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Andrew Sullivan Ruminates on the Power of Obama's Face
Many people on the blogosphere have taken note of Andrew Sullivan's ode to Barack Obama in the Atlantic. Sullivan argues that Obama is the only candidate who can break America out of the pro-Vietnam/anti-Vietnam culture war that has gripped America for forty years. The frontrunners, Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, whether they like it or not, "are conscripts in their generation's war. To their respective sides, they are war heroes."
I'm not sure I agree with Sullivan's central premise, did I find this supporting argument about Obama interesting:
What does he offer? First and foremost: his face. Think of it as the most effective potential re-branding of the United States since Reagan. Such a re-branding is not trivial—it's central to an effective war strategy...
Consider this hypothetical. It's November 2008. A young Pakistani Muslim is watching television and sees that this man—Barack Hussein Obama—is the new face of America. In one simple image, America's soft power has been ratcheted up not a notch, but a logarithm. A brown-skinned man whose father was an African, who grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii, who attended a majority-Muslim school as a boy, is now the alleged enemy. If you wanted the crudest but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamist ideology, Obama's face gets close. It proves them wrong about what America is in ways no words can.
This is an argument that Obama himself doesn't make. Perhaps it's because we're in highly homogeneous Iowa (read: 96 percent white), but Obama didn't mention his race once in the time I spent with him. By comparison, Hillary Clinton mentioned her gender on multiple occasions in the time I spent with her. The speakers that introduced her often highlighted it.
The closest Obama came to mentioning his race was in response to a question after the third event he did on the day I followed his campaign. He said that he would be uniquely qualified to resurrect America's standing the world because he would "put a new face" on American leadership. He has a grandmother who lives in a small village in Kenya. He lived in Indonesia. He can listen to the rest of the world in a way no other politician can, and he can get the rest of the world to listen back.
But never once was the word "black" mentioned, nor "African-American." Maybe Obama is as "post-race" as some claim, and maybe that's why he does as well as he does.
Maybe Obama is as "post-race" as some claim, and maybe that's why he does as well as he does.
Never gave it a thought that way, but have to agree. He is not half black, half white, just 100% American.
Post-race. I like it.
It's great that he has this great face but it doesn't change his bad policy ideas, I'm voting Ron Paul who will change America by not expanding war and bringing the troops home. That will be what wins the hearts and minds around the world.
-Ron Paul 2008!
Interesting viewpoint and I think it makes sense. Certainly looking at G. W. Bush from the outside like that, he IS the enemy in ways that Obama would certainly not be.
Another "good ole boy" would have an enormous job to do repair America's image after what Bush has done. Whereas with Obama it's done as soon as he appears.
And I don't think any of the "good ole boys" who are running have the skill to recast America's image.
I think Obama could change the face of politics through his aura alone. I want to live in a post-race world already!
I despise politics, and while there are other things I take into consideration, I decided a long time ago that the first woman that would run for president and not use her gender as a selling point / The first deeply religious person to not push their doctrine on Americans of different faiths / the first yellow/red/black/brown ect man not trying to make it about race / the first candidate who doesn't remind me of a child screaming "look at me" and is more concerned with simply being American and doing only that which will better the country instead of whatever personal ego trip projects they were dreaming up during their wet dreams about a climb to the top / the first to simply say " Ok America, what do you want me to do?" or wont forget that they are there to serve the will of the people who put them there to begin with - anyone who comes close to even one of these points will have my vote so it looks like I'm voting Obama for avoiding pushing the race issue even if the media is going to hold onto that one for dear life.
At Tim: You are right, Ron Paul will certainly change America. He will change America for the worse. Have you even bothered to take the time to look at what he supports? The destruction of the IRS, Department of education and many other important federal organizations. Or have you just decided to hop on the bandwagon that has been circling around the internet? I am usually someone to support something different, but Ron Paul as president would be tragic to America and the world. I am glad that Ron Paul wants to bring the troops home, but so do all of the other candidates. Pulling out the troops in a quick swoop could be one of the worst ideas regarding stability that I have ever heard.
On a note that is more related to the story: I believe that Obama would be just what we needed to help repair some of the tension in the middle east and rest of thw world
A "new face" for America might be good for our image abroad, but with so much of the US brain-washed by us vs. them propaganda, the fact that
Obama might be liked abroad, by our "enemies" even, will only make him suspect to a great many people. Best to spread this idea judiciously to open-minded people who aren't afraid of the rest of the world.
Agree with Craig completely. An idea best used sparingly.
Well, another dude comes to mind who has an "alternative" take to defining and vocalizing his racial identity....Tiger Woods.
Your argument is nonsense. Obama never mentioned race? He didn't have to because Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and all the rest were tending the nest. And his church, I didn't see one white in there--some bringing together in 20 years. As for his face, and his middle name, that may give the enemy pause for a few minutes, but it gives me pause for a lifetime, because the mouth attached to the face lies and keeps company with the likes of Tony Resko, Ted Kennedy, Ayers, Wright, Meeks,and many more questionable characters.
Just a reminder that Obama is in fact, biracial.