"“Excuse me, but this sounds more like a cult than a political campaign."

[Bluebear]

Well, you may not like what this says, or you may, but at least realize that it is not just DU members or "Hillbots" that are uncomfortable with how some factions of the Obama "movement" are behaving:

======

Obama supporter Kathleen Geier writes that she’s “getting increasingly weirded out by some of Obama’s supporters. On listservs I’m on, some people who should know better – hard-bitten, not-so-young cynics, even – are gushing about Barack…

Describing various encounters with Obama supporters, she writes, “Excuse me, but this sounds more like a cult than a political campaign. The language used here is the language of evangelical Christianity – the Obama volunteers speak of ‘coming to Obama’ in the same way born-again Christians talk about ‘coming to Jesus.’…So I say, we should all get a grip, stop all this unseemly mooning over Barack, see him and the political landscape he is a part of in a cooler, clearer, and more realistic light, and get to work.”


James Wolcott writes chimes in saying:

Perhaps it’s my atheism at work but I found myself increasingly wary of and resistant to the salvational fervor of the Obama campaign, the idealistic zeal divorced from any particular policy or cause and chariot-driven by pure euphoria. I can picture President Hillary in the White House dealing with a recalcitrant Republican faction; I can’t picture President Obama in the same role because his summons to history and call to hope seems to transcend legislative maneuvers and horse-trading; his charisma is on a more ethereal plane, and I don’t look to politics for transcendence and self-certification.

http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2008/02/07/join-the-movement-or-has-the-obamamania-gotten-out-of-hand/

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Barack Obama's org is NOT a cult!!! Stop saying that!!!

--p!

[smalll]

15. LOL "Stop saying that!!!"

Wonder if 'ol Bob is looking at Barack these days; after all, his old Savior and Lord (Dubya) won't be around much anymore!

[jasmine621]

2. It's going to be hard to campaign against a "movement."

And even harder to campaign against a "cult."

[Whisp]

9. I'm more interested in the Cult of War.

the big shits that profit by it and eat off of trianglular plates while the little people suffer as garnsh with blood and bone.

[Elspeth]

3. kick

:kick:

[kurth]

4. Save your money:

Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! by Anthony Robbins.

Same shit. $10.88 on Amazon.

[billbuckhead]

6. Obama does remind me of Anthony Robbins!

[ProgressIn2008]

12. Ahh, Joel Osteen to me, but Tony Robbins is fair.

[billbuckhead]

20. Actually, I agree that Obama is very much like an Osteen with darker edge

after Obama loses, we should all chip in and build him a "Sixflags over Jesus"

[AX10]

7. ROFL

:rofl:

[billbuckhead]

5. As a secularist I've been repulsed about this aspect of the "Obama movement"

[Danger Mouse]

8. You cannot oppose us.

You will accept Dark Lord Obama, or we will drink your blood.

[Rageneau]

10. If it walks like a cult and quacks like a cult....

maybe it's a you-know-what.

[Maddy McCall]

11. Did you ever see this?

When Obama met Morgan Freeman?


Up close, the maw of the money machine can seem a weird place. (Having purchased a ticket in order to bypass Obama's press sentries, I am the only reporter, it appears, who is free to roam the event.) When Morgan Freeman comes over to greet Obama, the senator begins bowing down both hands in worship. "This guy was president before I was," says Obama, referring to Freeman's turn in Deep Impact and, clearly, getting a little ahead of his own bio. Next, a nod to Bruce Almighty: "This guy was God before I was." (Okay, more than a little ahead.) But Freeman is eating it up. Leaning in, he tells the senator to win it. "I will," Obama replies. "That's why I'm running."


http://www.mensvogue.com/business/politics/feature/articles/2007/04/status_report_obama?printable=true¤tPage=all

[Bluebear]

18. Oh my Lord. nt

[Auntie Bush]

56. Eeeeeeeooooouuuuuu!!!!!!

[PretzelWarrior]

13. you're an idiot

sorry. that is just true. what a pathetic way to characterize him and his supporters. The networks are afraid of a wide open struggle. the powers are afraid of a wide open struggle. people in positions of authority do not like it when the "people" get motivated and start to believe in themselves again.

time to belittle the little people and tell them they are crazy for falling for a candidate.

in conclusion, you are an idiot.

[Bluebear]

19. And you are an asshole.

I didn't write a word of the webpage cited, so your complain lies with them.

in conclusion, you are an asshole.

[tandem5]

29. so... I take you guys don't want to hug it out?

[Straight Shooter]

25. Standard response by Barack's followers is to insult the intelligence of Barack's detractors.

From a thread I visited just a moment ago:

"I don't give a rat's ass if someone thinks I'm in a "cult" supporting Obama. To me, it's an "out of ammo" argument, usually perpetrated by people who are not very intelligent or curious."

Thin-skinned, like their candidate. Mean-humored, like their candidate. Disproportionately defensive, like their candidate.

