Barack and Bobby: Compare and Contrast; and, Obama-Clinton as Lennon-McCartney circa 1970

It was moving to read Tom Hayden's reflections on Bobby Kennedy's candidacy of 1968, his own role in it, and the ways in which Obama's campaign has reconnected him with the spirit of those times. Yet I find it equally moving to consider the ways in which Obama and RFK are different, the ways in which they are mirror images rather than carbon copies.

My own relationship to Bobby's campaign was not like Tom Hayden's. I was 14 years old, obsessed by politics and rock & roll. And if you're going to be a 14-year-old who's obsessed with politics and rock & roll, 1968 was the year to do it: Student revolts in Paris and Prague. Marching in the streets of America. Gene McCarthy's candidacy, then Bobby's. And musically there were the Beatles, the Stones, James Brown, the Doors, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, the Impressions, Paul Butterfield, Albert King, the Who, Aretha Franklin,Cream, Marvin Gaye, the Mothers ...

Then, tragically, gun shots in Memphis and L.A. Drug overdoses in rock star hotel rooms. But before the tragedies there were the moments of exhilaration.

I've said this before: Had Bobby Kennedy not run for President, I wouldn't be writing these words right now. My fascination with politics is the direct result of what he made seem possible, from the symbolic to the soulful -- from his promise to make "This Land Is Your Land" the national anthem, to his tears for the Appalachian poor. I see Barack Obama having the same impact on young kids today. It's the single most positive effect his candidacy could possibly have.

And yet, for the many similarities between the two candidates, consider the differences: Bobby Kennedy was the ultimate insider, the product of wealth and power. As he grew his hair and increasingly identified with the youth of the world, as he joined Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King to walk with the disaffected, as he challenged the world of authority that his family had mastered, he was doing something powerful and symbolic: He was walking down from the mountaintop to join with the people below.

Obama's is doing the opposite: He's climbing up the mountain. Where RFK was the ultimate insider, he's the ultimate outsider. He's African American, multiracial, international, from a non-traditional family upbringing. Bobby's bearing in his final year was increasingly open, informal, and emotional, which Barack's is centered, balanced, and almost cerebral. In Marshall McLuhan terms, Barack is "cool" while Bobby was "hot." And where Bobby joined a movement that was already underway, Barack seems to have triggered one that was waiting to happen.

Yet both of them are catalysts, and both created candidacies with enormous potential to generate symbolic and real change. Obama's first move as party head was to refuse PAC and Federal lobbyist money for the DNC. That may be largely symbolic in hard-dollar terms, but as a sign of the times it's enormous. Combined with his stunning ability to raise money from small-dollar donors, it's nothing less than a declaration of revolution. He's seizing the means of political production and transferring it from insiders to the general public.

I read every word that Tom Hayden wrote in 1968, too. He's right to note that Obama's policies as President might be disappointing, although like him I'm hopeful. And an Obama presidency will certainly be an enormous change from the last eight years, no matter what happens. That, plus the electrifying effect he's having on young people, makes 2008 a year of great promise.

***

As for that "secret meeting" between Clinton and Obama last night, it made me think of Lennon and McCartney during the breakup of the Beatles in 1970. The two of them were pretty pissed off at one another by then, and Lennon loyalists felt that McCartney screwed him with the way he handled his departure from the group. But there were only four living people who knew what it was like to be a Beatle, to have lived in the eye of that hurricane. And only two of them knew what it was like to spend years fighting for the role of frontman and band leader.

People put a lot of pressure on them to put the band back together after that. In some ways, maybe they should have. Maybe then we wouldn't have had Lennon's "Mind Games" ("some kinda druid dude lifting the veil") or Paul singing "we're so sorry, Uncle Albert." Each was always the other's best critic. But then again, we might not have had "Imagine," either.

Apparently Lennon and McCartney repaired their friendship, and almost showed up on a whim to play on Saturday Night Live after a great routine in which Lorne Michaels and Jimmy Carter offered the Beatles $3500 to reunite. (Lennon said later that they didn't have time to make it to the studio where the show was being broadcast.)

My point? I guess it's this: A lot of people want a Dream Ticket, the same way a lot of people wanted a Beatles reunion. Me, I don't have an opinion either way. Management consultants talk about "managing up" and "delegating up" in business, and I intend to do that here. Barack is the party's leader now, and Hillary has created a powerful following. Let them work it out between themselves, and then let the candidate make his decision.

