COME TO OBAMA! "Obama volunteers... share personal conversion stories"

[bidenista]

Not a cult. Nuh-uh. Definitely not:

Obama basic training
Volunteers told to share personal conversion stories with voters - not policy views.
By John Hill

In a storefront on Q Street in Sacramento, Kim Mack told a crowd that spilled out onto the sidewalk how she came to back Barack Obama. With a son serving in the Iraq war, which she opposed, Mack was looking for a like-minded presidential candidate. She was impressed by the Illinois senator's books. But the clincher came on March 17, when she met the Democratic contender face to face. She describes how he lit up the room with his wide smile, shook her hand and thanked her for volunteering.

"He looked at me, and the look in his eyes was worth 1,000 words," said Mack, now a regional field organizer. Obama hugged her and whispered something in her ear – she was so thrilled she doesn't remember what it was.

Then Mack brought home the point of her story for the crowd of 100 or so eager volunteers, sipping coffee and watching a PowerPoint presentation in the Obama campaign office on a recent Saturday.

"Did that make more impact on you than if I had talked about his health care plan or his stance on the environment?" she asked.

On the verge of a hectic few weeks leading to Super Tuesday, the crucial Feb. 5 multistate primary including California's, Mack wanted to drill home one of the campaign's key strategies: telling potential voters personal stories of political conversion. She urged volunteers to hone their own stories of how they came to Obama – something they could compress into 30 seconds on the phone.

"Work on that, refine that, say it in the mirror," she said. "Get it down."...

More: http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/649427.html

This story rates 5 out of 5 on the Little Kool-Aid Dude scale:



----

Edited to add:

Even some Obama supporters are horrified. Over at TPM:

Excuse me, but this sounds more like a cult than a political campaign. The language used here is the language of evangelical Christianity – the Obama volunteers speak of "coming to Obama" in the same way born-again Christians talk about "coming to Jesus."

But he's not Jesus! He's not going to magically enable us to transcend the bitter partisanship that is tearing this country apart. And even if he is elected, in no way will that show that somehow we have "gotten beyond" race.

The Obama campaign's instruction to their volunteers to steer clear of policy questions. How can we truly bring about real political change if the movement the Obama people are building is devoid of ideological content, content merely to mouth gauzy generalities about "coming together" and "yes we can"? Such a movement becomes a cult or personality rather than engine for social justice and political transformation. And personality cults can be a huge turnoff to those who are not already drinking the Kool-Aid.

More: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/05/barack_obama_is_not_jesus/#more

[NYCGirl]

1. Yet the Sacramento Bee endorsed OBAMA! Funny how that works.

http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/646185.html

[bidenista]

4. i can't quite see the relevance. this is a news report, not an opinion piece

And the news freaks me out. I used to joke about the cultic aspects of Obama-support. But this really does make it sound like a creepy religious movement.

[NashVegas]

18. Perhaps It's Similar to Wall St. Journal Reporting vs WSJ Editorial Page?

..

[Tellurian]

60. Theres Moonie relevance to the OP's piece..

it all fits.. No one knows beyond nuanced statements "WHY" they support Obama..

You're OP is dead on!

[goodgd_yall]

17. It either shows how objective the Bee is

or it shows how messed up some Obama supporters are in thinking what's described in the article is perfectly fine.

[Lucinda]

103. And who owns the paper?

[goodgd_yall]

117. Not Newscorp

McClatchy---good solid democrats.

[NoodleBoy]

2. Wow, I AM a member of a cult for liking a presidential candidate-- thanks guy who's never met me!!

I never knew, I'm so glad you took the time out of your busy day to analyze my life and the things I do, because how else would you be able to tell that I'm just a cult member?

Now I'm just going to vote for Edwards-- just because he says he's not running for President doesn't mean he isn't!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

30. Hi NoodleBoy!

Fellow brainwashee from Phx. here. :hi:

Has your Obamatology minder volunteer coordinator let you out of the compound on a day pass?

[NoodleBoy]

35. he gave me a bottle of pills, said to take one every half hour,

and if I ran out before getting back to the compound, he said to kill myself.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

45. Shhh....Don't tell anyone but I've been cutting mine in half.

;)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. This is a remarkable article... should be read by all

[incapsulated]

5. It's fucking scary

This whole thing and I'm not joking.