[Bluebear]

26. Really, I have been insulted in better places than this :)

:hi:

[Straight Shooter]

34. No sh*t. This is nothing compared to the family dinner table.

:hi:

[Jamastiene]

49. What the fuck is a "wide open struggle?"

Sounds like something you do to avoid getting it up the ass or something. :eyes:

[donheld]

14. Sounds more like crybabies to me n/t

[guruoo]

16. How about: 'intensely devoted'?

[smoogatz]

17. It's a pretty damned sad commentary on the current state of the Democratic

party that passionate grassroots support of and excitement about a leading candidate is viewed with suspicion and disdain by the party elite. I guess they'd rather we all held our noses and voted for the lesser evil between moderate Republican McCain and moderate Republican Clinton. Way to stir up the base, guys.

[Yossariant]

21. STOP saying it's a CULT!!! It's not a cult!

It's a group of intensely devoted fans loyal to a charismatic leader.

Oh, wait ...

[berni_mccoy]

22. For CRYING OUT LOUD BlueBear! That was written by a Hillbot, Pamela Leavey who also wrote this:

Yes She Can! Why I'm Endorsing Hillary

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-leavey/yes-she-can-why-im-endo_b_82311.html

Clinton supporters are trying to push this bullshit meme. Don't buy it.

[Yossariant]

24. Kathleen Geier is Pamela Leavey?! Astonishing.

[berni_mccoy]

36. What are you talking about. BlueBear's link and both my links point to articles written by Leavey.

[Eric J in MN]

23. The phrase Kathleen Geier complains about,

‘coming to Obama’ wasn't spoken by an Obama supporter.

It was something a reporter wrote without direct quotes.

It was bogus of her to take offense to it as if the Obama campaign is somehow to blame for it.

[Yossariant]

27. Wrong. It's what Kathleen Geier SAID:

self-proclaimed Obama supporter Kathleen Geier says she's getting "increasingly weirded out" by some of the supporters and urges them to stop the "unseemly mooning" and "get to work."

"Excuse me," she writes, "but this sounds more like a cult than a political campaign."

Google is your friend.

[Eric J in MN]

42. My point is that Kathleen Geier was offended by something a reporter wrote,

...which she misinterprets by blaming on the Obama campaign.

Kathleen Geier read this line in an article in the Sacramento Bee:
"She (an Obama campaign worker) urged volunteers to hone their own stories of how they came to Obama – something they could compress into 30 seconds on the phone."

Kathleen Geier responds:
"Excuse me, but this sounds more like a cult than a political campaign. The language used here is the language of evangelical Christianity – the Obama volunteers speak of 'coming to Obama' in the same way born-again Christians talk about "coming to Jesus."

But no one who works for Obama used the phrase "came to Obama." The reporter used that phrase. She's attacking the Obama campaign for a reporter's choice of words.

[Life Long Dem]

28. Why are Hillary supporters spinning everything?

Aren't we going through this with the Bush administration?

Are we looking at more WH spin with Hillary?

[rodeodance]

33. Why are Obama supporters spinning everything?

[VotesForWomen]

30. my thoughts exactly; he's like a televangelist or one of those 'motivational speakers.' nt

[rodeodance]

31. Goggle: Results 1 - 10 of about 403,000 for Obama cult. (0.07 seconds)

[Straight Shooter]

38. Google: Results 1 - 10 of about 421,000 for Obama cult. (.05 seconds)

Just a few minutes after your post, there are 18,000 more results. The very first result reflects exactly what we're dealing with here on DU: Julie, your comments illustrate the typical attitude of Obama cult followers. Attempting to belittle others who disagree with Obama's false promises is ..

I think a lot of the uptick has to do with certain DU members posting threads about how they're tired of seeing threads talking about the Obama cult. :)

It's on crooks and liars tonight, too, with 227 responses so far:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/07/and-so-it-beginsobama-excitementcult/

I hope I don't have nightmares tonight of being chased by a pitcher of hope-flavored Kool-Aid.

[ProSense]

45. Results 1 - 10 of about 606,000 for Hillary cult. (0.04 seconds) n/t

[ProSense]

46. Pam Leavey is lying Hillary shill Taylor Marsh's buddy, but I understand the desperation

7.3 million votes for Obama

7.3 million votes for Hillary

[ProSense]

44. Results 1 - 10 of about 606,000 for Hillary cult. (0.19 seconds)

:rofl:

[CyberPieHole]

32. The Cult of the Obama worshipers is just beginning to be exposed...the man is "charismatic"...

like reverend Jim Jones and we all know how that ended up.

[Straight Shooter]

39. Jim Jones started out as a community activist, too, with the black community.

Then he gained the support of liberal politicians in the San Francisco area. He was extremely religous, started his own church. The membership grew very rapidly.

