Crossposted at DailyKOS and MyBO
With no power beyond his use of words, the person who will next month become the Democratic nominee for the office of President has caused more action at home and abroad than those who hold the reigns of power in their hands.
Frank Rich makes this point in his article "How Obama Became Acting President":
IT almost seems like a gag worthy of "Borat": A smooth-talking rookie senator with an exotic name passes himself off as the incumbent American president to credulous foreigners. But to dismiss Barack Obama's magical mystery tour through old Europe and two war zones as a media-made fairy tale would be to underestimate the ingenious politics of the moment. History was on the march well before Mr. Obama boarded his plane, and his trip was perfectly timed to reap the whirlwind.He never would have been treated as a president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all he offered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew them instead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shaping events and the power to move markets, including TV ratings. (Even "Access Hollywood" mustered a 20 percent audience jump by hosting the Obama family.) Power begets more power, absolutely.
Senator Obama has, through the only tool at his disposal - his words - wrought changes around the world and within our country. Whether it is the global improvement in the view of America by those outside our borders or the actions of those of us here, the words of Senator Obama have become active forces driving change ahead of him.
At the first Volunteer Organizing Meeting here in Sarasota yesterday the hoped-for turnout of 70 was instead closer to 130. Sarasota is not a big town, and that would have been impressive by itself if it were the only one in town, instead of one of the two such meetings yesterday.
One of 200 such meetings in Florida, yesterday.
On MyBO there are 81 events scheduled within 100 miles of where I sit (44 were held yesterday) with topics ranging from voter registration to platform development, discussions of healthcare, energy and climate-change policy and working to support down-ticket Democrats. Groups from Dead Heads to seniors, ethnic groups and GLBT are meeting in the physical world to put action to the words of Senator Obama.
John McCain's words have inspired one group to schedule 14 identical phonebanking events in the same period, in the same area. And nothing else.
Senator Obama's words have caused the Millenial Generation to awaken to the world around them, and to act on their beliefs.
Obama is a tail-end boomer, but his political appeal is heavily focused on the "millennials" who have begun voting in the last three presidential elections. Millennials are 26 and younger, and the 100 million of them born between 1982 and 2003 constitute the largest and most diverse American generation ever.
During his tenure as President, Barack Obama's words will continue to motivate Millenials to action. When he leaves office in 2017 these 100M Americans will be 14-35 and will hold the future of the nation in their hands, and the words they hear from their President will shape their actions throughout this first century of the second millenium.
Senator Obama's words are already shaping the world, have already become actions. And these actions speak to us all in turn, telling us that we, too, can put our thoughts into the actions of our hands, of our minds, and of our mouths.
Words are the actions that beget all others.
-chris
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