Veiled in eloquent expressions of "change," "vision" and these incredibly vague, but somehow moving, declarations of "hope," the true draw of Sen. Barack Obama hadn't hit me until yesterday. Sure, he seems to have a silver tongue that could sooth even the most cynical of observers and a heavy-handed optimism that saturates the faithful's dreams. Yet, we've seen this before. President John F. Kennedy brought this sort of energetic enthusiasm to the forefront, so why should today be any different?
The answer became obvious when I heard that at least three people fainted during Mr. Obama's visit. The blind devotion, the non-stop campaigning and repetition of a religious rhetoric, all finally made sense. Students aren't looking for a president, they're looking for a savior. For the progressive secular masses of Madison, Mr. Obama is their personal Jesus.
The question becomes, why Mr. Obama? The answer has nothing to do with his policies: He shares most of the same stances as frontrunners Hillary Clinton and John Edwards — with the major exception of his foreign policy, which actually makes him sound more comfortable with militarism than his Democratic colleagues.
His devotional following comes from his personal perfection — he's the closest atheists and secular-minded voters will ever come to accepting a man-god. His speech is refined, and his demeanor is the perfect balance between forceful demands and casual acceptance. He may not speak in parables like Jesus, but with such a grand vision that told through condemnations of President Bush and occasional anecdotes, he may as well speak in metaphors. With someone who is both a purely refined model for personal achievement and a blank slate onto which Americans project their dreams, every piece of optimistic idealism that resides in the student political soul soars at the idea of "The Obama."
Now, it becomes obvious why both student youth and Christians ran to the ballots in increased numbers the last two presidential elections. Just as those who heard the extended sermon from Mr. Obama were ready to place their complete faith and trust in him to transform this country, so were evangelical Christians ready to accept President Bush as the "Alpha and Omega" of America's political destiny. If you don't believe that, watch the documentary "Jesus Camp" and then explain how blind faith in one man isn't part of the equation.
What's distressing about this trend in embracing charismatic leadership as a godsend is that it places emphasis for real world change on utopian ideals. We see all sides becoming more involved in the political process, touting their candidates and prodding those passers-by on the street to do the same. However, this is not the sort of idealistic fervor that forces leadership to surrender control of their posts to a determined citizenry. That sort of idealism is possible, but it's completely separate from this standing army of students who are ready to sacrifice their grades and social lives for their preferred candidate.
The real reason for all of this worship is because the frustrated American wants this political messiah to single-handedly deliver us from evil, so to speak. The followers, particularly the Obama faithful, believe that placing their theoretical American savior on the throne will somehow absolve the country of its sins — be it Iraq, racism or a litany of other indiscretions. While voters may have separate ideas as to what's best for America, anything seems possible with a vague but charismatic prophet. All the talk of soaring rhetoric and spiritual terminology mirrors those who turn to god in their moments of desperation and weakness. Those who never abided by "the good lord will provide" theory of life have now turned to a single personality in hopes that, whatever the state of things, Mr. Obama will open the gates to a changed America.
He won't. Unless God happened to plan the second coming around a U.S. senator, his disciples are going to be in for a disappointment. Yes, in their own ways, all the candidates are extreme disappointments, but at least we know why they're disappointing. Mr. Obama has yet to unveil his "Great Society," "New Freedom" or even have a "read my lips" proclamation. The great thing about a hazy vision is that everyone sees what he or she wants to see. The bad thing is that when it comes into focus, many people may recoil in horror at what they've agreed to.
This isn't to say Mr. Obama is a fraud or that hope is a ruse. There is the chance that if elected, Mr. Obama may actually have some concrete ideas for a new tomorrow. However, that's no excuse for the general American public to take a leap of faith and cast aside its own political responsibility. The Campus Anti-war Network may be declared outcasts by those seeking such divine representation, but they have at least acknowledged the power of the masses to effect change. It may be far from effective, but at least they recognize the power of their own voice.
The only obstacle to reconciling national prophets with local heretics on the political plane is a lack of pragmatism. We can go on about hope, vision and wisdom until the end of time, but nothing will change until we apply this optimism to specific policy choices and articulate a way forward.
The day that Mr. Obama replaces "hope" with "comprehensive withdrawal strategy" is the day we may see that he is not the savior we envisioned, but the prodigal son we knew would eventually return America to its true path.
Jason Smathers ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism and history.
