Performance Art

One thing which unites the last three generations of American politics is the idea of politics as performance. We expect our politicians to be actors at times, and we grade them based on their willingness to perform and on their ability. (Picture from The Guardian.)

That’s what Republicans loved about Ronald Reagan. It’s what Democrats loved about Bill Clinton. It’s one truth which unites the parties.

While it’s probably true, as Frank Rich suggests, that Barack Obama will be the nominee because he opposed the war in Iraq while his opponent supported it, it’s also true that his remarkable theatrical ability makes him an extraordinary candidate.

I just never expected to see the same ability in his wife.

We generally have low expectations of political wives. Theirs is a reactive charisma. Only Hillary Clinton demanded the expectations we give a decision-maker. For the rest, the bar is just that they don’t embarrass us. We don’t expect from Laura Bush the uplift or the bravado her supporters saw in her husband. Rosalynn Carter may have felt deeply, but she was generally quiet, and supportive, which for us meant nurturing. And that was all we wanted.

Which brings me to something which happened last week, in Phoenix, when a political wife suddenly exceeded the political acting bar we place before their principals.

Michelle Obama has been the hidden asset of the Obama campaign, but she does draw crowds. While John McCain couldn’t fill his room at the Phoenix Convention Center recently, and so held a Bush-headlined fund-raiser at a private home, she filled her room easily.

It’s what she did with that attention that kept this link on the screen for me all week.  (This was the family’s Christmas card in 2006.)

Imagine, if you will, a room filled with celebration, into which someone suddenly tosses fear. The greatest fear, the nameless fear, the fear we have for all our politicians, but especially those in whom we place a generation’s faith.

Here’s how The Huffington Post reported it, as copied by Firedoglake:

She paused, allowing the clearly
distraught supporter to pull herself together. Maybe it was 30 seconds
before Obama spoke, stretched out into imaginary minutes.

Finally, she
said firmly, "I’m ok. Really. I am ok. And if I’m ok, you should be ok.

"You know, we talked about this as a family."

She held the microphone with one hand, the other curved inward over
her heart as she talked. Her tenor and body language was clear.
Michelle Obama was talking as a mother. She was introspective and
intimate, looking the questioner in the eyes as if they are the only
two in the room.

"We talked about this as a family."

The room remained still and quiet. Imagine having that talk
with your children. Then, she paused, gathering herself, pulling
herself up, seeming to grow even taller, Michelle, the campaigning wife
returns. She says,

"I’ve talked about this before. Barack is probably safer now than he
was before. Kids are dying in the street in our community. They get
shot walking to class, sitting in school, taking the bus home. They are
dying in the street…. Send us good vibes. Pray for us. Think positive
thoughts. But most of all, be vigilant. Be vigilant about stopping this
kind of talk.
      It’s not funny. You don’t have to like Barack to dislike that kind of talk. Be vigilant about stopping that kind of talk."

Then she reminded the crowd what we are fighting for, and why it is
important to forge ahead without fear. "Fear is the reason this country
is where it is today. Fear is a useless emotion. Don’t ever make
decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility.
Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t. Don’t
ever make decisions based on fear."