[journalist3072]

7. It is scary....Reminds me of some Jim Jones/cyonide type mess. eom

[katty]

42. Reminds?! it has pretty much turned into that - he's an idol

not a candidate.

[journalist3072]

54. Exactly right!!!! Really scary stuff.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

19. Go hide under your bed until 2016 then. nt

[incapsulated]

33. I may well do just that if this cultish madness continues. n/t

[mrreowwr_kittty]

67. Bring your blanky. nt

[NoodleBoy]

27. yeah, I'm so scared of people being "inspired" by someone else's candidate too.

That's just not cool.

[incapsulated]

31. I understand inspiration.... this is different

This is indoctrination, this is bullshit.

[NoodleBoy]

38. yeah, you're right, I forgot the Obama campaign forced me to read an 1800 page manifesto

before allowing me to vote. Totally indoctrination!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

43. No, it's called a campaign.

One that happens to be doing a better job gaining energetic supporters than Her Inevitableness.

By the way, how's this for creepy? It's part of a response to a HuffPo article by a Hillary Clinton supporter (emphasis mine):

...Hillary represents the wing of the Democratic party that is grounded in American Pragmatism. She is where voters always are in the general election. We ought to support her.

Excuse me? I thought this was a primary.

Know what? I'll take a cult over a bunch of entitled, arrogant, patronizing assholes any day.

[incapsulated]

50. I have never, ever been told to share "conversion stories and avoid issues"

EVER.

And I would walk out of any campaign office that told me to sell a candidate like Jesus.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

66. You have never worked on a campaign then.

Yes, I said that. You are either full of shit or you've worked for fringers like Kucinich.

Every, and I mean EVERY, viable campaign uses similar tactics. It's not like you're acting like your candidate is Jesus, but that you want to play up their positive attributes. And you don't want your volunteers, who are representing the candidate, out there pontificating about things they may have no clue about. That's why they are instructed to refer voters with questions to the candidate's website or staff.

[incapsulated]

72. BULLSHIT

I've been given talking points and papers and fucking ISSUES that relate to the caller.

I have *never* been told to "look in the mirror" and work on a "come to jesus" story and YOU are full of shit to act like this is the norm.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

86. Neither have I.

No one told me to do any of those things. There was nothing about the activities we did for Barack in NV or AZ that was any different from any I've done on any campaign, ever. Phonebanking with a scripted talking points, canvassing and handing out lit, going to rallies. The usual boring stuff. No seances, no group confessions, no come-to-Jesus of any kind. Yes, I was encouraged to talk about why I supported Obama. As I've been for every other campaign I've ever worked on.

The article smells like bullshit. In any campaign, you can cherrypick a few examples of overzealous supporters and suggest that they represent the norm.

[goodgd_yall]

53. Really?

You think that's creepy?


:think:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

73. "We should support her" is creepy

"That's why I support her" would be far more appropriate. But this sense that you must support Clinton has been very obvious and pervasive since the beginning and it bugs me. It drove me away from her, to be honest.

Also, do not find some of the responses to endorsements, like the one from the NY NOW President, to be a little creepy?

[bidenista]

91. yeah, asking people to support your candidate is creepy...

...but rehearsing stories of how your candidate converted you by whispering in your ear and sparkling his eyes is COMPLETELY NORMAL.

:silly:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

109. In the good old fucked up corporatocracy known as the USA, it is.

Obama's campaign is selling a product. Him.

Clinton's campaign is selling a product. Her.


Both campaigns are using psychological marketing principles to sell their products. Just as if they were selling shaving cream or soap, they appeal to the emotions of consumers.

If you don't know that's what elections are about now, then I don't know what to tell you.

[goodgd_yall]

98. An overzealous and adamant supporter

doesn't seem creepy to me---more like annoying. When I think of people foregoing their thinking abilities and allowing their emotions and unfulfilled needs to sway them toward a cnndidate, I'm creeped out. I'm not at all suggesting that the average Obama supporter is like that, but there are enough there to take notice.

[Straight Shooter]

108. "I'll take a cult over a bunch of entitled, arrogant, patronizing a**holes any day."

