News :: Opinion
Email
Print
Cincinnati Kid Stumps In Cigar City
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 22, 2008
Now we know what it would have looked like if Steve McQueen had ever run for president.
Meet Barack Obama, the Thomas Crown of the hustings, the essence of - cool.
It's been a very long time since we had someone who wasn't a patrician, or a good ol' boy, or a ne'er-do-well Maynard G. Krebs-lite vying for the highest office in the land.
And it's an imagery brought into even more vivid relief when you realize Obama will be running against the irritable John McCain, who makes Sonny Corleone look like Barney.
Ultimately, perhaps that's what makes Obama such an interesting political figure. He's Duke Ellington meets "The Cincinnati Kid."
The Illinois senator worked the crowd of 15,000 assembled at the Forum named for that out-of-town newspaper like Sinatra at the Sands, strolling across the stage pouring out policy positions on Iraq, fuel prices, the economy and foreign policy as if he was crooning "Fly Me To The Moon."
Cue Barry
When Obama alluded to "Katrina incompetence," "Scooter Libby justice" and a McCain approach to foreign policy entirely based on "who we won't talk to," about the only thing missing from the perfectly timed riff was Barry White wailing: "What the world is searching for here, right here my dear, I don't have to look no more."
Wednesday's Obama event was a vastly different experience than his first visit to Tampa about 15 months ago, before he became the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Then, about 3,000 people turned out to attend a fairly loose event with modest security. Wednesday, the Secret Service methodically examined every bag and piece of media equipment in detail.
The heightened presence of humorless people with earpieces and guns is probably what happens when your campaign slogan is "Change We Can Believe In" and there are creepy people out there who begin to believe and fear there will be change.
Sweetie Scandal
As the campaign progresses, there will be time for his detractors to rail about the phony lapel pin thing, the crazy minister thing and the 13-minute "Sweetie" scandal.
On this day, though, here among this crowd of his people, Obama was feeling more love than Madonna left unsupervised with her chorus line.
There was even Julio Colon, who might be best described as a token white flag among the Obama fellow travelers.
"I'm a Clinton supporter," Colon sighed as he sat with 5-year-old daughter Gabriela. "But we have to be realistic about what's going on."
Colon said he had been wary of backing Obama mostly because he is a Chicago native familiar with Windy City politics. "But if we want a Democrat, I'm willing to support him. I came to support my party."
Colon proudly noted how even Gabriela was familiar with the candidates.
Of Barack Obama: "He's a great man and he's nice."
Of Hillary Clinton: "She's really good."
Of John McCain, Daddy's little girl frowned. "He says a lot of things."
This kid has a future in politics.
Keyword: Book of Ruth, to read and comment on Daniel Ruth's blog.
Email
Print
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