You can be a fan of Lennon's politics, his great writing and singing, and still acknowledge that McCartney is one of the great composers, musicians, and singers of our time. Obama and Clinton are like John and Paul in at least one way: Only the two of them know what it's been like to be in the bubble of this campaign for the last six months. If they want to go back on the road together, that's fine with me. If not, they'll each have their own hits.

Like the song says: They can work it out.

RJ Eskow blogs:

A Night Light
The Sentinel Effect: Healthcare Blog

Follow RJ Eskow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rjeskow

Comments

[KELLI2L]

< Stop comparing Bobby Kennedy to Barack Hussein Obama -
< Bobby Kennedy proved himself before running for president. . . . He didn't appear on the scene as a nobody like Obama, who's biggest claim to fame was and still is 'giving a good speech'! ............
< He's a lawyer - when did you start loving and trusting lawyers?
< He was a Community Organizer in the Illinois Legislature - Woopee !!
< He was only in the US Senate for his first year when he started his run for president.
- Enough said for now -
. . . . . . MASS HYSTERIA for sure. . . . .

[americanworker]

Obama is no Bobby Kennedy and never will be. Bobby stood up against organized crime , stood up against J Edgar Hoover , Stood up against the USSR , Stood up against corporate injustices , and stood up for the common man ! He went to work every day to fight for justice. Obama doesn't even go to work for the job he is being paid to do in the Senate. BHO is all talk with no walk , all show with no go , and the outsider being proped up by the ultimate insiders. Before Obama can be compared to any great American he will have to do the job he is getting paid to do. He didn't even show up for the vote to help us through the current energy crisis this week. And he whines when he is criticized. So Sad !

[KELLI2L]

Am I hearing all this Obama hoopla correctly?
< Obama may have his image on Mount Rushmore...........
< Now he's being thought of as the Black Kennedy......... but some people don't want to call him black!
< Does anyone else notice how sickening the media is - for perpetrating this garbage!
< Let's hear how these politicians can solve America's problems - and stop pumping this guy up before he even proves himself...­..........­.

[ndnndpendent]

Good article---RFK analogies, the mountain metaphor is descriptive. This is why I would like to see RFK's eldest daughter Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a Clinton supporter, for serious consideration as the choice for Obama's VP.

For all the strengths HRC claims, the negatives of the Clinton years outweigh those perceived strengths. The letter RFK wrote his daughter on the death of her uncle speak volumes of the RFK legacy:

Dear Kathleen,

As the oldest of the Kennedy grandchildren you have a special responsibility: be kind to others and work for your country.

Love, Daddy

How great it would be to fulfill RFK's legacy.

[THINKB4USPEAK]

I loved The Beatles in their day, but I think THIS is a job for Bob Dylan;"Most likely you go your way and I'll go mine".

[mjc]

Such cheerleading, Mr. Eskow, doesn't even begin to point up the differences between Bobby Kennedy and Barack Obama. True, Bobby was very close to his brother and served in JFK's administration as attorney general. Therefore, you can call him an insider in that he was very familiar with Washington DC and the White House and Congress, but Lyndon Johnson wasn't that fond of him and he had no real impact on events after Kennedy's assassination. Obama can be called an outsider because he has no real role in the present Senate, although he is the "sort of" protoge" of Ted Kennedy. Don't know what you mean about climbing the mountain. Barack Obama is very lacking in experience. Think all of us were amazed at Bobby's ability to connect with all audiences; ALL! Not the silver tongue orator that Obama can be perhaps, but very informative. He spoke of real poverty and the issues that faced MOST Americans, health care, jobs, education. I couldn't tell you what Obama's real concerns are.

[janedoe37]

Obama states his concerns in every speech:
-America is divided
-politicians incite the electorate using wedge issues which avoids the big issues
-we are more alike than we are different
-jobs are moving overseas but we're giving tax breaks to companies that ship them there
-we rely on a fuel source that is limited in quantity and also funds terrorists
-we give tax breaks to the very wealthy but increase the taxes on the poor/lower middle class
-we are not educating our children well enough to compete globally
-we have removed many of the social safety-nets put in place during the "New Deal" (various regulations, raiding of the social security fund to name just two)
-we have lost civil rights due to the fear mongering of the Bush Administration
-we are mortgaging our children with large budget deficits and increasing national debt
-we are reducing our security by continuing the Iraq war
-we are reducing our security by selling our debt to foreign countries (China)
-soldiers returning from Iraq are not receiving adequate medical & educational benefits
-we have stopped investing in technology like we did, if you think this isn't true then you should consider how you are even reading this and then look up DARPA, which was the origin of the Internet, also see Human Genome Project, GPS, all technology that came out of NASA/space program -which wasn't just tang and pens that can write anywhere

[Labsmim]

mjc, we have had "EXPERIENCE" and look at where it's got us. Obama is able to connect to all people, transcending race and gender. The whole world,ie, foreign governments are excited and everyone of them is ready for change that makes a difference, McBush is another Bush term , when he finishes with his tax breaks for the rich - we will have sunked to an alltime low.
Sounds like you're a Repub. Get a grip and get ready for the ride.