You don't "take the cult."

It. takes. you.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

110. Still better than the entitled, arrogant, patronizing assholes.

At least in the cult we get to chant!

[Straight Shooter]

142. No, you don't "get to chant"

You are told to chant, you feel compelled to chant.

Like being in a great big church, isn't it?

[katty]

48. It sure is indoctrination

[goodgd_yall]

34. The article describes something beyond "inspired"

I hope you recognize that, or are you so attached to your candidate you can't even critique some of his supporters?

[NoodleBoy]

40. are you criticizing Obama?

I'll have you know that he's the only Democrat in the race, and all of the other ones are just Republicans.

Wait, sorry, I was just channeling some Edwards and Kucinich supporters. I'm too busy being inspired to action to notice when that happens.

[jackson_dem]

152. Yup. This isn't about Democratic ideals but about St. Obama

[journalist3072]

6. They can't share policy views. They don't know what his policy views are. I am more and more

convinced that Obama's supporters have no idea why they support him, beyond the "audacity of hope."

That woman with the son serving in Iraq, should have aksed Obama why in 2004, he said he didn't know how he would have voted (re: the war) if he had been in the Senate at the time, and that there was no difference between his view on the war and Bush's.

These people are clueless.

[katty]

55. If you can't share his policy views-WHAT do you have?!

Nothing.

[journalist3072]

64. Thank you!!!!! One of the reasons that I proudly support Sen. Clinton

is because she is not afraid to do nuance. She gives you the specifics.

- I know that she wants to open up the Congressional health care plan to all Americans, because of all the different options. What the campaign always says is that the type of health care someone needs at 60, is not the same health care that a single 30 year old woman would need, for example. So she wants to open up the Congressional health care plan for people who want it, so that they have all the options available under that plan.

- She has mentioned her desire to start withdrawing troops from Iraq, within the first six months of her presidency, and says she believes that she can do a brigade a month.

- Regarding stem cell research, she says she will ask Congress to send her the stem cell legislation they passed, but Bush vetoed. And she has talked about ending Bush's war on science, and having an Administration that once again let's the science and the facts guide them.

- Another point she constantly drives home, is the need to appoint once again appoint QUALIFIED people to the positions we ask them to hold in our government. In other words, no more "Heck of a Job, Brownie."

The point being that I know where my candidate stands on the issues...

[chascarrillo]

8. Keep hate alive!

[NMMNG]

11. Are you a robot?

Can you divert from your program?

BTW, disagreeing with Obama does not equal hate.

[chascarrillo]

21. Calling Obama supporters a "cult" does equal hate.

BTW, if you spread hate, I'm gonna call you out.

[blues90]

56. how in the hell does the word cult = hate

They are not even close to the same thing , cult = caution not hate . Like a stop sign , stop and look before going ahead or slippery when wet , slow down and procede with caution .

[NMMNG]

63. You respond to every single person who disagrees with Obama the same

"Keep the hate alive"

Not everybody likes Obama or agrees with him. It's not out of hate, racism or whatever excuse people here like to imagine it is. You just need to accept that fact.

[chascarrillo]

132. Nope. I save it for the hateful posts.

Like the ones saying that the Obama campaign is a cult. That's hate. I find really remarkable the number of sheer hate-filled posts written by some Clinton supporters, and I think it speaks to something diametrically opposed to the hope represented by the Obama campaign. All that anger and vitriol eats you up inside. I've been there. I don't want to be a part of that kind of politics any longer.

Others, though, want payback at any cost, including burning the village in order to save it. Those are the people that I say "Keep hate alive!" to. They are running on fumes of hate and bile, and it shows.

[NMMNG]

135. You're boring me

That's a worse offense than irritating me. Bye now.

[chascarrillo]

144. Aww.

Now, keep that hate alive, why dontcha? Let me know how that works for you.

[Bluebear]

9. 'The Obama campaign's instruction to their volunteers to steer clear of policy questions.'

Oh my.

[rodeodance]

137. Like their Leader.

[OzarkDem]

10. Very GOP, very creepy

His campaign is very good at propaganda, something most people consider dangerous in a presidential candidate.

