together, to achieve again the unity that drives great change and faces difficult, and inconvenient, truths and peril. ...
Like Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama challenges America to rise up, to do what so many of us long to do: to summon "the better angels of our nature."

Jann S. Wenner, Rolling Stone Official Endorsement.

"Miracle" - Remix of Stevie Wonder's Hymn to Obama

2008-03-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Obama walks "the hero's journey" . . .

2008-03-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Some readers understood right away what I meant last week when I said that John McCain has the misfortune to be running against Luke Skywalker. But others are still scratching their heads, wondering what in the world I was talking about.
I was talking about Barack Obama. I think his story has been so compelling for so many people because it taps into one of our most profound myths.
Obama's myth is a tried-and-true one. The late folklorist Joseph Campbell called it "the hero's journey," and it's found in every culture, from Moses, David and Odysseus to Luke Skywalker, Frodo and Harry Potter.

It's both a literal journey and an inward voyage of self-discovery. The hero begins as a callow youth -- often one who has lost one or both parents -- who has no idea who he really is.
The journey consists of a series of trials that teach him his true destiny and reveal powers that he didn't know he had. These trials are usually epic struggles against seemingly invincible monsters.
David fought the giant Goliath, Odysseus fought the one-eyed Cyclops, and Obama has been waging a marathon battle against the dreaded two-headed Billary.
At the end of the journey, armed with enhanced power and self-knowledge, the hero returns home and saves the world.

Martin Snapp, Contra Costa Times March 7, 2008.

"They just began SINGING AT ME, and they were singing 'YES WE CAN'!"

2008-03-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, covered in Hillary badges, I approached a young couple in California and, as I was about to offer up my pearls of electoral wisdom, they just began singing at me. And they were singing Yes We Can, the song by Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am, whose video has become a phenomenon on YouTube. [...]
[T]his week, the musician has put out another singalong. The new video captures a different side to supporting Obama: its fanaticism, its breathless, quasi-religious excitement, and its inherent problems. Instead of the text of a speech, the refrain has simply become "Obama", and its message: "We are the ones."

The Obama campaign uses a religious calling as its central rhetorical trope: "I'm asking you to believe," reads the banner across the top of barackobama.com. His appeal to voters is an archetype of religious conversion: instead of being asked for support, Americans are exhorted to "join the movement".
In Georgia, he directly equated his supporters with God's people: "God had a plan for his people. He told them to stand together and march together around the city… and when the horn sounded and a chorus of voices cried out together, the mighty walls of Jericho came tumbling down."
Later in the speech, he asked the congregation to "walk with me, march with me… and if enough of our voices join together, we can bring those walls tumbling down."
Obama supporters listen to his speech in San Antonio, Texas. REUTERS/Jim Young

Obama has created the impression that Clinton supporters, like the Pharisees in the temple, are obstacles to change: "I want to speak directly to all those Americans who have yet to join this movement but still hunger for change. They know it in their gut... But they're afraid. They've been taught to be cynical."
It's not an argument for better government; it's an exhortation to see the light. It's not a plan for the Presidency, but a leap of faith.
This idea came to a head in Obama's Super Tuesday speech, with those much talked about phrases: "We are the change that we seek… We are the ones we've been waiting for."

'We Are The Chosen Ones': A new hymn to Obama Telegraph [UK] March 6, 2008.

2008-03-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

"The similarities between Obamian hope and biblical hope are extraordinary"

2008-03-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

Obamian hope moves beyond the past and seeks to proactively conceptualise and create the future. It does not just wait for the future to come; it contributes to its shaping and coming. It pulls the future to itself and pushes itself towards the future.
Biblical hope is similar. Like Obamian hope, it speaks to the matter of the future being pulled into the present in the Kingdom of God. In a real sense, the Kingdom of God respects but moves beyond the past and, in the present, it realises the future, in a preliminary sense. Biblical hope also, in a sense, propels the one in whom it is found toward the future consummation of this kingdom. Like Obamian hope, biblical hope knows that the present is just a platform on which the future is being built and experienced. This is powerful.
In addition, Obamian hope rises above the fray of the mundane, the dehumanising, the frivolous and the conventional. It shifts from the periphery to the centre of human history. It is a hope that escapes attempts at suppression and obliteration by 'unhope' and the forces thereof. . . .
Fundamentally, the similarities between Obamian hope and biblical hope are extraordinary, striking and intriguing. Like biblical hope, Obamian hope inspires the United States of America and the world.

Rev. Earlmont Williams, Jamaican Gleaner March 1, 2008

2008-03-05T05:34:00.001-08:00

Associated Press: "Believe"

2008-03-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at a town hall meeting in Carrollton, Texas, Monday, March 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

"I believe in Obama, because he believes in ME"

2008-03-01T08:36:00.001-08:00

"It’s so rapturous, everything around him. All these huge rallies."

