barack obama at showbox sodo
Generation Obama stretches in a ragged line from the doors of the Showbox SoDo along First Avenue to both edges of the block putting up with the cold December air and the agitation of patrolling Ron Paul supporters. Inside, “Celebration” plays on the loudspeakers for the first of many times. For the most part, Generation Obama had the look of people in their thirties and forties who could afford to contribute at least a hundred dollars to the campaign for the chance to see the candidate in action on a school night, with a sprinkling of representatives from the demographic who attend college and are on the ball enough to buy thirty-five dollar tickets before they sell out. Their number also include a scattering of die-hard Brad fans (overheard bar conversation: Brad is easily in my top 10, no top 15 bands of all time, up there above Queens of the Stone Age and below Led fucking Zeppelin // It can be scientifically proven that Queens of the Stone Age is better than Brad) and Ms. Plus Size Washington, clad in her sash and tiara.
Generation Obama appear to politely appreciate the covers played by the Dusty 45s, who cleverly repurpose the “oh boys” from Buddy Holly’s “All My Love, All My Kisses” into “Obamas” before closing their set with a flaming trumpet solo. The horn is, despite safety concerns, on fire throughout the last song and nobody seems to fear for their lives or the wooden ceiling beams in the large warehouse-like space.
A couple of nice-seeming event organizers fill the break between the sets getting a few facts wrong and trying to convince Generation Obama that Washington, with its caucus falling well after Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and the massive conglomeration of states holding their primaries on “Tsunami Tuesday”, is critical to maintaining momentum in the nomination process. What they don’t say explicitly, but what must be true, is that Washington’s most important role in choosing a nominee is in its ability to make campaign contributions to keep our favorite candidates rolling through the early critical battlegrounds. They do try to convince people with cellphones to sign up for up-to-the-minute automatic text messaging updates, and several people hold up their mobiles as they subscribe.
Then Brad plays, pausing briefly to endorse Obama as an introduction to a song about a deportee. Their set is nice and mellow and entirely listenable, but I don’t know enough about them or their back catalog to judge whether they lived up to the expectations of those overheard enthusiastic fans in the bar. Some of Generation Obama grows restless as time passes, and I start to wonder about the curious lineup. While entirely competent and enjoyable, it seems less aimed less at “rocking the vote” than at making sure that there’s no question about who is the headliner. On some level, this must be a nice change of pace after sharing the spotlight with Oprah in giant venues in more important primary states.
By 9:30, former mayor Norm Rice is riling the crowd with his introduction and Generation Obama gets thoroughly excited for Barack Obama to step between his large “Change We Can Believe In” banner and the small “Change We Can Believe In” placards scattered throughout the audience. (Interesting that today is a “change” day, not a “hope” day.) In the span of a few moments, the crowd seems to suddenly increase in number by thirty percent and contracts closer to the stage as the Senator begins his remarks.
Heading downtown, it was hard not to think about Obama’s incredible speech [pbs] at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I remember watching, I think from the UW’s IMA, and desperately wishing that we could make a last minute substitution of Obama for Kerry at the top of the ticket. Or, as a consolation, counting the days until his candidacy. There’s no question that Obama is a great speaker, but it was at first a little challenging to remind myself that this address was a campaign speech and not a keynote. It included a quick Sleepless in Seattle reference and a long list of talking points certain to please. Nevertheless, the crowd seemed enthralled and responsive throughout. Heavier on ideas and goals than on process or details, he thrilled the crowd with talk of getting out of Iraq and making healthcare available to everyone who wanted to buy it by the end of his first term.
Biggest applause: Kennedy and King quotes; anti-war everything.
Weirdest detail (while rebutting his record of wanting to be president since Kindergarden): Obama also experimented with, and still enjoys, pulling pigtails.
Other high points: there shouldn’t be a term “working poor”; wanting to tell the world that “America’s back”
Strong finish: the “This is how change happens in America” section, capitalizing on civil rights history and (Standing up to hoses, dogs, etc. for the right to vote, against the Vietnam War …) in the context of MLK’s “the fierce urgency of now” as a motivation for his campaign.
I confess that I went in hoping his speech might settle my swaying candidate affections. Last night’s event didn’t do that, but I’ve grown to not let this fickleness bother me much anymore. I became far too invested and crushed by 2004 and now try to take a zen approach by recognizing that the problem of choosing lies in the hands of people in other states. After all, while most days find me thinking that I’d like it if Senator Clinton will become President Clinton, I would be thrilled with a President Obama or a President Richards or a President Competent Democrat, too.
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Thanks for the recap. Obama is my first choice for president and it has a lot to do with his unusually reasonable religious views. This quote from his interview with Connelly is refreshing, to say the least:
Interesting. I don’t think that the major Democratic candidates differ much on the issues, none of them are perfect matches for me, but all of them are pretty good.