Do some research on Jim Jones and you'll see some striking parallels. If Jim Jones had the Internet and Axelrod and Gibbs, he would have amassed followers by the hundreds and hundreds of thousands. Creepy.

I love that pic of Hillary. Blue is her color ;)

G'night.

[FVZA_Colonel]

41. I think this is going a little too far.

[druidity33]

55. that's really awful. shame on you. nt

[Political Heretic]

35. This is just the most orweillian thing I've ever experienced.

We now live in a world where you better not get too inspired or excited by a leader, otherwise your a crazy cultist.

I wish more people remembered the days of genuine activism and inspirational leadership. It's not something to cynically deride.

Once we start doing that, we're truly finished.

[Yossariant]

37. Spend five minutes with a Bushbot.

They're inspired and excited by their leader, too.

[Political Heretic]

40. So were those who heard MLK.

Inspiration is not the problem. Inspiration isn't the enemy. Its where your leader is leading.

[robbedvoter]

47. Except MLK gave them more then words. He was "invested in the fights of 60s and 70s

I find the comparisons to MLK deeply offensive - as we are talking about someone who never took any risk, never championed an actual relevant fight - is just a mainstream politician who took no risky position ever. Not even against the war.
People didn't follow MLK because he talked pretty. MLK put himself on the line in fighting for civil rights. Ya know, those "excessess" Ronnie and Obama mentioned.

[MadHound]

43. All charasmatic candidates have this element in their campaigns

Hell, women were literally swooning over JFK, Eugene McCarthy's campaign was similarly driven("come clean for Gene), even Bill's campaign in '92 had a fair amount of this flavor.

Hillary's isn't one of those charismatic driven campaigns. That is not a good thing, nor a bad thing, it just is. However I think that her supporters are exhibiting a large amount of sour grapes by trying to label Obama's following as a cult. I'm not an Obama supporter, but this constant drum of how he's heading a "cult" just seems childish and petty. Hey, they guy's got style and grace and charisma, Hillary is comes across more as a policy wonk, and more that a bit aloof. Deal with it.

[Bluebear]

48. Comment?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFOOcEQtP0

[MadHound]

51. That is germaine to this discussion how?

First of all, like I said earlier, Obama's campaign is a charasmaticly driven campaign. He is likeable, approachable, and is more charismatic than Hillary. I'm sure that if you had done a similar sort of group polling for JFK, or McCarthy or Bill Clinton, you would have gotten similar sorts of answers. Again, it is the nature of charismatic campaigners, and whining about it, trying to smear Obama supporters as members of a cult is a low blow and should be beneath you. But hey:shrug:

Second of all, the fact that you're using Faux news to help makes your point says a lot about you and Hillary's campaign, especially after the fact that Murdoch has helped out Hillary's campaign, and even Limbaugh and Coulter are talking about supporting her. What, you're now courting political enemies and treating them like gospel simply because they support your candidate. That's a sign of desperation there friend.

Third, it is what it is. Let me ask you this, if you would have been in a similar audience in '92, and somebody asked you to name an accomplishment of Clinton's could you have done so? I probably could have, but that's because I am a political wonk who lived in SW Missouri during Clinton's tenure as governor, and thus heard a few of his highlights. But outside of that narrow radius, I doubt that many people could have. Yet did you hear Bradley, Gore, Cuomo, or any of the others in the race calling his supporters "cultists?" No, you didn't, and frankly that should be beneath you and the rest of the pro-Hillary crowd, but apparently not. Like I said, it smacks of desperation and goes to show that Hillary and her supporters will stoop to any level to get what they want. Not a good way to win over people for the General Election now is it?

Finally, just for your own information and edification, here are a few things that Obama accomplished: Coburn-Obama Transparency Act, The Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act,the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, and introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act, among others. However we also know what Hillary did too, voted for the IWR, voted for the Patriot Act, signed Kyle Lieberman, and voted for NCLB, among other things. Hmmmm.

So you're backing a non-charismatic candidate, that's OK. Deal with it and move on. But you shouldn't be slamming your fellow Democrats and liberals as "cultists" just because they are backing a charismatic candidate. If you continue to employ these scorched earth tactics, Hillary might get the nomination, but so many people will be alienated by these tactics that they won't vote for her in the fall.

[Bluebear]

53. "So you're backing a non-charismatic candidate" - John Edwards?

I don't find him non-charismatic.

As to what this and that "says about me" etc., as the kids say, whatever. Your candidate stooped to courting evangelicals and threw gays under the bus, for YOUR edification.

[cooolandrew]

50. Yes, let's be uninspired demotivated and call one another cults.Hope at it's best.

[snooper2]

52. It's a Penn thing...

Whisper campaign....Hillary may/may not know about it. Just ignore them, I've been writing down Hillbot DU handles, mostly the horrid ones, and plan to see which of them post "post Obama" nomination.

[dionysus]

54. dupe X 50... geez you guys must have gotten the talking points early...