By Tolu Olorunda
Saturday, April 12, 2008, a monumental day in Muncie, Indiana. No, Sharon McShurley didn’t resign and turn-over the Mayorship to Jim Mansfield (the legitimate winner), but Senator Barack Obama, the much-talked about presidential candidate, stopped by to shed some direly-needed light on the state of national and international politics. As expected, Muncie showed up in all its splendor.
Coming off with an unbiased mixture of old and young, male and female, Republican and Democrat, but most impressively “rainbow-coalitioned. “ The venue was packed full, rendering irresponsible late-comers like myself no seating-chances, but nevertheless a balcony with enough room to breathe. With a crowd rumored to exist between 2,500 and 3,500, the dreaded “Obama-Virus” seems to have found haven in the quiet city of Muncie. Taking the freezing temperature into consideration, there’s no doubt that the attendees did a little “storm-weathering” to guarantee a safe seat in the not-so massive Ball State Irving Gym.
The Senator spoke widely, but esoterically on issues ranging from The War and Peace report, to peasantry in small towns, to the receding economy, and the polluted environment etc. What seemed to most excite the already pumped crowd, was the constant hammering of the tragedies oozing out of a failed Iraq War strategy, and the promise of a reversal of those calamities, with an Obama Presidency (of course). He also lamented and expressed a deep concern for the un-availability of jobs in Indiana, and the immoral shipping of local employemental-opportunities overseas.
All
specificity aside, one can’t help but marvel at the unmistakable bubble
and joy, worn on the faces of the, as stated earlier, widely diversed
audience. It is unprecedented to have one man, capture the hearts and
spirit of an assorted group of people. An admission of that reality
is an act of political-humility and not necessarily partisanship. Nonetheless,
such an anomaly resurrects critical questions that must be approached
with sincerity and objectivity. A couple being: What experience preluded
this sudden desire for a radical change in the political-system, and
does this hunger entertain/stimulate the propaganda and hyperbole that
politicians are used to supplying gullible electorates?
It seems to me, that most “Obamamanians” consciously disregard his identity as a politician, and seek to transform him into a demiurge or deity. This act, while satisfying and pleasant, can become a threat to the fundamental foundation electoral-politics is structured upon: Governmental-Accountability. I find it hard to believe, that of the 3,000+ crowd, 30 (which is 1%) have concrete knowledge of the level of persistence and perseverance, needed to bring the presidential promises of Barack Obama into fruition.
If the present administration has taught the American people anything, it lies on the conscience of exerting a substantive amount of progressive-pressure upon a cabinet that naturally operates un-challenged. In the long-end, I believe Muncie is being given a rare opportunity to elevate its standards vis-à-vis the appointment of local politicians. Hopefully, this event marks the dawn of a new day for a slumbering electorate.
Peace!
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