I meant to write this last night, but there was something genuinely extraordinary about standing amidst 90,000 other people at Invesco Field, all of whom had taken hours from their day, many of whom had traveled quite far, to hear a presidential candidate explain his governing philosophy and proposed agenda. It really is amazing that Obama's speech beat out the finale of American finale and the Oscars for viewership. It's not actually a good thing that the civic sphere is the province of a handful of obsessives and tribal loyalists. It actually would be a good thing if people reengaged with politics, if 90,000 Americans routinely turned out for political speeches and 40 million regularly tuned in for major addresses. It may be politically wise for John McCain to paint this as some sort of creepy omen, but this is just Tom Sawyerism: He, like any other politician, wishes he could turn out 90,000 to hear his speeches and open a door for a substantial number of Americans to reengage with American politics. The fundamental reality of celebrity is that people are interested in what you do. For Paris Hilton, that means being Paris Hilton. For George Clooney, that means acting. For Kobe Bryant, that means basketball. And for Barack Obama, that means politics. Barack Obama is able to make people interested in politics. There's not a politician in the country who doesn't wish they could say the same. That the McCain campaign has decided to take a strong stance against civic engagement is sort of a pity, but it's an act of envy, not of genuine opposition. IN PRAISE OF CELEBRITY.
I meant to write this last night, but there was something genuinely extraordinary about standing amidst 90,000 other people at Invesco Field, all of whom had taken hours from their day, many of whom had traveled quite far, to hear a presidential candidate explain his governing philosophy and proposed agenda. It really is amazing that Obama's speech beat out the finale of American finale and the Oscars for viewership. It's not actually a good thing that the civic sphere is the province of a handful of obsessives and tribal loyalists. It actually would be a good thing if people reengaged with politics, if 90,000 Americans routinely turned out for political speeches and 40 million regularly tuned in for major addresses. It may be politically wise for John McCain to paint this as some sort of creepy omen, but this is just Tom Sawyerism: He, like any other politician, wishes he could turn out 90,000 to hear his speeches and open a door for a substantial number of Americans to reengage with American politics. The fundamental reality of celebrity is that people are interested in what you do. For Paris Hilton, that means being Paris Hilton. For George Clooney, that means acting. For Kobe Bryant, that means basketball. And for Barack Obama, that means politics. Barack Obama is able to make people interested in politics. There's not a politician in the country who doesn't wish they could say the same. That the McCain campaign has decided to take a strong stance against civic engagement is sort of a pity, but it's an act of envy, not of genuine opposition. 
