No Longer the Underdog
"Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important." - Eugene McCarthy, Minnesota Senator
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" - Al Franken (as fictional character Stuart Smalley), Minnesota Senator
There's a fine line between Hollywood and Washington, DC. My parents met campaigning for Joe Biden and I met my wife at "Top of the Pops," so I know that line all too well. While it must have been strange when the dude from the chimp movies became president for my folks, between governors "Terminator" and Jesse "The Body" Ventura and a mayor with no name, it's business as usual to me. In fact, it still surprises me that I have only seen Warren Beatty and Martin Sheen play politicians on television or in the movies.
I made the trek from Hollywood to Washington, DC this week for the inauguration where my band Fall Out Boy played the Youth Ball. I've been a fan of Barack Obama's for a while and, like everyone else, was elated when he won, and even more so when I had the privilege to meet him at the event. He's an underdog, which is something I can relate to (and he uses a Blackberry as much as I do -- although I don't think we'll be getting any Twitter updates from our new President).
As he begins to translate campaign promises into actual leadership and the business of governing, Obama now has an interesting challenge. Much like an indie filmmaker or an underground rock band, he was an underdog and he had the people's support because of it. Everyone was rooting for him as they would David in his battle against Goliath. America loves an underdog. The Cubs are living proof of that.
But a funny thing happens when the underdog wins (trust me on this one, I have scratched and won one of the biggest lottery tickets that a goofy little Midwestern guy like me can get away with). The elation is high, but so are the expectations. Now there is a rapt audience. There is a microphone hissing, and feedback. When that happened before it was quaint and authentic. Now it's annoying and unprofessional. Now the challenges that our nation faced in November have been compounded. There is a recession, there is war, there is a mounting unemployment rate. And there is history to be made. Now he's no longer the underdog. He's the leader of the free world with big ideas and big responsibilities. Now everyone expects results.
You could choose to move fast, which would alienate the fan base and distances you from those who brought you here, but you potentially reach a wider audience. Alternately, you could choose to stand still, which discredits the innovative, independent spirit which got you here in the first place. In the end the choice may not be President Obama's on how fast he moves: our bureaucracy may be the only area of our culture that is run in a more unconventional way than the entertainment industry.
At the risk of extending the metaphor, President Obama faces a challenge like Lauryn Hill after her album "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" won five Grammys or the Coen Brothers after Blood Simple won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Will it take a while for his own Fargo or No Country for Old Men? Or will success come early and often? Either way I, for one, am glad the underdog got a shot. Underdogs are the ones who are hungry, who will transcend convention and will break barriers. Just when it's at its worst... it gets better. As long as he just keeps up the pace he has so far, I have a feeling we will keep rooting for him. And heck, you never know about the Cubs!
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That was great. Pete comes from an interesting place, and I definitely see the "underdog" parallels. I think he needs to keep this freelance journalism thing alive!
Good article, Pete, but let's hope President Obama -- God, it's fun typing that! -- is more successful than our Cubbies (especially the embarrassments of the last two postseasons). To give you an idea of how long I've been suffering with them, here's me in '70 with someone you might recognize: http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c157/rbarthjr/santo_and_me.jpg .
i thought his article was gonna suck, but that's what i get for prejudging. way to go, pete!
Nice article, Pete.
I'm sitting here in an earthquake...
I protect trees and all things green.
I have some Pork I want to get on the Stimulus Plan..
The Obama trillion dollar stimulus plan promises to create extra work for millions of construction workers by installing 3000 miles of new electric lines across the nation. It also should open new opportunities for young minorities that have over a 20 percent unemployment rate to learn construction skills. The hurdle is unions and contracters that refuse to accept hiring and training of millions of ghetto youths. It will be up to the government to hand out the contracts only to those that comply with fair hiring guidlines and help bring millions of unemployed minorities to work repairing our electrical grid. Sharing the jobs is the American way.
I'm in the construction industry and any public project financed with local and/or money must include a percentage of the local residents. While there are no quotas for race, there are incentives built in for contractors to hire MBE, FBE, and SBE. I've never experienced the unions trying to stop that at all. They just want workers to be paid a fair wage.
I agree with the other posters that Obama has proven his merit -- through academic and community/political achievements, and a well-run campaign -- and that people voted for him _not_ because he was an underdog. However, he certainly was an underdog to win the election for several reasons: 1.) shallow political experience; 2.) very new to the Washington political community; 3.) unknown to Americans in general; 4.) he has an unusual name [trust me on the effect of this one]; 5.) his name sounds foreign and Middle East in part; 6.) he is a man of color. I'd say that qualifies as underdog. Viva le 'sous le chien'!
"There's no need to fear,
Underdog is here."
Nice post, Mr. Wentz. Well articulated.
I agree completely!
