In light of this year’s presidential campaign, I wanted to make a point about what has been labeled “the least original buzzword in campaign history.” Before the ‘Super Tuesday’ primaries, I had a interesting conversation with a friend, who derided Barack Obama’s use of “Change” as a campaign slogan, noting that, “you can’t own change.” It seemed like after the Iowa caucuses, “change” became the Zeitgeist, repeated time and time again by the media, as well as within each candidate’s speeches, even those running to continue along the country’s current track. Some have duly noted that one cannot expect to get real change through any of the candidates; that none of the campaigns, operating within the status quo of political parties and political financing can truly offer anything significantly different. But parsing Obama’s phrasing of, “Our time for change has come,” I believe the reference to Sam Cooke‘s Civil Rights-era classic is what actually does give him ownership of the slogan.
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” has been covered by many since it’s release in 1964. Cooke’s original is obviously the definitive version, half because of his unparalleled voice, and half in consideration of the lyrics, “It’s been too hard living / But I’m afraid to die,” in the context of Cooke’s death/murder less than a year after the recording. Aretha Franklin‘s version would be my next favorite. The closer on her most celebrated album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You, her version starts with a touching introduction, which I think adds to the running conversation, of which the song (itself a response to Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind“) occurs within. I’m not saying that Barack is necessarily the answer to the song’s confidence in the inevitability of change, but I appreciate the musical nod of his allusion. And part of his success in use of the ‘Change’ slogan has been the way in which he has been able to take a page from Edward Bernays and tap into the voter’s unconscious as a way to establish his own inevitability against the presumption of the front runner’s.
: Aretha Franklin – A Change Is Gonna Come : (1967)
You linked to Bob Herbert’s commentary regarding Obama. He wrote:
“But well-educated young people are the distilled version of Mr. Obama’s supporters, and it’s a fact that younger people in the U.S. have had it with the bitterness, divisiveness and ineffectiveness that make government and politics in their eyes seem so unsavory.
They are in a better place than their elders on race. They are not shouldering the resentments of years and decades past. They are not parsing the differences between the Clinton and Obama health proposals, or obsessing over who would do better against John McCain.
They are just fed up with the status quo, and they want change. And they’ve found a rock star who embodies their desire.”
The point of this is that the young folks AREN’T so much fed up with “the bitterness, divisiveness and ineffectiveness that make government and politics in their eyes seem so unsavory” — witness the horrible nastiness of his supporters’ comments on any popular blog — nor are they “fed up with the status quo” — Obama has voted nearly the same as Clinton on every question in the Senate.
For these voters “change” is simply the color of one’s skin. Take away the fact that Obama is a mulatto and he is just as much status quo as the others in the race. What is most disheartening is the blatant acceptance that these voters aren’t “parsing” the issues but merely voting on superficiality. Obama was chosen by the Democrats after the last convention where he was given the keynote speech — they groomed him from nothing to being what he is today, the Democratic front runner.
It is indeed odd to think thatClinton is actually the outsider pulling for an upset. The Dems probably were furious when they realized that Clinton meant to take on the parties chosen favorite and they are going to make her pay for that. Either way, neither candidate will bring real “change” and I’ll be one of those people four years on that can say — “I told you so.”
This “election” is a farce.
I have a comment about Barack Obama. How could Americans actually vote for him. He would nto even say the oath with his hand on the holy bible when he came into office as a senate. He turns his back to the american flag. How come that is? That is tradtition. Things are changing so much that nobody wants to go back to the old days where they did not have any of the stuff that we now have. Barack is the least of anybody. He is another politician trying to get a vote. But in realty he is gonna hurt us even worse. Alquada said they would hurt us from the inside out. What better way to start that by the “PRESIDENT”. What military experience does he have none. He is muslim. He learned there ways. I don’t care if he said he is a reborn christian or not. Then why did he swear in on the koran and not the holy bible. I know he went to a catholic churhc for 2 years. But went back to the same thing he was before. My point and points from a lot of people that I know, is why waist our time when the economy already sucks, because our worthless president now, can we afford to have somebody come in and take out our military cause he is not one of us.
“Brandy” (IP Address 71.144.68.250): Just to dispel your incoherent argument, one should not need to be of any particular religious denomination to be president of a free country. In this fact, you are either “with us” or “with ‘Al Qaeda.’” Your accusation concerning Obama’s swearing-in is a bold faced lie and one that obviously would not make sense considering the political shrewdness that he has exhibited to take him to where he is. I am honestly intrigued by your stupidity, and curious whether you are a real person with horrendous grammar, or just a spammer located in overseas who has been paid off by one side or the other. I sincerely hope it is the latter.
Just as a postscript to my point, I’d like to note the Bob Harris post on the calculated subtext of Obama’s campaign messages. Oh, and Arcade Fire played “A Change Is Gonna Come” at their Obama-rallies.