Yes We Can


This is a homemade pin I made the other day. I’ve been wearing it around town. Some people know it’s for Barack Obama. They grin and give me the thumbs-up. Most people have no idea (they will soon—it’s becoming the de facto slogan of the campaign), and a lot of them ask me about it. What follows is usually either interested curiosity (even in this very Republican town) or an anguished commentary about how hard it is to choose between Obama and Clinton. It gives me a chance to make Barack’s case.

Two Obama-related videos have gone around the world a few million times already, but I think even if you’ve seen them they’re worth another watch. The first is Obama’s speech in New Hampsire after he lost the primary there. (Those with long memories will remember that Gene McCarthy lost in New Hampshire in ’68, but his strength knocked the winner, incumbent Lyndon Johnson, out of the race). This speech is the kind of inspiring rhetoric that we’ve all learned to be skeptical of. But see if it doesn’t win you over, or at least get you a little excited, despite yourself. I have friends it brought to tears.

The second, a mix based on that speech, was apparently made without involvement from the campaign. Pretty cool. And it conveys what somebody talking to me yesterday called “the yearn,” a usage I think I’ll hang onto.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.