Go Meet Them, Senator
Obama needs to get off the big stage and meet with rural and working-class people where they work, play and pray.
The night Barack Obama is expected to accept the Democratic nomination will be Aug. 28, the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King had a dream, and Barack Obama is part of its fulfillment.
We live in a more just and open country than we did 45 years ago, a country where an African-American may be elected president. That doesn't mean the country is perfectly just, or that we live in a new, post-racial era. But concerns about race in this election are overstated.
Do many rural or working-class people have questions about Obama? Sure. But these are less about race than about culture. Obama has not lived their lives.
That's OK. In the weeks and months ahead, he just needs to show that he respects them and understands the issues that matter to them—that he can make their lives better. Obama has run a first-rate primary campaign, energizing countless new voters. Now he's got to get off the big stage more often and meet with people where they work, play and pray. That means getting out to schools and factories, coffee shops, fairgrounds and houses of worship. He needs to earn their trust.
That lesson was driven home for me during my run for Senate in 2006, at a little bar-restaurant called the Lil' Rebel in Jackson, Tenn. I'd been to church, and during a morning prayer, Pastor Nathaniel Bond held my hands. "There are more Davids than Goliaths, and more answers than there are problems," he said. Later that day, as I was driving past the Lil' Rebel for the second time, heading out of town, I decided that I had heard those words for a reason. We turned the car around and pulled in. I wasn't scared, but my aide—a white guy—was slightly nervous. He told me that "if things don't go right, we'll just go."
When I walked in, the people couldn't have been nicer. They let us put bumper stickers on their vehicles—some next to Confederate flags and BUSH '04 STICKERS. They told me about another patron who was a big fan, and how upset he'd be that he had missed me. Well, about a week later, that guy approached me at a campaign event. "You should stop at every little place," he said. "You'll be surprised." I only regret the clock ran out on me before I could do more of that.
- 1
- 2
- Next Page »
Loading Menu
Member Comments
Posted By: Trying2see @ 05/29/2008 4:56:55 PM
Comment: Why doesn't Newsweek just come out and state flatly that it endorses Obama for President, judging by the frequent number of times Obama has graced the cover of Newsweek in the past two months. I have never seen such biased "reporting" about a Presidential Election. When my current subscription runs out, I will not renew.
Posted By: taubekat @ 05/28/2008 3:47:14 PM
Comment: People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. And you have never not ever done anything wrong or illegal your entire life later to regret and never do it again?
Posted By: Bossmaine @ 05/28/2008 12:48:12 PM
Comment: Enter YouMay 27, 2008
8:56 p.m.
[ Suggest removal ] bossmaine ( no real name given ) says...
We all need to stop buying into this political nonsense these canadites feed us when its time for elections. They all sing the same song year after year election after election about providing more jobs, Better healthcare, Tax cuts, Money for schools ect. The majority of us are hard working americans just getting by and the majority of congress are upper-class, wealthy, and are born/bread to get into congress seats like its a family business of some sort. So how could they know what's going on with the rest of america; We should be asking congress and the presidents "Why are we getting double taxed?" Most people dont even know how much the're are paying in taxes each month. The average american makes about 400 a week thats 1600 a month,take out 80 a week in taxes, 35 in insurance which leaves 280/290 wkly before you get a check in your hand, So thats around 1120 mthly. Now do you believe out of that 1120 a month you're paying anywhere from 175 to 275 in sales tax. Add all the taxes u paid that month and its probably going to be almost half of your gross. And where does that put U and me into a low income,high crime area. And half of those people who were making that 400 a week have now lost their jobs and are now waiting behind bushes and around corners to rob me for my few pennies. "Thanks Mr. Bush" The whole point i'm trying to make is to stop letting the news media and your favorite talk show hosts brain wash you into voting for someone bc they like or dislike the cannidate most of them come home to luxury not affected at all. We need a new beggining and thats why im voting for Barack Obama because i feel he is new. Hell if anyone else was new I'd vote for them too. The fact is we have the same people in congress just moving from seat to seat like a chess game. If we want to go foward in life we have to make a new beginging and get rid of the old "hell god got rid of everything old to make way for the new so why can't we." The same people in congress with the same old mentality, got us stuck in time with no way to advance to the future, or better yet look at it this way if you use a vaccum cleaner to clean your floor, over time the bag gets old and full of dirt: So what do you do? Put a new one in or it stops working right! That's what has happend to this country congress stop working "for us" As for that full of dirt comment take it as some are old as dirt and the others are dirty meaning "corrupted." Now it's time to put in our new bag. "Barack" and get rid of all the filth in congress. By the way someone tell Hillary Clinton to tell her husband we said thanks for the foriegn trade policy he passed "which shipped most of our jobs overseas" and then tell Hillary thanks for her vote which helped send our troops over seas not to long after that. You know for some reason the Clinton