2008-03-01T03:46:00.000-08:00

“I don’t think that it’s kind treatment versus unkind treatment,” Mr. Cowan began, taking issue with the depiction of journalists fawning over Mr. Obama in a “Saturday Night Live” skit last Saturday . . .
And yet, Mr. Cowan then described several advantages that he saw Mr. Obama as having over his rival. “He hasn’t been around as long, so there isn’t as much to pick at,” Mr. Cowan said. “He plays everything very cool. He’s not as much of a lightning rod. His personality just doesn’t seem to draw that kind of coverage.”
“Even in the conversations we have as colleagues, there is a sense of trying especially hard not to drink the Kool-Aid,” Mr. Cowan added. “It’s so rapturous, everything around him. All these huge rallies.”

On the Press Bus, Some Questions Over Favoritism, by Jacques Steinberg. New York Times March 1, 2008.

"Believe Again"

2008-02-29T23:42:00.000-08:00

Obama Campaign online banner advertisement for the Houston Chronicle February 29, 2008. (Credit: Terry Ann Online)

"Believe in Obama"

2008-02-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks with veterans gathered for a town hall-style campaign event at the American Legion Post 490 Friday, Feb. 29, 2008, in Houston, Texas. [Prior "curiously framed" photos of Obama by Reuters here (02/11/08) and here (01/18/08) -- what are they trying to tell us?

"Obama is inspiring us like a Desert Lover"

2008-02-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama is inspiring us like a desert lover, a Washington Valentino. We who have felt apathetic, angry at two (likely) stolen elections, K-Street hegemony, the "pornography of the trivial" in journalism and culture; we who are heartbroken over a war we knew was wrong, we who thought (especially after Baby Bush got in a 2nd time) that America got what it asked for; we who stopped wanting to participate 'cause it doesn't matter whether we do or don't; we have a crush. We're talking about it; we're getting involved, we're tuning in and turning out in numbers we haven't seen in ages. My musician friends and I are writing songs to inspire people and couples all over America are making love again and shouting "yes we can" as they climax!

Lili Haydn, Huffington Post February 29, 2008.

2008-02-29T04:03:00.000-08:00

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks at a rally in Selma, Texas February 29, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

2008-02-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., makes remarks during an outdoor rally Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008, in San Marcos, Texas. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

"He's running a THEOLOGICAL campaign . . . at some point, he took off his arms, and grew wings

2008-02-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

DAYTON, Ohio – As Barack Obama got into the meat of his speech Monday at a packed arena, he sounded more like preacher than politician.

"My bet has been paid off. My faith in the American people has been vindicated," he said as a few audience members yelled "Well!" and "Preach, brother!"

Throughout his Ohio tour, he's averaged crowds of 14,000. He had 17,000 at Reunion Arena in Dallas and 18,000 at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Many had come just to hear him speak. Some cried. Others just waved their hands.

"He's running a theological campaign," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who ran for president in 1984 and 1988. "At some point, he took off his arms and grew wings."

"He's very inspirational and he's very credible," said Nicole Baptiste, a 26-year-old Dayton resident who works for an information and news database company. "In our country, it's exactly what's needed."

Victor Iseli, a 77-year-old retired General Motors worker from Dayton, said Mr. Obama is more than a hope peddler.

"What he says, he will do as president," said Mr. Iseli, who spoke to Mr. Obama in a native Indonesian language after a rally."Many Hopefully Devoted to Obama The Dallas Morning News February 26, 2008.

"He's All Things to All Men"

2008-02-26T06:28:00.000-08:00

. . . scattered attempts so far to take a detailed tough look at Obama's career have "barely caused a ripple."
They included a Time magazine piece on Obama's penchant for sidestepping issues in the Illinois senate by voting "present" and a look at how he watered down a bill affecting a nuclear power company that contributed to his campaign.
It's hard to imagine that any new such revelations would put a dent in the feverish support of many who find it hard to explain his grip.
"Obama has this almost irrational following and I myself can't sometimes explain why I'm supporting him," Noah Norman, 25, recently told the Washington Post.
"He's all things to all men. At least that's how I put it."

The Canadian Press, February 26, 2008

"I Have a Pint-Sized Obamaphile"

2008-02-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

. . . I have a pint sized Obamaphile — or should that be Obama-bhakta (bhakta in Sanskrit means devotee) in deference to her Indian roots? — in the household. These days, he is included in J’s morning prayers, which is an honor normally reserved for things and people closest to her heart. She has been following his fortunes in the primaries for a while now and has managed to suck me into it as well.
Obamaphilia is quite contagious as it turns out. Thanks to my daughter, I keep an eye on CNN for the latest on Obama because J’s need for information on him is insatiable. . . .
Obamamania has done what the combined inducements of PBS, Discovery, Cartoon Network, and, I will grudingly admit, Netflix, failed to do. I asked her a few days ago if the timing of the debate coincided with the weekend of her play date which one she would pick. “The debate of course,” she replied. “Why?” I asked incredulously. “Because it is so interesting. Play dates are all the same,” she explained like it should have been self-evident to me.
And it is not only debates she likes. She has had me dig up old Obama speeches from YouTube. The man just has to talk and J is all mesmerized. She sits transfixed and watches him like she were in a hypnotic trance. . . .
As for me, I can't wait for this to be over so J can go back to being the kid who loved High School Musical and waited all week for Friday to come along so she could have a play date. Life would return to normal – maybe in Obama-speak that would be “business as usual” and not the change that he exhorts everyone to be and participate in. Until then I will have to cope with J chanting “Go Obama” the best I can.

