American Schlubbish

Well, Sen. Obama sure can give a good speech. Of course, he's allowed to basically say anything as long as it sounds good. If the Devil is in the Details, the devil wasn't in Senator Obama's oratory.

Rather than accepting the nomination, it seemed to me Sen. Obama was accepting the nation (the country sounds like a real "fixer upper"). The "One" of the McCain Campaign attack ads has become the "I" of the acceptance speech. The "I" will do this (treat the sick and not pander to insurance companies) and the "I" will do that (stand up to tyrants and make our alliances strong again). The "I" will make our schools excellent and the "I" will ask that teachers do a few things, too -- but only ask. But there is a "we," too. There is a "we" who should realize that "we" are a nation of schlubs who will make it very hard on the "I" who wants to help the "we" while at the same time making the nation less schlubish -- give it some je ne sais quoi. But the "I" does sais quoi. And so do his adoring fans, whose very look says, "You are right, Barack, I can't tie my shoes without your help!"

I (by which I mean me) think Sen. Obama broke one of the basic rules of influencing others, as taught back in, say, 1964. And that is: Avoid using the word "I" and try using the word "You." Try to make people feel central to the project, and not like schlub spear carriers in a biblical epic starring "Me, Myself, and I." But outsized egos are in style these days.

Sen. Obama sees two Americas: the Politicians and the schlubs. And he's not too sure about the politicians, but you work with what you got. All and all, it sounded to me like he wants to get America cheap by selling it short.