[NoodleBoy]

32. Yeah, I'm just glad John Edwards didn't try to inspire people with talk about ending poverty

That would just be ridiculous-- just like continuing to believe someone's running for President after they say they're no longer running for President.

[goodgd_yall]

12. I'm glad you included some remarks by a sane Obama supporter

I know they are there. These groupies though---uck---they aren't doing their candidate any good.

[LittleClarkie]

13. Kerry krishna .... Kerry krishna...

Krishna ... Krishna ... Kerry ... Kerry

Go Obama... Go Obama...

Bama... bama. Winner... Winner...

(shakes tambourine and dances out)

[NMMNG]

14. "Conversion stories"?

Aye caramba. I don't want to be converted. I like myself the way that I am.

[NashVegas]

23. Oh Come On ... Don't You Want to Testify?

I'll sit quietly and listen ...

[Bluebear]

24. BAM!

[goodgd_yall]

44. Lol! Now you've done it.

I'll have to get my deprogramming squad to come to the rescue.

[Bluebear]

47. Ha, ha! Too late!

"You shook his hand didn't you?" Happily the guy said "Yes." I then said, "give me some of that" and the guy shook my hand with the same hand he had just clasped with Barack's. A woman friend of mine who was standing next to me saw me shake hands with the guy. I turned to her and said "He just shook hands with Barack," to which she responded..."Hey, give it up." We then shook hands. She then turned to the person next to her and shook hands. This chain of hand shakes went on for about five or six more persons....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4057783

[MichiganVote]

15. "He looked at me..." Are you kiddin' me? These people are professional politicians!!

[Igel]

16. Oh, goodie. Witnessing. n/t

[jlake]

20. Scary. As. Shit.

[Straight Shooter]

22. This is what happens when the force of a candidate's personality is central to the campaign.

I knew there would be a tipping point when the admiring crowds are perceived as adoring throngs. That tipping point is coming.

I do not refer to Obama as Lord Barack for no reason, and I don't do it lightly. I believe that any man who encourages others to view him as being something beyond an ordinary mortal deserves to be mocked.

[NoodleBoy]

25. It's so nice that now instead of calling it, "inspired by Obama,"

we can all just say we're in a cult.

Can Obama supporters say the same thing about Edwards and Clinton supporters now too? I'm sure a few of them have been inspired by their candidates' policies, rhetoric, or actions, it's only fair.

[okasha]

26. Makes me want to break out into an altar call hymn.

Just as I am, without one plea,
But for Thy hope's audacity,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O BAM of God, I come, I come.

[Straight Shooter]

37. We've got a DUZY!

"BAM of God." :spray:

You edited. I edited. Are we under some influence we cannot control? :)

[Cameron27]

58. O Bam of God!

That would be funny if the story in the OP didn't reflect exactly that kind of conditioning inspiration. Yikes.

[NMMNG]

68. Beautiful

I'm swooning. :rofl:

[Bluebear]

89. "O BAM of God"

:spray:

[ProgressIn2008]

100. Ahhhh, that's brilliant!! Hee!

[BlackVelvet04]

128. Oh,you didn't........

yes, you did. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Barack_America]

28. So for you, some = all?

That some people view Obama's candidacy this way means that ALL of his supporters do?

There is no possibility that many of his supporters have read his positions objectively and have come to the conclusion that they they simply agree with his policies?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. The word "cult" has been thrown around a lot lately.

But a cult is different than just a bunch of people who really like a person.

A cult is a bunch of people who really like a person, despite that person.

For example, if you ask a cultist how they can really like that person despite how that person's been hording automatic weapons and raping 11 year old girls, then the cultist will simply ignore you, or get mad at you, or dodge the question.

That's what cults are like.

So, Bidenista, what are your thoughts on Clinton's vote for the IWR?

[bidenista]

120. i think it was a mistake

I protested against the war.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

124. Must be a pretty minor one to you.

Can't imagine how one could protest the war and support her now. Cannot imagine it.

[bidenista]

125. i accept her explanation

Anyway, if you want to discuss this with me, either PM or take it to another thread. Not relevant here.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

129. It's the most relevant thing going on in the world right now.

And you accept her explanation.

Wow. Just. Wow.

Peace out.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

150. What was the explanation?

That she was so stupid she believed George Bush?