Underage Obamaphilia BlogCritics.org. February 23, 2008 | Matthew 18: 3-4

Elsewhere: "Obama Babies" on YouTube

"Barack Obama is the Hope of the Entire World"

2008-02-24T18:25:00.001-08:00

Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Sunday that presidential candidate Barack Obama is the "hope of the entire world" that the U.S. will change for the better.
The 74-year-old Farrakhan, addressing an estimated crowd of 20,000 people at the annual Saviours' Day celebration, never outrightly endorsed Obama but spent most of the nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator.
"This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he said. "This young man is capturing audiences of black and brown and red and yellow. If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being transformed."
Farrakhan compared Obama to the religion's founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father.
"A black man with a white mother became a savior to us," he told the crowd of mostly followers. "A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."

A Spry Farrakhan Sings Obama's Praises Associated Press. February 24, 2008.

"a band plays 'Obama-alujah' and thousands stand in the chill night ready to be rapturous"

2008-02-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

Mr. Obama is on an electoral roll, polls show him pulling closer in Ohio and Texas, crowds show him the Big Celebrity Love, what’s not to like? A touch of cockiness is discernable in his manner now; he is like a gambler convinced his every dice roll will come up double sixes.
His rally in Austin, Tex., on Friday evening fitted his hoped-for-narrative. Fifteen-thousand people, maybe 20,000, jam into the streets in front of the soaring State Capitol, with the usual Obama-as-electoral-rave giddiness. University of Texas guys with painted faces flash the longhorn symbol with their fingers, red-white-and-blue beach balls bounce through the crowd, a band plays “Obama-alujah” and thousands stand in the chill night ready to be rapturous. . . .

On Center Stage, a Candidate Letting His Confidence Show New York Times February 24, 2008.

Dawn had not broken, and yet the television images showed Dallas' Reunion Arena and a long line of silhouetted people already gathering for an event not scheduled until noon.
They were awaiting the messianic figure of a presidential candidate who had just added two more wins to his victory column and who the night before had ignited a crowd of about 20,000 in Houston.
Barack Obama was coming to town. . . .
Inside the arena, the unprompted crowd was yelling, "O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A!" a full 90 minutes before the candidate would appear. And just like at sporting events there in days gone by, one section spontaneously led the others in the "wave."
"Old" warriors such as longtime community leader Rene Martinez and activist Roy Williams marveled at the enthusiasm among the diverse audience and said they had never seen anything quite like this.
"If I died today, it would be all right," Williams told me, indicating he was witnessing something he never expected he would live to see.
Parents had taken their children out of school because they were keenly aware this was a special moment in history. Some high school kids from Fort Worth had skipped classes and taken the early train to Dallas.
When finally taking the stage, Obama basked in the outpouring of affection as his followers stood in awe of the man whom they had waited so long to behold. He was well into his speech when he thought to remind the crowd that it was all right for them to sit down as he delivered the rest of his comments.
Some have made fun of his charismatic nature, inspirational tone and continual reference to hope. Many wonder if that wonderment and glorified exuberance can last through the rest of the campaign.
Well, based on what I saw, this movement won't peak until November.

Bob Ray Sanders, Star Telegram February 24, 2008.

"... an almost mesmeric fervour ..."

2008-02-23T05:29:00.000-08:00

Mary Tyszko, a white, 50-year-old health worker, clutched her hands. “He has given me hope. I really believe in him. And I just trust him.”
Then Mr Obama took to the stage. The noise was deafening, a long, exultant roar with all the force and overwhelming power of a jet engine before take-off. “Obama! Obama! Obama! Obamaaaaaaaaa!” they chanted
From four giant screens hanging from the ceiling, Mr Obama’s image could be seen from the farthest reaches of the stadium, waving, clapping at this adoring crowd, as they stared up at him with an almost mesmeric fervour. At one point in his speech, delivered in the religious cadence of Dr King, Mr Obama had to blow his nose. “Obama!” they chanted and clapped again, as their idol wiped his face.

This is a daily ritual for Mr Obama. Only 24 hours earlier, he appeared in a Mexican-American enclave of western San Antonio and drew a crowd as big as that which greeted Pope John Paul II when he visited the same area in September 1987. . . . he is greeted by massive crowds, never before seen during a presidential primary campaign, filled with young and old, black and white, men and women, steelworkers and fund managers, nurses and accountants. No wonder he believes the White House is now within his reach.

Tim Reid, The Times [UK] February 23, 2008.

"What if God is trying to make a statement?"

2008-02-23T05:08:00.000-08:00

In the last generation, a motivated, organized "religious right" has flexed its considerable muscle in both electing candidates and shaping American public policy.
But what if God is trying to make a statement in 2008 through the meteoric rise of a new symbol -- a charismatic, eloquent senator from Illinois who is turning conventional American politics on its head? That food for thought will form the basis of Sunday's sermon by Pastor John Van Sloten at New Hope Church, . . .
Van Sloten admits he's become an unabashed fan of Barack Obama after watching his TV speeches and reading his book The Audacity of Hope.
"I know Obama has been criticized for being all about vague ideals and not about specific policies," Van Sloten says.
"But unless you have ideals, nothing is going to change. You have to be able to dream outside the box."