I too, was all too willing to write off Mr. Wentz at the beginning. I read his thoughtful post and am glad I didn't blast him. I was not an Obama supporter but the man is now my president so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and hope his campaign promises and eloquent speeches were not mere rhetoric and actually have substance.
Hey Pete,
How about helping out some of the thousands of us that got completely screwed at the Youth Ball who paid hundreds of dollars to gett he ticket, rent tuxes or buy dresses, stay in hotels and travel in from all over the country only to be told they had to watch the ball from small tvs in the overflow room or not allowed in at all. They oversold the ball by thousands. It was an absolute disgrace the way security physcially shoved us out of the room. They would have not have down this to older guests at any other ball. These were good kids who worked hard during the campaign, and their dream was to see the President. I saw them crying on my way out, being yelled at by staff for asking why they were not allowed in even with their tickets, and you could see in their eyes their sprirt had been broken by an organization that put overselling tickets ahead of rewarding the people who made the celebration happen.
I really encourage you to urge the PIC to do something to make it right for the thousands of young people who were taken advantage of.
Enjoy change, and stop your whinning.
Hey Zeroes, see if you don't "whine" after the adminstration you just spent 2 years campaigning for screws you at the first opportunity. I am going to be sorely, sorely dissapointed if this is the change i worked for.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcb_washington/20090121/pl_mcb_washington/washington200901inauguralyouthballparticipantsfeltthechillhtml
Pete Wentz played at the ball but I highly doubt he was responsible for what you describe.
Wow. My daughter, 13, has a poster of Fallout Boy on her wall. I'm going to have her read this, and I give "props" to this fine young man and hope he will spread his wealth of wisdom to his generation through his music.
Excellent post. I'd like to see more.
I think you are confusing an underdog with someone who is not well known. Not neceassrlity one in the same.
Obama won not because people felt an emotional sympathy for him. Obama won because he simply out performed and out campaigned every other candidate.
Obama was FIRST in his law class at Harvard. That takes an extremely strong work ethic, which Obama has, and is showing now. He is hardly the underdog looking to find his voice.
I think your thesis is a bit off, in terms of the underdog comparison, but your heart is in the right place.
Maybe you were nervous of felt you had to step up your game, and felt pressure in the spotlight. But Obama is more like an Eddie Van Halen, who instead, seeks the limelight and says 'check this out, I’m as good as you have ever seen".
Obama is confident, not apprehensive about his turn in the big leagues.
Agree, Obama was never the underdog. It was the dems election to lose.
David A, your use of metaphor is far superior to Pete's. Still Pete, I agree with a poster above, your heart is in the right place.
Agree, underdog isn't the right metaphor. But I do think Obama was underestimated throughout the entire campaign.
Good article overall, though. I may have to re-think Pete Wentz.
I still agree with Pete's metaphor. Maybe Obama went to Harvard but not because his father was a legacy or financed his education. Obama got the grades to get in, the loans to pay for his education and paid the loans off.
Here's a guy whose father was absent from his life, lived on foodstamps at one time of his life, and in poverty in Indonesia. Spent sometime soul-searching as a kid trying to figure out where he fit in and then discovered his path and went for it. Now he's president.
It's the quintessential underdog story.
And while Obama may be a calm cool collected guy on the outside, that does not mean he doesn't have a fire of doubt inside pushing him to succeed. Every successful person does.
Well to whomever wrote that article, I'd say well done.
Pete,
I read your article and could not agree more...admist the turmoil our country is facing, it is the inspiration that people like Obama emulate that make the darkest of days seem bearable. Thank you for your intelligence and elloquence. Without sounding like I am blowing smoke, your musical ability and intellect is refreshing to listen to and read. Looking forward to more articles/albums in the future!!
-Your fan, J.
I disagree with this. People didn't vote him because he was an underdog, they elected him because he is the best man with his intelligence, wit, humility, grace, empathy, etc., but not because of being the underdog. And he will be successful because of his great problem solving skills and his desire to do the right thing rather than feed his ego or his lobbyists. He will surround himself with intelligence and answers that coupled with his heart will work together to create solutions to these problems. All his life and career he has executed intelligence with heart to create his present life and success. This is a great man who people craved and elected, not on his underdogness, but because they saw the great leader in him. You've missed the whole point of this election, and then blindly continued down the uncritical thinking path you took.
I think everything you had to say is spot on Pete. It is always good to get out the positive. I wish more people could be supportive of our new leadership. I just heard Rush Limbaugh saying "I want Obama to Fail". This is the kind of Un-American garbage that is dividing the country and causing much more than just doubt and criticism to be cast towards our new President. This is early Hate! Rush's comments were not productive in any way.
I digress....Pete, keep up the positive. It was enjoyable reading your post. Let's all wish our President the best.
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