[Stand and Fight]

36. Conversion? Dude, what the fuck?

:puke:

[katty]

39. is this the tom scientology cruise?! pass the Kool-Aid

[rug]

41. It was when he cured my blindness.

[Stand and Fight]

76. Oh boy....

:rofl:

[blues90]

46. This is the main problem I have with Obama

And no offense I do know there are sane people who like Obama's position .

The trouble is when there are chant like phrases such as yes we can then it does come off as cult like . And some people will take this the extreme just like with anything else .

I would apply this same thinking no matter who it was , if it were any politician I would be suspect of the intent .

There are other ways to promote hope or change .

The Lennon thing " all we are saying is give peace a chance " was not from a politican running for president .

Rove had a long list of sound bites that worked , i question that sort of thing .

[bidenista]

49. the point is, the CAMPAIGN is telling volunteers to "testify" instead of talking about policies

If this is the "new politics", count me out.

[katty]

61. or a 'witness' - lordy this just reeks of cult crap

[mrreowwr_kittty]

62. Good god, they're fucking VOLUNTEERS not policy wonks

I bet you I couldn't get a typical Clinton volunteer (who are actually rather hard to find - the campaign has resorted to using paid canvassers) to articulate a single policy of hers. But I bet I would get some blather about electing the first woman and how great things were when Bill was president. Talk about cult worship!

Candidate supporters get a little zealous, it goes with the territory. And let's face it, Obama supporters got nuthin' on Ron Paul ones.

[bidenista]

65. run that by me again

So now the defense is that Obama's supporters aren't quite as kooky as Ron Paul's?

Wow. That's a winner.

[Name removed]

71. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bidenista]

77. lol

Are you going to declare a "crusade" against me next?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

114. Yes. I'm amassing the troops right now. nt

[Stand and Fight]

88. Whoa...

Don't you think you're kind of overreacting, tiger?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

92. **takes a deep breath**

Yeah, probably.

I'll just try to remember that these "cult" attacks are coming from people who are feeling threatened right now.

[goodgd_yall]

105. There you go,

If the shoe doesn't fit, don't sweat it.

[blues90]

115. I understand that . I would want to be counted out too . I just

don't like any slogans done in political campaigns . I just rather have them state their positions in a speech . I had enough with W is for women .

[FrenchieCat]

51. This thread is making me laugh!

This is what they said about Dr. Dean's campaign...

Problem was this was said way earlier.

Y'all are too fucking late.

I better hurry up and tell my Harvard attending daughter and her New Harvard graduated husband currently working at the Tuft University Nutrition department while earning his PHD that they have joined a cult! :sarcasm:


Far as I'm concerned, Hillary's cult is called "we love Bill so much, we'll do anything to have him back in the White House with nothing to do!" cult.

[Straight Shooter]

70. You can laugh with your degree-name-dropping family. Mainstream America won't laugh.

FWIW, it definitely hurt Howard Dean's campaign when people began to be referred to as Deaniacs. It made me cringe.

You are seeing the edge of the mudslide that's heading your way.

[FrenchieCat]

74. Booga-Booga!

Just letting you know that this is nothing but propaganda being spread trying to scare people away from the Obama campaign.

Ain't nobody stupid, now!

[Bluebear]

80. 'Ain't nobody stupid, now!' - and your daughter attends Harvard?

She must have had excellent school education.

[FrenchieCat]

96. That simply means one is diverse........

and not stuck into some kind of preconceived mindset.

Do you have a problem with that?

It's called keeping it real.

You should try it.

[Bluebear]

99. "It's called keeping it real. You should try it" WTF is THAT supposed to mean?

[goodgd_yall]

112. You're not "diverse"

:rofl:

[Bluebear]

113. And I'm not "keeping it real!" And hope and change!

:silly:

[goodgd_yall]

122. Maybe this is what it all means?

http://www.heavy.com/video/15383

[Straight Shooter]

95. I see.

Well, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, odds are ... it's a duck.

[alteredstate]

52. The author came up with the term "conversion story" ---

The Obama campaign does not urge supporters to share "conversion" stories.

[incapsulated]

59. Then what do you call it?

"She urged volunteers to hone their own stories of how they came to Obama – something they could compress into 30 seconds on the phone."