Sunday sermon cheers rise of Obama, by Graeme Morton, Calgary Herald. February 23, 2008.

"Obama will DEMAND that you shed your cynicism"

2008-02-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama WILL REQUIRE YOU to work. He is going to DEMAND that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation and that you move out of your comfort zone. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage.

Barack will NEVER ALLOW YOU to go back to your lives as usual – uninvolved, uninformed – you have to stay at the seat at the table of democracy with a man like Barack Obama not just on Tuesday but in a year from now, in four years from now, in eights years from now, YOU WILL HAVE TO BE ENGAGED.

Michelle Obama, campaign speech at UCLA (links to video, audio @ Protein Wisdom)

"It was more like church . . ."

2008-02-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

Maybe it was the representation of youth in the crowd that lends the oft-cited air of a rock concert that has been attributed to Obama rallies.
But that wasn't quite it, not entirely. It was more like church – not the stuffy kind, but roof-shaking soul church where people testify and dance in the aisles when the spirit's upon them.
"It's electric! Can't you feel it?" said one man, who told me he was headed for work at the IRS after the rally. I could feel it, because it's a fundamental element of crowd psychology that the expectation of "electricity" creates it. . . .
The main event, of course, was the speech, which I have heard before. I just sat back and felt the key phrases wash over the crowd: "new," "change," "Kennedy," "Scooter Libby justice," "wiretaps," "Katrina."
The lady sitting next to me dipped into a bucket of popcorn and murmured the phrases back: " 'If you believe.' 'The time is now.' That's right," she agreed.
She was a little disappointed, in fact, when the rally ended: "Why didn't he do, 'Yes we can'?" she asked a friend, as if a concert had ended, the biggest hit not performed.

Life of the party: Obama's supporters rock Reunion Arena Dallas Morning News February 21, 2008.

* * *

. . . about a half-hour into a speech here, the Illinois Democrat announced that he had to take a quick break. "Gotta blow my nose here for a second," Obama said.
Out came a Kleenex (or perhaps it was a hankie), and he wiped his nose.
The near-capacity audience at the Reunion Arena, which his campaign said totaled 17,000, broke out in a slightly awkward applause.

John McCormick, The Baltimore Sun | Obama Blows His Nose, Crowd Goes Wild Video Footage

"consumated by a handshake . . . the OBAMA handshake"

2008-02-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

I felt the crowd down front tighten as many of us stood on our toes, stretched our bodies forward while reaching out to Barack. I noticed that a six foot tall guy who was standing in front of me had stretched far enough above the crowd and shook hands with Barack. As the guy drew back his hand I asked him, "You shook his hand didn't you?" Happily the guy said "Yes." I then said, "give me some of that" and the guy shook my hand with the same hand he had just clasped with Barack's. A woman friend of mine who was standing next to me saw me shake hands with the guy. I turned to her and said "He [the guy] just shook hands with Barack," to which she responded..."Hey, give it up." We then shook hands. She then turned to the person next to her and shook hands. This chain of hand shakes went on for about five or six more persons.
I did not know the tall guy in front of me; he is white, I am black. But at the moment we shook hands, I felt some solidarity with this stranger, consummated by a handshake and signifying some unspoken agreement presumably about Barack Obama and his core message of UNITY!
I call this hand-shake scenario the "BAM" because, descriptively, it takes a bit of Obama's name and it's the sound of a collision, of People Coming Together!

"The "BAM"...The OBAMA Handshake!" My.BarackObama.Com (Campaign Website)

Supporters reach out to touch the hand of democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) after he spoke at a rally in Dallas, Texas February 20, 2008.

"Politics doesn't even begin to describe it. A visit to an Obama rally is a pilgrimage"

2008-02-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

DAVID WRIGHT: We've been to dozens of huge rallies like this in dozens of states and with every victory, Obama's congregation seems to be growing. If you've never been to an Obama rally before, a word of advice, go early. Think Springsteen concerts, but the tickets are free. First come, first serve. In Boise, Idaho, a few weeks back it couldn't have been more than 15 degrees out. But outside Taco Bell Arena early on a Saturday morning, everyone waited patiently because inside--
OBAMA: If you arrive together, we will remake this country and we will remake the world.
WRIGHT: --inside, they felt the warm glow of hope.
OBAMA: Keep me in your prayers. You know, make sure that everybody is praying and give me that protective blanket over it.
WRIGHT: Obama's true believers respond as though they've spent their whole lives out in the cold. At rally after rally, a few people literally faint.
OBAMA: [Montage of Obama reacting to fainting]: Is somebody okay? Did somebody just get faint? It looks like we have somebody who may have fainted. Hold on a second, young lady. Are you okay? Why don't you sit down though.
WRIGHT: Politics doesn't even begin to describe it. A visit to an Obama rally is a pilgrimage.
[...]
WRIGHT: From Boise to Baltimore, he's winning them over. For you, is it even a close call between him and Hillary Clinton?
SECOND OBAMA SUPPORTER (FEMALE): Not at all. Because, as he said, she is the past, he is the future and the present. You know, you have to move forward.
OBAMA: There is a moment in the life of every generation, if it is to make its mark on history, where that spirit of hope has to come through.
WRIGHT: From the looks on their faces, they're yearning to hear stuff like that. As though they've waited for so long, they've almost lost hope. And now he comes along.
OBAMA: But we spend our whole lives caught up in being told what we can't do. And what's not possible, and that children have to be poor and race always is going to matter in this country and there's always going to be injustice and the economy can never work for anybody. We're fed that stuff all the time. Mostly by folks who are in power and take advantage of the status quo.
[...]
WRIGHT: Some testimonials are nostalgic for an era when hope didn't seem so naive. Others imagined what has never been and asked why not.

