he’s different

In a country of conformists, Barack Obama doesn’t fit into anyone’s preconceived notions. He does, however, fit Marc Ambinder’s notions of the dream candidate:

after the Democratic pollster, Peter Hart, whose focus groups of Pennsylvania voters showed that many just didn’t identify with Obama; they didn’t know what to make of him; their life was not his life; they could not hang their experiences on any of his. Now — race may certainly be a major reason for this lack of projective identification, particularly among older whites. But it is also true that Obama’s life is a 21st century American life; one of different countries, an unusual name, two races, a meteoric rise, a life of the mind (and a talented, incredible gift of a mind) and devoted to the ideals of expression. [e.a.]

Ambinder is clear-headed enough to admit that:

Those facts aren’t enough.

They’re not enough to sway voters in Obama’s direction and indeed make them vulnerable to be swayed away from Obama. Where Ambinders gets lost is in asserting that this makes Obama vulnerable only to all the terrible things people might say about him:

But absent a way for her connect to Obama, it stands to reason that she will be more likely to believe just about anything.

In this version of the scenario, Obama is obviously a superior being—anyone can see that, according to Ambinder: after all, his life is “a life of the mind (and a talented, incredible gift of a mind [--my emphasis])”—and 86-year-old Maria VanderMolen is just ripe to be duped, the poor old dear.

In my version of the scenario, it is Marc Ambinder and the Obama-bots who have bought into a notion that the Obama Messiah is, well, the Obama Messiah.

The Messiah himself gives them plenty of reason to believe in him:

Logan: “Do you have any doubts?”

Obama: “Never.”

What I wanna know is why nobody has named me a Messiah, me with my 20th-century life, and four out of six traits that I share with the Obama Messiah:

different countries? check

an unusual name? check (but you’ll have to trust me on that one; if you don’t trust me, look at my nom de guerre: Hepzeeba; is it unusual enough for you?)

a life of the mind? check (”talented” and “incredible”? you’ll have to ask my clients and colleagues)

devoted to the ideals of expression? check (I’m a blogger, ain’t I?)

Take it from someone who’s “different”: it’s not a plus.