Uh, that is conversion.

[alteredstate]

78. I attended a house party several months ago,

and told the guests why I support Senator Obama. No one asked me to describe my "conversion".

At several "Women for Obama' events I've attended recently, the members of our group have discussed our individual reasons for choosing Senator Obama over the other Democratic candidates. There were no "conversion stories" --- just the typical stuff you'd hear at a party for a political candidate.

[Stand and Fight]

90. Precisely.

Key words: "...how they came to Obama..."

Scary.

[More Than A Feeling]

57. This increases the number of potential

high involvement volunteers. It's harder to ask people to memorize and repeat the contents of white papers than it is to ask them to tell a story about a moment that already has emotional power in their minds. The less is expected of volunteers, the more he can have, and the more confident they will be. The quasi-religious terms are creepy, though.

[ProSense]

69. Now this is some

scary stuff

[bidenista]

79. do you ever post anything OTHER than links to your failed threads? nt

[ProSense]

81. Your phony hissy fit has been exposed! n/t

[bidenista]

84. congratulations - a post without a vanity link

I give you credit for that.

[Bluebear]

83. Yes, she kicks them incessantly too

[ProSense]

85. Just to give you another reason to whine! n/t

[Bluebear]

87. "Whine" is one of the most right-wing juvenile taunts out there, Dr. Laura

[ProSense]

94. You're pretending to be mature while supporting an OP based on this

[Bluebear]

97. Wow, you actually talk and not just post little blue links lol

[ProSense]

101. links, links, links

Do you ever get tired of whining about silly things.

Links are not the problem, denial is!





edited typo.

[Bluebear]

102. No I never "get tire". Ciao.

[alteredstate]

116. Wow! "MyTalking Points"

Looks like "conversion story" talking points to me!


"My Talking Points

Hillary is the most qualified candidate to be President of the United States. She’s ready to step in now and take charge; to change the direction here at home and restore American leadership around the world.

Hillary Clinton is ready to be President on day one in the Oval Office. She has the experience, strength and wisdom it will take to achieve healthcare for all, end the war in Iraq, and grow our economy.

Hillary has met with over 82 world leaders, and spent over 30 years working on policies to help families, women and children. Hillary knows we are stronger and more secure when we have allies, not foes. She will effectively restore America’s respect in the world and get our allies to work with us.

Hillary cares is ready to lead on all the issues we as young people care about. She has a progressive agenda that includes a plan to make healthcare universal, increasing the minimum wage, protecting a woman’s right to choose, addressing global warming, achieving energy independence and promoting environmental justice. She recently released a plan to
make college affordable for all Americans, and has a comprehensive plan for ending the war in Iraq.

Being President is always a tough job. It has gotten even tougher because of the mistakes in judgment and failed policies of the last seven years. We don’t have any time to waste.

Hillary is battle-tested and ready to take command now: she knows how the Congress works; she knows how the White House works; and she already has the respect of leaders around the world.

I support Hillary because_________. (Tell YOUR story about your experience with Hillary and why you support her. Have you seen her speak about the issues important to you and your family? Did she gain your support when you learned of her work to expand health insurance to cover all children? Or when you saw her demand that the Department of Defense provide the body armor our soldiers need? Are you particularly concerned about the need for more research on Alzheimer’s or autism or another disease, and know of Hillary’s
leadership?)

Hillary Clinton is smart, effective, respected, and ready – she’s the leader we need!"

[Straight Shooter]

75. "From the many, we are one. - Barack Obama"

That's the sig line of a Barack follower. Does he actually talk like that to "inspire" people?

:wtf:

[NoBorders]

82. No one looked deep into my eyes to make me support Obama

But, I'm sure I'm part of a cult and don't know it.

I guess you can find evidence of anything you want if you look hard enough.

But now you're taking this one story to condemn millions of people as cultists.

Get a grip.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

104. Exactly. And I didn't find any examples in the article that particularly disturbed me

The way they are training the volunteers is the usual political consultant messaging stuff. Every campaign tries to control its message and its volunteers. But the writer created this ominous context around it, in the case of Obama's campaign. I'm guessing he's never been involved in a campaign and wasn't aware of how much of it is just marketing and selling.