OPRAH WINFREY: Disappointment doesn't have to be normal anymore. For the first time, I'm stepping out of my pew because I've been inspired.
OBAMA: Thank you, Oprah. And I love you.
WRIGHT: At this point, the bar is so high even the believers are starting to doubt he can pull it off.
STEIN: We know we're being fooled, but we kind of like it. I can't get off his ride, it's too good.
WRIGHT: The potential for disappointment is as big as Texas. People's hopes have been raised so high. Young people hoping that Obama can redeem politics from mere partisanship, black people hoping he can finally achieve Martin Luther King's dream. White people hoping he can redeem America from the sins of slavery and segregation. It is hard to see how any politician, a mere human, can achieve all that, but it will be very interesting to watch.

-- ABC Nightline Correspondent David Wright; Video / MP3 Audio (via Scott Whitlock @ NewsBusters.Org)

"I'll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear"

2008-02-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

BALTIMORE — Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings has held elected office for more than a quarter-century, so he's seen his fair share of politicians come and go.
But apparently he's never seen one quite like Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
"This is not a campaign for president of the United States, this is a movement to change the world," he said as he introduced Obama last week in Baltimore.
"You do not get 13,000 people in this auditorium with a campaign."
As over the top as it may have sounded, Cummings' sentiments weren't all that unusual.
Because when it comes to Obama, hyperbole seems to be the rule, not the exception.

His charms seem tough to resist, even for some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
"He walks into a room and you want to follow him somewhere, anywhere," George Clooney told talk show host Charlie Rose.
"I'll do whatever he says to do," actress Halle Berry said to the Philadelphia Daily News. "I'll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear."
[...]
The true believers can “Obama-ize” just about anything. Knitters for Obama crochet for him, Runners for Obama jog for him, and Hold 'Em Barack, well, they bet on him.
In Chicago, a recent art exhibit showed works depicting the candidate on canvas, paper and even in animated videos.
On Etsy, a crafts auction website, you can buy Obama jewelry, paintings, and even a homemade Obama Valentine. The card shows a sketch of the candidate with the text, "I want to Barack your world."
Last week, Obama attracted a crowd of 19,000 to the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Four days earlier, more than 18,000 voters filled Seattle's Key Arena to see him.
The 3,000 that didn't get in waited in the cold for over an hour to hear a roughly two-minute version of his stump speech.
When Obama finally took the stage, the crowd roared so loudly that a local reporter in the press section covered her ears.
At an Omaha, Neb., rally the day before, supporters leaned perilously over railings, screaming and crying, trying to touch Obama as he passed.

During both speeches, a supporter yelled out, "I love you." This happens fairly frequently and Obama is always ready with a smooth answer.
"I love you back," he says, with a quick, almost cocky smile.
The campaign works hard to cultivate the rock star image. After he's introduced, Obama routinely waits about 30 seconds to enter the arena.
The excitement grows, until his entrance is perfectly timed with the soaring chords of U2's “City of Blinding Lights.”
"I can't really verbalize exactly what it is about him," says Avila. "Part of it is just beyond explanation."

Lisa Lehrer, Politico Feb 20, 2008.

"It was like Barack Obama was INSIDE her head"

2008-02-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

For Christena Weatherspoon of Struthers, it was like Barack Obama was inside her head.
After the Democratic presidential candidate’s 45-minute address to at Youngstown State University, Weatherspoon said she was speechless. She said, "It was like he knows what I want."

She was not alone in the crowd of about 6,800 supporters who packed Beeghly Center for Obama’s first campaign rally in Ohio and responded enthusiastically to his message of "hope and change."
William Binning, retired political science professor at YSU, called Obama a "phenomenon" . . .
"This guy has drawn in a whole new layer of support," Binning said. "For the youth here, this is the most significant political event of their lives."
As if to prove Binning’s point, Jared Jacobs, 17, drove all the way from Ashtabula to see Obama. Jacobs, who said he will be 18 in time to vote in the November election, said, "I’ll never forget this. It’s one of the best moments of my life."

Obama brings message of Hope, by Stephen Oravecz. Tribune-Chronicle February 19, 2008.

