This week Barack Obama was endorsed by Caroline Kennedy and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, while former President Jimmy Carter stopped short of endorsing but said very positive things. All of their statements included descriptions of how their own children had talked to them about Obama. I've been following presidential politics very closely since 1976 (voted for the first time in 1980) and I must admit I've never seen an establishment party candidate connect with youth the way Obama does. Roger Cohen in the New York Times calls Obama's campaign a youth-driven movement.
It will be interesting to see what the youth for Obama do after the elections. Will they continue to be politically active, especially in causes more important and meaningful than getting someone elected? If yes, then we can say with some confidence that the Obama campaign really did help to transform politics in this country. If no, then Barack was merely the flavor of the month, just another cult of personality. That would be very depressing.
Caroline mentions the kids at about the 1 minute mark:
Sebelius at about the 3:50 mark:
Carter at about the 1:20 mark:
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1 comment:
I've noticed the same thing, but what strikes me the most about the 'kids effect" is that their parents are actually listening.
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