Here's the thing: If Barack Obama wants to win this fall against John McCain -- and it seems obvious he will capture the Democratic nomination -- he needs to send his story to those reached only by MySpace, Facebook or iPods, parenting sites and tech guys, as well as to those reading The Huffington Post, mainstream media and attending political rallies.
He needs to disseminate his story to the masses. He's already written it, at least twice in his autobiographies. Now he needs to make sure everyone reads it.
If Barack Obama wants to counter the claims that he is just another Democratic member of the leftist elite, he needs to buy up the rights to his two books and make his story available for free-audio versions accessible through podcasts downloadable through iTunes, and text versions accessible, emailable and downloadable at his website.
Because it is story that makes the difference. The books sold well, but the book buyers know who they will vote for. He needs to get that life story to the masses.
If Barack Obama wants to win blue-collar voters who sit squarely in Hillary Clinton's camp and who may happily defect to McCain come fall, he needs to give his books away. The twists and turns of his stories can convince disgruntled Democrats, because it is story that wins hearts.
It is the stories we tell about our lives that make us heroes or victims. Stories are the lens through which we perceive the world. Storytelling is everything.
And if Barack Obama wants to win this fall he will find a way to get his story into every home that can't afford the money to buy his books or the time to read his message.
The largesse of that gift will not only squelch the "elitist" complaints, it will sway the hearts and minds of recalcitrant Democrats, because the stories in Barack Obama's two books -- Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream -- are compelling narratives of a hero for America.
Hillary Clinton tried telling stories, but she chose some that video footage contradicted. John McCain has a good story, and America knows it well.
If every Democrat had a chance to hear or read those Obama tales -- for free -- they would be hard pressed to vote Republican this fall. They simply must have access to those stories. Easy access.