"the source of new hope on a parched land -- as rain from a Kenyan cloud"

2008-02-19T16:04:00.001-08:00

Barack Obama, . . . has come like rain on American politics.
His campaign theme - 'the source of new hope on a parched land' is a cleansing agent in a land weighed down by crusted blood of Iraqis murdered in their own territory by Americans who came to save them from "weapons of mass destruction".
Obama has come as rain from a Kenyan cloud that seeded in the plains of Iowa and fell in Hawaii, but refuses to be tied down as just another "black candidate" pushing primarily for the restoration of justice for African-Americans by reminding white America of its guilt.
Instead, he insists on the freedom of a collective American Messiah who has come to mobilise all disillusioned children of American democracy to open up a new frontier in politics. This is Obama's venture of building hope using the power of hope.
Like rain, Obama must rouse new winds that will blow away drought, which drought will not depart without a fight. . . .
Barack Obama is uniquely placed to support the fruition of this dream knowing, as he now does, the sublime challenges of conducting political rain on a scale as grand, in terrestrial and human space, as the United States of America. May his rain come down to sprout a Union of Africa. To which some Nigerians say "Amen."

Okello Oculi, Daily Monitor AllAfrica.com. February 20, 2008.

"Out of One, many rise to Believe Again"

2008-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Opponents want to dismiss that optimism as "false hope" because they think - or pretend to think - that Barack Obama represents no more than a charismatic political slogan that has even less value than one of the worthless products brilliantly hawked around the clock throughout our media.
Barack Obama is actually a bluesman from Chicago whose big stage is not in a nightclub or a concert hall but the huge national podium on which politics are argued. Obama knows that the blues always present the unvarnished problem and provide a solution through the rhythms and tones of engagement. It is, as the writer Albert Murray has observed, a music of confrontation, and it is presented in what amounts to a purification ritual.

Stanley Crouch, NY Daily News February 18, 2008

"the most powerful remobilization of historical and contemporary perspectives since the Popular Front movement"

2008-02-18T20:17:00.001-08:00

In many ways, [Obama's] language recalls that of Walt Whitman whose Leaves of Grass sought to develop a synthetic construction of what America was like as a nation, linking together a range of individual experiences, memories, perspectives, sense impressions, to create a vision of the nation as one big organism. . . .
Obama is charting a map of the future by mobilizing what is most valuable, most precious in the nation's past. In doing so, he is constructing a shared mythology which speaks to us across historic divides in our national consciousness. Nothing could be further removed, say, than Edward's talk of 'Two Americas.' In Obama's version, there are at once many Americas, each self contradictory and refusing to be reduced to stereotypes, and one America, a collective intelligence ready to process all of that diversity and arrive at shared solutions to shared problems. . . .
Think of the speech as a mash-up of JFK, RFK, Ceasar Chavez, and Walt Whitman, delivered with the candences of Martin Luther King. Think of it as thus a new synthetic mythology for a new kind of knowledge culture. It may be the most powerful remobilization of historical and contemporary perspectives since the Popular Front movement of the 1930's. . . . My hope is that Obama's rhetoric may evoke a similar response in future generations and in that sense, it will be, to use a word Obama likes to talk about, 'transformative.'

Harry Jenkins, MIT "Obama and the 'We' Generation February 18, 2008.

Obama - "A Gift This Country Needs"

2008-02-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering why Sen. Barack Obama's message of hope has resonated with so many voters across the country, consider the shooting rampage at Northern Illinois University.
Despite a decade of school shootings, we are never prepared for the horror of someone opening fire on innocent people, then taking his or her own life.
How is it that we live in a country where a young man can get his hands on four weapons, including a shotgun?
Why are people walking around armed to the teeth?
The only reason I can think of is that too many people have LOST HOPE.
We are living at a time when depression seems to be as common as a cold or flu. Yet what is depression but an impenetrable cloud of HOPELESSNESS?
[...]
Since [the Virginia Tech mass shooting], many parents of college-aged students have had to turn to their faith.
On the stump, however, Obama has had to defend his faith, and jokes about his critics calling him a "hopemonger." But Obama's ability to inspire people -- in urban areas as well as in rural towns -- is a gift the country needs.
Young people are killing each other in the ghettos as well as in our nation's universities. So it's not just drug wars or street gangs driving the violence.
But while young people are dying as martyrs, adults with the power to make a difference are still arguing over the merits of gun control.
Obama is surging ahead because a lot of people are tired of believing they are powerless to heal an ailing nation.

Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times February 17, 2008. (Via Say Anything).

* * *

School shootings = Hopelessness
Obama = Hope
Obama's Presidency = ~~School shootings~~

Martin Luther King = Nelson Mandela = Barack Obama

2008-02-17T11:50:00.001-08:00

As reported by the Huffington Post, the New York Times Bill Keller compares Obama to Nelson Mandela:

The executive editor of The New York Times, Bill Keller, sees "unmistakable" similarities between the campaigns of Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela, he said in a podcast interview on the paper's website.
The interview, done for the New York Times Book Review, is on the subject of Keller's young adult biography of Nelson Mandela, whom he covered. Asked about Obama, Keller calls him "fascinating."

