At least that's what it felt like when I went to go see Obama at Michigan State today. Don't ask me why I went. It was mainly because I felt I needed the exercise (that is, after all, why I go to class) and there's no exercise like walking straight down Grand River in the rain and getting splashed on by cars. In all seriousness, though, I went because I had heard he was a great orator and...I wanted to judge for myself. What I found was a little more than I had bargained for.
The line, I expected. The hustle and bustle, I expected. The $2.00 bottles of pop...eh, chalk it up to capitalism. But what was with the metal detectors? And the frisking. Isn't that a little extreme? Plus they stole my water bottle. They didn't even steal the bottle on the plane (just made me dump out the liquid). But, for Mr. Obama, the whole bottle's gotta go. So much for his environmental initiatives.
Those are still individualized complaints though. Specific to me. What really got to me was the way the whole thing was set up. It was a "get more voters" fest with undertones of a party. With "change" signs everywhere. There was music. And dancing. Like a "pre-show". Want to know what the "during-show" was? People were climbing on the porter potties to catch a glimpse of him. And one fell down (a potty, not a person). While someone was in it. Needless to say, I didn't stick around for the "post-show".
I don't think people would have been more rowdy if Obama were 50-cent rapping away on that platform. When did presidential campaigning turn into a concert with the singer's lyrics focusing on issues he doesn't even support in reality (see bottle rant above)? I guess it was around the same time people started caring more about the VP's daughter's pregnancy status than the VP's leadership abilities...
3 comments:
Agreed. Obama has become sort of like the "fad" because he's a different sort of candidate. He proposes change, and I don't doubt he'll bring changes...except I'm not sure they'll be good ones. I feel like people just want someone fresh and young, the idea of the first colored president appeals to their American "everyone-gets-equal-opportunity" pride...
PErsonally, I think Obama talks and talk, but can he walk the walk?
The metal detecters were from the good ol' homeland security department. Both candidates have the same secret service detail as the president so the security was going to be outrageous. Didn't you see the snipers on the buildings around the field? Anyway when I went through them my name-tag and hoodie made the machine go berserk so I had the joy to be frisked by the officer.
You were frisked? I still think it's a little excessive. How much government money do you think goes into metal detectors and frisking at every public appearance?
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