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#2: The Obama Brand

#3: Obama Reaches Out To The United States of The Internet
Our current ability to communicate is unparalleled by the past. In a quotation from Censored; "In the past only a wealthy few had the resources to spread messages by publishing books, magazines, and newspapers, or by broadcasting radio and television shows, or by creating and distributing films," (Censored 410). Today, however, the public is in near constant connection to each other through digital phones and computers. We have created and area of communication that is our own, where we have been able to have a revolution of ideology comparable to the renaissance.
Obama has taken advantage of this new online community and unification, utilizing its connective and collaborative power. "His presidential campaign was framed in terms of today's Renaissance - we, the group; not me, the individual...[his] message was decentralized and participatory, versus the top-down, comand-and-control style of his older adversaries," (Censored 411). Obama was all about 'us', and not about him. It was only Obama, with his unique message, who was able to connect with so many people and create this concept of everyone working together.
#4: Show Me The Money

#5: The Race Card

#6: Nobel Peace Prize???
Obama received the Noble Peace Prize in 2009, only twelve days after becoming president of the United States. The committee said it honored Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." (CNN). It is interesting because since his becoming president, he has essentially started two wars in Libya and Afghanistan. Even Obama was said that he was surprised by the decision. He considers it a "call to action". I hope that there is a possibility that he actually will spring to action in regards to ending the military campaign (or is that not what peace means?) but as are as the way things are going, it seems doubtful.
#7: Possibility of Internet Kill-switch

#8: Education
Obama claimed during his campaigning that improving eduction was one of his top goals after becoming president. Now that he is president we see that he is not really doing anything that is going to help anyone that wasn't already able to get a good education. Charter schools arrange students by race, class, and language. "Charter schools are often marketed as incubators of educational innovation, and they form a key feature of the Obama administration's school reform agenda. But in some urban communities, they may be fueling 'de facto' school segregation and undermining public education," (Censored 102). Many charter schools consist of almost entirely minority students, and while they claim to be able to bring new innovation to these students, they still run against the limits of selectivity and exclusion. How can it be fair if we are being educated by race and class? Universal education means that we all get the same opportunity to learn, not put all the black kids in a room and buy some expensive computers.
#9: Misconceptions
Many people may get the idea that Obama is deliberately trying to deceive us. I love what Jamie had to say on the matter (#4: Blank Slate). I do not think this is the case at all. I believe that he really did have some moral obligation to try to enact some of the progressive promises that he made during campaigning. What he forget is that once you become president, after accepting so much money to get there, you also have an obligation to appeal to your contributors. If Obama did try hard to implement a process towrads universal healthcare, this would be a HUGE problem for large investors in pharmacudical comanies, etc. I think that when there is such huge amounts of money invloved and there is so much pressure to confrom it gets to do the right thing. I honestly think that if Obama did something like promote universal health care as president that there is a good chance that there would be assassination attempt. I'm sure at some point he must think is this worth my life? My career? And so the crazy train keeps on chugging.
#10 Real Life
My neighbor walks in while I am completing this assignment:
Him: "Yo man what are you doing?"
Me: "Doing my last bit of work for the semester, blogging about Obama."
Him: "Nice dude! I love Obama, he's the man."
Me: "Haha really? Why's that?"
Him: "I dunno actually, I never pay attention to politics and stuff."
Me: "Exactly, my friend. That's exactly what I am writing about... (continues to explain)"
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteVery good blogging on BRAND OBAMA here!
And I LOVE your last observation - BINGO! - "we love that which we do not even understand," indeed. Postman could not have said it any better.
Thank for a fine semester - enjoy your summer, and I hope to see you next year.
Dr. W