[Jazzcomedian]

An interesting, thoughtful piece. I agree that only Obama and Clinton know all the things and emotions that running such a hard fought high stakes campaign entails. However even though Senator Obama is now the leader of the Democratic Party, I refuse to "delegate up" and let him make the decision about his running mate without substantial input from me .

I didn't donate my $50 to the Obama campaign so that I could be ignored. I donated it so that I could have influence and access in the White House. I am now a special interest that Senator Obama will have to deal with and appease, and I expect to be consulted on all major decisions, or I will make it very tough for him to get his legislative agenda done.. .

[StillAmused]

"If they want to go back on the road together, that's fine with me. If not, they'll each have their own hits. Like the song says: They can work it out."

Rather than speculate upon what life-altering catharsis in the last day or two has led to this remarkable change in tone from some of your recent posts (which I have most indelicately criticized), I'll simply tip my hat.

Maybe, as an aging musician, I'm just a sucker for the analogical references.

Generous, elevated commentary...

[GOP4MoreTears]

Might be you were not paying close attention, just a thought.

[StillAmused]

Not much of one, but thanks for sticking your nose in to beg the question. How would YOU know? Based on 'remote viewing', your own exciting, brand new ideology... or do you do media relations for the author?

Show us your invitation or beat it, kid.

[SBlackmun]

Good for you, George. Would you require that your accountant have charisma? That your surgeon have a fabulous smile? No? Neither would I.

[apoyo]

Obama is the ultimate example of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps.

[BillyT]

Barack vs Hillary = Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD

And BTW: McCain = betamax

[RichLiberal]

I like the comparison of Hillary/Obama as John/Paul.

Hillary, like John, is the "Working Class Hero".

Obama, like Paul, is "Silly Love Songs".

I think Hillary and her supporters can forget about any reconciliation w Obama. Despite the fact that Obama and Hillary are supposedly meeting, you've got Obama adviser (not officially, just meets with him a lot ? since 1983? http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html) BigNews Brzezinski dissing Hillary on Morning Joe today, referring to her as a "government in exile" wrt Obama.

Clearly, Obama's strategy is to try to buy off Hillary as cheaply as possible and then dump her overboard as soon as she's "taken the bait", whatever Mr Smoothie is trying to peddle.

Hillary needs to stick with her delegates, suspend her campaign, as she has done and just wait for Denver and then the delegates can have their vote and if nothing has changed Obama will be the nominee.

What she must not do is turn her delegates over to Obama or "release" them in any way. She won them fair and square. She should "support" Obama, and everyone else should shut up about what Hillary ought to do.

All Obama wants is to be "off the hook". Too bad.

[SmackwaterJack]

Please... If we need your input we shall call on you, please don't raise your hand or volunteer any more information. Thank you for your cooperation.

[SBlackmun]

Sorry, Jack, it doesn't work that way.

[graffen48]

Ugh, I like what you say , except for comparing Hillary to John Lennon. John Lennon stood for peace and love. Lennon was on a whole different level than Hillary Clinton will ever be.

[SmackwaterJack]

So, what you're saying IS, that you've gone from drinking Kool-Aid to Antifreeze.

[graffen48]

After reading your post again, I revise my opinion to say this reeks of ignorance. In your haste to make C linto n look good, you've actually denigrated her with your silly hypotheticals. I don't think she's appreciate you making her look like a fool.

[stryker]

HIllary is working class hero? Since when? Don't see anything in her bio that shows she had to work hard for a living. Went to a prestigious college. Worked for Goldwater. Got a job as a congressional lawyer, then married Bill and lived off the government's money for the next 30 years. Obama isn't anything silly. Son of a middle class working mother and grandparents. Got into prep school and college by scholarship. Worked as a community organizer and law professor. Was able to turn his book profits into payments toward his student loans, etc. Lots more the working class hero than Hillary or McCain, both of whom who have lived off the public trough most of their careers.

[PhyllisBurke]

This is a very interesting piece. then I read the vitriolic anti-hillary comments, and thought, how can i ever got on this bus?