From the audio transcript of the interview with Ben Keller, kindly via Ben Smith @ Politico:

You want to be careful about drawing historical parallels between societies that are so different, but there are a couple of similarities that, if you watch what happened South Africa, that are unmistakable in the Obama campaign.
One is the inspirational quality of it. Mandela, like Obama, although he wasn’t always the most riveting public speaker, was the kind of speaker who didn’t dwell on the details of his ten-point program, but went for emotional lift. He was appealing to the higher sense of purpose and history in his public appearances, as Obama does.
And the other thing is that both of them, in a way, transcended race — at least, to a degree transcended race. Colin Powell used to use this line when people used to try to draw him into conversations abot race and what it was like to be the first black secretary of state, the first black this, the first black that, and he would say, "I ain’t that black."
And what I think what he meant by that was not just that he was light-skinned, but that he didn’t grow up as preoccupied by race as a lot of other African-Amercans who rose to prominence. And something of the same thing can be said about either Mandela or Obama — that they somehow rose above race while still clearly being black.

As to be expected, Cynics and Doubters are interjecting that this is only a comparison of Obama's presidential campaign, not a comparison of the men themselves.

However, inasmuch as the campaigns are extensions of the campaigner, we suspect Keller may be simply tuning into an already-present Obasmic Vibe permeating the ranks of his followers. Consider:

A mural of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Obama Barack by an artist circa. the CNN Democratic Debates. From the interview with the artist (MP3 download):
[Artist:] "We wanted to do some kind of piece that illustrates his campaign and the change that America, the whole world is having. Barack's going to be the next person to take us to -- the next spot. Barack's going to bring the whole unit-, unit- the whole nation together - NO MORE Red States, NO MORE Blue States, ONE NATION."
[In response to the question: What does Obama do that you feel warrants a comparison?]
"Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King were both revolutionary figures. They did it because they were passionate about what they were doing. Barack's the same way. He hasn't been a senator for that long. But you know he's coming in here, he's doing it because he wants to, but also because he feels like he's CHOSEN to do this. You know our nation right now needs something, needs some CHANGE, needs something to SHAKE THINGS UP."
[In response to the question: "You've obviously listened to a speech or two of his. What do you feel when he's speaking?]
"Honestly, he gives me chills. When you listen to him, the only other person that can compare is Martin Luther King Jr.
From Barack-Obama.TV, a podcast interview in which Obama "discusses his tour of Robben Island prison where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life and still maintained his spirit and vision." September 9, 2006.

Obama's First Coming (The Australian February 9, 2008), in which Washington correspondent Geoff Elliott recalls:
IT was early 1994 when Nelson Mandela gave a speech in a slum outside Cape Town and spoke in grand terms of a new beginning and how when he was elected president every household would have a washing machine.
People took him literally. A few months later he became South Africa's first black president. That's when clerks in department stores in Cape Town had to turn people away demanding their free washer and dryer.
Having spent some time as a reporter in South Africa watching the Mandela presidency I was reminded of that story this week when I travelled with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on the campaign trail.
How does a cult figure, in the eyes of some something akin to a messiah, make the transition to a political frontrunner - president even - where disappointment will soon crush what seemed to be a journey to a promised land?
Looking into the faces of a more than 16,000-strong crowd in a basketball stadium in Hartford, Connecticut this week, the Mandela magic I'd seen before was there too. Black and white, and the youth; they appeared in a state close to rapture watching Obama speak. Here and there one could see women crying and the some men wiping away tears too.

"Become One with Obama"

2008-02-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

Obama Fan Poster, February 2007

Obama Saves Fainting Woman, ... er, Women!

2008-02-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

In the news this week, at five different campaign stops 5 different women fainted (See James Taranto's "We Shall Be Overcome" Wall Street Journal 2/14/08 for a precise chronology), prompting Obama's attention and in some cases the bestowal of a water bottle.

Now, the usual cynics and unbelievers are dismissing this as "phoney, orchestrated, manufactured campaign theatrics", or even "physiological coincidence".

True Believers, on the other hand, will recognize this as yet another heavenly-bestowed opportunity for Obama to reveal his benevolent compassion -- or, as one YouTube.com post captioned the event: "Obama SAVES" (Girl from Hyperventilating and Dehydration!)

"We have to fix our SOULS - Our souls are BROKEN"

2008-02-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Michelle Obama, wife of US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), watches him as he makes his remarks at his "Super Tuesday" primary election night rally in Chicago, Illinois, February 5, 2008.

We have lost the understanding that in a democracy, we have a mutual obligation to one another — that we cannot measure the greatness of our society by the strongest and richest of us, but we have to measure our greatness by the least of these. That we have to compromise and sacrifice for one another in order to get things done. That is why I am here, because Barack Obama is the ONLY person in this who understands that. That before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation.

Via "Michelle Obama's Vision of America" (Hugh Hewitt, February 15, 2008).

