The True Secret of Obama's Success

Before I get to today's post, I'd like to recognize John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin, the half-term governor of Alaska, as his VP candidate. First off, I'd like to tell McCain, "Screw you!" Not because I see this as pandering to female voters he thinks he can steal away from the democrats because of their anger at Clinton's loss. It totally is pandering, but then I really think the PUMAs have been made to seem like a bigger group than they really are because they're so tempting for media pundits. Of course, McCain doesn't have to worry about getting a running mate with name recognition or lots of experience. He's got both of those covered, so his choice wasn't really that big of a deal. His biggest two weaknesses are his age (he's more likely to die during his first term than most) and his connection to Bush policy the past few years. No Republican running mate is really going to help him with the latter, but he maybe could have gone with a more electable VP to shore up concerns about who would follow him if he's leveled by a massive stroke or heart attack during a meeting in the Oval Office, or if his wife stabs him after he calls her a cunt again. No, my problem is that McCain just went and made it so I have to vote against an Alaskan. That dirty little bastard!

Now on with my weekend Obamathon.

A few years ago I borrowed the entire first season of 24 from a friend of mine (probably Hank) and watched the entire season within the space of a couple of weeks. I'd often come home after work around midnight and start a little mini-marathon of 24 until I was too tired to focus on Jack Bauer's serious and determined face. The show was intense and I enjoyed it so much that I refused to even watch a single episode of the following seasons. I didn't want to be burned. I wanted the experience of that first season to remain unsullied by the inevitable letdown of later seasons trying to match the success of the first. I've heard from reliable sources that the succeeding seasons weren't so bad, but I still refuse. They'll jump the shark eventually and I don't want to be there when it happens.

That being said, Bauer wasn't my favorite character of the show. David Palmer, the black senator running for president, played by Dennis Haysbert, just exuded this sense of confidence and trustworthiness that made you want the guy to run for president in real life even though he was just an actor playing a character. This is apparently something Allstate realized when they snapped the guy up for their insurance ads.

The interesting part of this is that the show came out just a few years prior to Barack Obama's rise into the political mainstream in 2004. This was an incredibly popular show and there was this guy on it who was a very likable and respectable character becoming the first black president of the US. My theory, and I'm sure it's scientifically fit, is that David Palmer is a large reason why Obama even has a chance this year. When people vote for Obama, they're really voting for David Palmer's character despite the fact the two look very little alike except that they both share African heritage. The voters may not realize this, but it's down in their subconscious encouraging them to vote for the half Kenyan from Hawaii.

I think Obama should give Haysbert at least the Secretary of Transportation gig for his clearing the path. I mean, Bush gave the FEMA head spot to a guy who ran horse shows for a living. At least Haysbert could act like he knew what he was doing.