[Titonwan]

Bye! Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

[SmackwaterJack]

Can't walk and chew gum at the same time? Please, stay on the bus, there are very complex emotions going on here, just as yours are, there all manner of trouble makers that comment to play on those emotions, please do not allow them to remove you from the fight, we all need one another. Sapere aude.

[BillyT]

Phyllis:

are you a supporter of the Democratic Party ,or only of the candidate who ran as if the party mattered way less than her campaign? I thought so.

Please check out what John McCain's records are for women's rights and for getting out of Iraq. Does a perpetual 0% approval rating from NARAL mean anything to you? Well, your GOP daddy McCain has earned that. Do you also remember what he called his wife: a 4-letter C-WORD??

Vote for McCain and you just might be fighting for a woman's right to vote again, by 2010.

[Liberoservative]

Interesting take on this situation.... I agree with you...
Barack Obama is the only person to make his choice for VP... he will do it as deliberately and diligently as he has run his campaign.... since he is my choice for POTUS...I will trust his judgment.... ermmm... even if it Hillary...... though IMHO... she brings the wrong message to all of the Obama supporters­..........­. but, I trust him to make the right decision..... nothing will sway my vote from the Democratic party this year....

[sf94127]

Obama is selling change, not himself and that is the huge difference between him and RFK.

What I find disturbing is many Obama supporters don't know what having him as president will mean to their tax bill, energy bill, health bill, and food bill. They have not done the math. And for icing on the cake is a total novice on foreign policy. Iran ain't the southside of Chicago.

[lunadove]

If you haven't noticed, 8 years of republicans made all the above worse.
Clinton and McCain have stood behind failed Bush policies, and continued dangerous rhetoric about other nations.
Obama is thoughtful and surrounds himself with equally smart thoughtful people, the sign of a good leader.

[AvasTiaJeanne]

Lunadove, well put. I agree with you 100%.

[jupitor]

Why in the frick frack would Obama want to be some one other than what he is? I suspect we'll have some tax's, but we have to dig out of the hole some how now don't we! We get ourselfs home from Iraq than we'll have billions for Health care wont we! Our food bills are so high now we can't hardlly afford them, he can't make them much worse and you fail to see he came from hard times with his mom on welfare. He'll watch those food price's, and micheal will help keep him real and on the low income trail.He's been on the foriegn commitee, and he knows Iran is not chicago. He has good sense of direction. You repub's will try as you might to side track us, but it won't work .

[graffen48]

Sometimes idealism and hope do trump your reality and cynicism. There are different ways to stoke the fire, and you have chosen fear as your fuel. A lot of people are tired of running on fear. There is nothing wrong with having a new vision and a new hope, and the only way to see if it works is to be willing to stand out and try it. That is true courage. Lookin to the unknown for a new and better way. You can hide in your house with your guns all loaded by the windows, or you can take a chance and go outside. Sometimes the best way to learn about an enemy is to walk up and shake their hand.

[daddyG56]

And Iraq ain't Texas, either, as W found out. It's a fact that Bush knew next to nothing about foreign policy when he was elected, and it shows by the way he squandered the goodwill we were being shown immediately after 9/11. How can anyone believe that Obama can do worse? I believe foreign leaders will be impressed with him, because even those who don't agree with his policies have been generally impressed with him as a man and a politician.

I, for one, am completely willing to pay higher taxes, etc. if it means less dependence on foreign oil, more jobs, health care coverage for more people, and maybe even a safer USA.

How about you, brother?

[graffen48]

good post, you hit on the facts, while i was trying to be philosophical, but it is a shame that sf sees things from such a dim perspective.

[portateck]

Some of the foreign leaders cannot wait for an Obama presidency as they feel he will be easily manipulated. How quickly we forget that the Kruschev's, Papa doc's, Chavez's and other nut job dictators have absolutely no intention of working with the USA. The only thing impressive about Obama is his oratory skills. He is all hat and no cattle........If you know what I mean. His agenda is rooted in chicago radicalism and he does have the capacity to do great harm to this country.

[Thebigkate]

My guess is that these bozos don't care at all about the Supreme Court and Roe vs Wade! And they probably have enough money not to be worried about medical bills. Surely they do not see themselves as their "brothers' keepers", so they don't give a rip about Universal Health Care! They care about foreign policy and defense???? And they are supporting McCain??? What a joke--maybe they can retire to Bagdhad in 100 years--then it might be safe to walk the streets! Or maybe they are all lobbyists! They clearly are not clear-hearted Clinton supporters, because she was and is a tireless advocate for women's choice and Universal Health Care!

Not to worry! This election is going to be a "blowout" for Barack!