Obama acceptance speech: An eye witness report

Democratic presidential candidate symbolizes something that is beyond policy differences or cultural changes—he is a symbol of change itself
Rabbi Levi Brackman

One does not often get an opportunity to personally witness history unfold. So when I was offered a ticket to watch Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama make his acceptance speech in front of 75,000 people in Denver I immediately took the opportunity and decided to go.

It was an unforgettable experience. People young and old, of all races and backgrounds packed into Invesco Fields Stadium in Denver to watch an African American accept the nomination for president from one of the two major political parties in the United States.

Declaration of Intent

Obama says he'll 'fix broken politics' / Associated Press

US Democratic senator vows to cut taxes for nearly all working-class families, end war in Iraq and break America's dependence on Mideast oil within a decade, as he embarks on final lap of his audacious bid to become nation's first black president

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But while I was watching Obama make his acceptance speech it became clear to me that it was not just the fact that history was being made that attracted this stupendous crowd. It was what Obama represents that attracts people.

The feeling of hope and optimism for the future that permeated the stadium was tangible. Obama symbolizes something that is beyond policy differences or cultural changes—he is a symbol of change itself.

One usually finds an inherent cynicism towards politics and politicians. Few people actually believe that politicians really believe in the things they say. And the old Jewish saying found in Ethics of the Fathers (2:3) that warns, “Be careful with the government, for they befriend a person only for their own needs. They appear to be friends when it is beneficial to them, but they do not stand by a person at the time of his distress” is taken as the rule rather than the exception.

Clearly people are yearning for a different form of government. One that is not based on individual gain but rather one that really cares about doing what is right for the country and its citizens. The change people desire is one in which they can trust their elected officials. Change from the old ways of cronyism and where special interest groups and big business takes precedent over the needs of the average person.

But Obama takes it further than that. Notice how each of Obama’s speeches contains references to how bad off the US is at present. In order to make people feel this need for change he has to explain how the country is dysfunctional and therefore in need of radical change. But Obama promises that in the changed America he will be president of there will be no problems because his radical change policy will have solved them all.

Politics as usual

It is little wonder that all this hope and optimism has been invested in Barack Obama. Because of this he is able to draw crowds of unprecedented sizes—crowds amongst which the feeling of hope is palpable.

But the United States is really not that bad off. Yes it needs better and more trustworthy politicians and things are far from perfect. But the United States is still, despite its flaws, a massively prosperous country and it remains the land of opportunity. Not even George W. Bush has been able to change this. One example of this is the fact that despite us being in the worst global credit crunch in history and experiencing a massive decline of house prices, the US economy grew a robust 3.3% in the second quarter of this year.

The Institutions of democracy in the United States and its free market system are simply to powerful for one President or Congress to destroy or even significantly damage. Enormous change to this great system is simply not necessary. All the United States really needs is a small amount of tinkering with here and there.

Barack Obama’s success lies in his ability to dress up what really only amounts to minor modifications within an already very successful American democratic and market system as massive change. He has told the American people that the situation is dire and huge change is needed in order to make things better. In fact things are not that bad and huge change is unnecessary. Nonetheless, this very clever marketing ploy has attracted the masses. Is this really the change we can believe in? Sounds more like politics as usual to me.

Rabbi Levi Brackman is executive director of Judaism in the Foothills and the author of "Jewish Wisdom for Business Success"