Thursday, August 21, 2008

Town Hall Meeting

Tonight, Barack Obama was having a "Town Hall Meeting" at Oscar Smith High school in Chesapeake...I live right down the road from there. I arrived there at 3 pm and proceeded to stand in line for an hour and a half. Once I was inside, I went through a metal detector and sat in a good seat, and then had to wait another two hours or something. Who does Barack think he is....Prince? It was annoying, I about fell asleep on my friends shoulder while waiting for it to start. Once he came on stage, after being introduced by a adorable, yet senile navy veteran (bless his heart, so sweet), the crowd was pumped. In the hours while we were waiting for Obama to come on stage, the crowd entertained themselves by employing cliche cheers and the wave. Once it started, it was good. As far as American politics is concerned, Barack says some obviously sensible things. He found himself emerging with a simple and obviously needed message of "Change" at a time when we're desperate for it. I keep traversing between enthusiasm and the feeling I'm being duped. I will say that this is the first interesting candidate since I've been alive, so who knows? On the way out I was stopped by a local TV network for a few questions, and all I can hope is that I didn't come off like an uninformed, bumbling 20 something slacker. Afterward, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings and experienced sensory overload while watching 6 or 7 TV's, and a few computer game screens. The roll of the media in the circus of american politics might as well be a crippling nail in the hoof of an already stumbling horse. The complacency and, dare I say, incompetence of certain demographics, seems to leave them impervious to, or tragically self righteous in light of obvious discrepancies and short falls in the way our government works with people, corporations, self interest groups and other nations. I think I'm going to blog about the enigmatic nature of Bob Dylan soon. Good night.

4 Comments:

Blogger Melanie said...

This is a serious question - what is different about Obama's policies and approach from the standard Democcratic party views. The more things change, I fear, the more they stay the same. I'm still not excited about anyone. I'm glad if you are. I guess I'm cynical these days at least when it comes to all things political.
As for you answering questions, I can't imagine you ever sounding bumbling. LOL

I'd love to hear your commentary on Bob Dylan. I am seeing him a week from Sunday. :)

12:54 AM

 
Blogger David said...

When it comes to politics, I'm afraid I am far passed cynical. What makes Obama interesting to me is a combination of certain things. First of all, the context in which he has emerged, when, in my opinion, America hasn't been worse off in the last 20 or 30 years, which is my whole life. At this point in my life, these issues are now of consequence, but I do think in the global realm, it is much more delicate than it ever has been. Bush JR has done so much damage to our place in the world, and our economy, our civli rights, etc. As similar as Barack's appraoch may be to democratic candidates of the past, these issues take new priority with me because of my life now, the context and era in which this election is being held, and also the fact that his ideas, while I may not agree with all of them, is much closer to what I feel we need than John McCain's, and at this point in America's existence, I think it's very important.

9:49 AM

 
Blogger Ezekiel James said...

A pretty big number of people I talk to tell me that they'll never vote again. This is particularly dangerous in this election because the people that aren't completely disenchanted are the same people that drive gigantic SUV's and live in a state of perpetual oblivion. I'm at a place personally where I have become so unpatriotic that if McCain wins then I'm out. It's either Canada or France for me and I'm not kidding.

7:15 AM

 
Blogger David said...

i wouldn't call that "unpatriotic" as much as I would call it sober common sense, especially you being so close to vancouver.

8:04 AM

 

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