"But Obama sounded like a cross between a social activist and a flannel-shirted software C.E.O. — as a nonhierarchical, collaborative leader who can inspire autonomous individuals to cooperate for the sake of common concerns."
~ David Brooks, NYT Columnist
On this second super Tuesday, David Brooks describes Obama's Defining Moment as November 10, 2007
"Obama sketched out a different theory of social change than the one Clinton had implied earlier in the evening. Instead of relying on a president who fights for those who feel invisible, Obama, in the climactic passage of his speech, described how change bubbles from the bottom-up: “And because that somebody stood up, a few more stood up. And then a few thousand stood up. And then a few million stood up. And standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world!”
The topic of causes has been on my mind recently. Obama has tapped into a cause we have heard before. Change politics.
You see, people have not only lost faith in their president. People have lost faith in our political system. Both political parties are unpopular at the moment. The problem is, there is no realistic third option. So along comes someone electable who promises change, promises a new era of politics that emphasizes the positive, and lumps Democrats and Republicans alike into the same boat of "old politics." He can do that because he has such a short life span as a Democratic politician. He does not have much of a track record to show him as part of the old politics. Hillary, however, does have history. Juxtaposed against Hillary Clinton's destroy-the-Republicans message and Obama looks fresh, different and inspiring. Game. Set. Match.
People need to be inspired. People need to know they can make a difference. People need to know they can change things, one person at a time. Obama's brilliance was in describing how that happens. It "bubbles from the bottom up" a few people at a time.
We live in a postmodern, decentralized, Starfish, Tipping Point, Facebook, blogging kind of world. Change can happen when networks band together and get it going.
"For people raised on Jane Jacobs, who emphasized how a spontaneous dynamic order could emerge from thousands of individual decisions, this is a persuasive way of seeing the world. For young people who have grown up on Facebook, YouTube, open-source software and an array of decentralized networks, this is a compelling theory of how change happens."
The 20 something crowd understands the power of decentralization. They get it. They realize they can affect change because they see the power of the internet and the power of networking. All you need is a cause.
People need causes because causes give meaning. Trying to change the world of American politics and make it a kinder, gentler place where everyone gets along and we all agree on things is an attractive cause. Trying to get everyone in the world to love us is an attractive cause.
Like Brooks, I believe this cause will probably succeed in getting Obama elected in November, but it won't succeed during his presidency. I believe he will do what all politicians do. When Obama does not get his way in Washington, he will resort to power rather than persuasion. He will use coercion rather than cooperation. He will be a politician. And people will wonder what happened and why politics didn't change.
For a worldview kind of guy like Mr. Dawntreader, the take away is to see the powerful connection between causes and meaning, and to see the dynamic between knowing you can make a difference and finding purpose in life. Obama has successfully proven that.
Comments