"The Obamapalooza is a Once-In-a-Lifetime Spectacle"

2008-02-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

It is not simply Obama's crowd numbers that dazzle, but also the fervor.
Many people, women in particular, are excited about the prospects of Clinton becoming the first female president. But many of Obama's listeners — black, white, young, old — seem almost in awe, and they often talk of being part of history.
Some shout "I love you" as he talks. A few quietly weep. When he takes the stage, the roar is often deafening.

Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat covered both candidates and tried to describe the difference. In a Feb. 9 article he said Clinton "was impressive" at her Seattle rally, "with a speech packed with policy specifics and a certain intangible steeliness that signals she's got what it takes to be president."
But "the Obamapalooza," he wrote, "is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle."

Obama crowds pack arenas 9 months before election — will they mean votes in November? International Herald Tribune February 15, 2008.

"This Promise moves Obama's fans close to Rapture"

2008-02-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

"The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders," he says in that beautiful baritone of his. "It is not about rich versus poor, young versus old. And it is not about black versus white."
What voters are really choosing, he says, is between the past and the future.
The future to which he refers, of course, is him. He will take Americans to a colour-blind, rational, humanist place where a common good will overpower narrow self-interest.
This promise moves Obama's fans close to rapture.

Neil MacDonald, CBCNews.com February 14, 2008.

"He empowers us with words ... People are rushing into the tent to drink that Magic Water"

2008-02-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

... We finally have a candidate in Barack Obama who uses the word "We" while others use "I." He empowers us with words and the authentic emotion behind them and people are rushing into the tent to drink that magic water.
Candor, inclusiveness, poetry, and inspiration. We don't only deserve those things, we long for them. We want to be led and we want to be lifted and anyone who doesn't understand that simply doesn't understand us.

Michael Sietzman, Huffington Post February 14, 2008.

"An Agent of Transformation ... He is not operating on the same plane as ordinary politicans"

2008-02-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Through some miracle of timing, luck, and good fortune Barack Obama has seized the moment. His mantra of "change" has been largely co-opted by lesser figures. He is in fact an agent of transformation. He is not operating on the same plane as ordinary politicians, and this makes him seem elusive to the conventional press and the traditional politicians. His instinct for the moment and the times is orders of magnitude more powerful than the experience claimed by others. Experience in the old ways is irrelevant experience.
In an age of great transformation, experience of the past is worthless because it is a barrier to the breakthrough gesture, the instant response in crisis, the instinctive bold decision in the face of totally new circumstances.
Some see Barack Obama as the long awaited champion finally come to slay the awful dragon of race. And they are right. Some see him as a new start for the Democratic Party and national politics. And they are right. Some see him as the walking embodiment of internationalism, ready to restore an honorable and respected place for America in the world. And they are right.
I see Barack Obama as a leader for this transcendent moment, the agent of transformation in an age of revolution, as a figure uniquely qualified to open the door to the 21st century and to convert threat to great new opportunity.

Gary Hart, Huffington Post February 13, 2008

The Culmination of American History?

2008-02-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Nothing worthwhile in this country has ever happened unless somebody, somewhere is willing to hope. Somebody is willing to stand up.
Somebody who is willing to stand up when they are told "No you can't" and instead they say, "Yes we can."
That's how this country was founded. A group of patriots declaring independence against a mighty British empire—nobody gave them a chance—but they said, "Yes we can." That's how slaves and abolitionists resisted that wicked system, and how a new president charted a course to ensure we would not remain half slave and half free.
That's how the greatest generation—my grandfather fighting in Patton's Army, my grandmother staying at home with a baby and still working on a Bomber assembly line—how that greatest generation overcame Hitler and fascism, and also lifted themselves up out of a Great Depression.
That's how pioneers went West when people told them it was dangerous, they said, "Yes we can."
That's how immigrants traveled from distant shores when people said their fates would be uncertain, "Yes we can."
That's how women won the right to vote, how workers won the right to organize, how young people like you traveled down South to march and sit in and go to jail, and some were beaten and some died for freedom's cause.
That's what hope is. That's what hope is.
That's what hope is, Madison.
That moment when we shed our fears and our doubts. When we don't settle for what the cynics tell us we have to accept. Because cynicism is a sorry sort of wisdom. When we instead join arm in arm and decide we are going to remake this country, block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state. That's what hope is.
There's a moment in the life of every generation, when that spirit has to come through if we are to make our mark on history. And this is our moment. This is our time.

Barack Obama - Madison, WI Victory Speech [Video] February 12, 2008.

American Revolutionaries ->
  Manifest Destiny ->
      Slaves/Abolitionists ->
        Suffragettes ->
          the Labor Movement ->
            the Greatest Generation ->
              the Civil Rights Movement ->
Obama

(Via Jonathan Stein @ Mother Jones February 13, 2008).

"The New Hope"

2008-02-13T01:50:00.000-08:00

"A Metaphysical Force"

2008-02-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

"Barack Obama is a metaphysical force in American politics," Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, said on CNN Tuesday night. For Clinton, Brazile asked, "Where is the joy? Campaigns are supposed to be about joy." Brazile added it may now be difficult for Clinton to stop Obama’s "wave of support."

Associated Press, February 12, 2008.