And yeah, some supporters get really passionate. Like the woman I know who supports Hillary and believes she is the most qualified person ever to run for President. Ever. :wow: Do I think she's part of a cult? No.

[NoBorders]

107. This is just something

that confirms, in their minds, what they wanted to believe anyway--that is, that obama's campaign is a cult.

[cottonseed]

93. Cults are associated with small groups - not a majority of Americans.

nt

[Straight Shooter]

106. "Madness is rare in individuals--but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule."

Friedrich Nietzsche

I think Nietzsche was a more astute observer of human behavior than any of us. Belonging to a cult is a form of madness, but it is the degree of that madness and how it expresses itself that makes the difference as to when or whether people become alarmed.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

111. Hey bidenista, why don't you answer post # 29?

I'd like to see that.

[bidenista]

121. done

I missed it first time.

[BlackVelvet04]

118. Obama supporters are the left wing

equivalent of George Bush supporters.

[bidenista]

119. a skeptical cartoonist's take on the obama altar-call phenomenon

[meow mix]

123. a robot grabbed me and injected nanites into my head!

so now im a obamatron!!!!

[rodeodance]

126. gawd--this takes me aback--and not much does nowadays!!

[bidenista]

127. "I'M ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE"

Just looking at some of the Obama campaign material, the evangelistic language is actually pretty blatant. Note the white text for emphasis:

[Straight Shooter]

130. This one sounds like his followers are in Battlestar Galactica, fighting against all odds.

It's from one of his sermons, or speeches, or maybe a speech in a church.

[rodeodance]

131. at least that was fantacy--oh my gawd--as i typed that word---i thought of the Vision, Camelot, ect

[bidenista]

133. it justs gets weirder and weirder! nt

[rodeodance]

136. yeah---but fish swimming in water do not realize they are surrouded by water.

[okasha]

139. Check out the halo effect.

"Behold the BAM of God!" (attr. St. John the Bupkist)

[in_cog_ni_to]

134. They've been instructed to steer clear of POLICY questions??? Wouldn't want anyone to know

how he stands on anything, now would we.:eyes:

[CyberPieHole]

138. What a great article...thanks for sharing it with us. The Cult of Obama is creepy...

"Values are not just concepts, they're feelings," Ganz said. "That's what dropped out of Democratic politics sometime in the '70s or '80s." (quote from the article). I guess no Democrat had any "values" before Obama. The arrogance is unmitigated.

:kick: and rec

[Marie26]

140. Haven't you caught the BAM yet?

I'm not even trying to be fair anymore - this is so, so creepy. I hate that people are acting like this is a new religion & I hate how Obama seems to be encouraging this kind of... worship. It's not democratic. And it is vaguely fascist. If you look at any cult, they exploit people's desperation & need for hope and transcendence in their lives. They offer pretty slogans & vague promises of enlightenment while never revealing the real agenda. And I do think that this is what Obama is doing. We're a desperate people right now, especially Democrats, searching for some hope & light after the Bush years. And Obama knows the right words to say, & the right notes to hit, in order to engage people's emotions & echo the most transcendent movements in American history. But he's not who people think he is & IMO he's cleverly used these powerful themes & archetypes in order to get progressive support for a non-progressive agenda. Which is why he admires Reagan for doing the same. Flame away.

[MoonRiver]

141. But can he cast out demons?

Praise Jazus!

[Straight Shooter]

143. This needs a kick, so people coming into the forum can see what the fuss is about. n/t

[ProSense]

145. Here is some

really scary stuff

[LadyVT]

146. kick

[ProSense]

148. Meme: Hillary is being defeated

by a "cult".

[Kitty Herder]

147. Wanna hear my conversion story?

(Not a volunteer, but I did vote for him.)

It's pretty dramatic. I'm not sure you can take it. Here goes.

My first choice was Kucinich. He dropped out. My second choice was Edwards. He dropped out. My third choice was Richardson. He dropped out. Obama came in at a great big #4. I like him as a person, but his positions just don't dazzle me.

That's my story. I suppose that makes me a raving Obama maniac?

[Tatiana]

149. #7 n/t

[Tatiana]

151. Great. n/t

[NashVegas]

153. k & r

Maybe some people will get a clue.