Is Barack Obama Changing Politics Like the Beatles Changed Music?

Everybody loves The Beatles right? Well, duh. They were great. And so were most of the bands of their generation. But it was the music that came some time after them that really showed us how much we lost when John, Paul, George and Ringo pressed Abbey Road and went their separate ways. The same is true of Barack Obama. He is going to be an amazing leader and will inspire a generation of leadership all around the world. The catch is that thirty years from now, when he is gone from the public scene, we may wish that he had never shown us how to meld politics and marketing into such a successful venture.

When the Beatles rocked their way into America's hearts and pocketbooks via the Ed Sullivan show on February 9, 1964, they were one of a number of fairly successful British pop bands. The difference between them and the others was they parlayed their one time TV audience of 74 million (about 50% of the US population) into record deals with the giants of the industry as well as concert tours. But the Beatles didn't stop there. They knew that being talented wouldn't be enough to sell. They opened themselves up to their American audience by making their personal lives public in Hear the Beatles Tell All and they began making mockumentaries like A Hard Day's Night to entertain their fan base at the cinemas.

When one uses tools outside of talent to increase their visibility that's fine. I find A Hard Day's Night funny and entertaining (as long as I don't have to watch it very often). The Beatles knew how to produce timeless records, estimates range at about 1 billion worldwide sales. They knew how to effectively balance their talent with their need to market. But anyone who has suffered through the last 10 years of pop can testify that artists today do not know how to do any of those things. Pop artists are expending 90% of their energy on marketing and pizazz while barely taking any thought to their art. Too often this means the record labels end up taking a young child and destroying them all for the pursuit of wealth. How much energy has this country expended discovering the ins and outs of our popstars' sex lives? And in the end what does all of that attention bring? Sales and more sex scandals.

I am concerned that Barack Obama is opening a Pandora's Box of marketing. I am not worried about Obama himself. Just like The Beatles, who blazed a trail of marketing music to the masses and showed other artists how to promote their product, it will take a generation before these new evils catch up to us.

First off Obama merchandise is the trendy fad of the summer for your everything. We are way beyond bumper stickers and lawn signs. There are hats, t-shits, golf balls, umbrellas, pens, cups, socks, shoes, everything OBAMA. You think of it, they probably have it. If they don't, email David Plouffe and it will be available in a week.

The campaign wants everyone to own a piece of Obama merchandise for a few reasons. First its free advertising. If you're drinking coffee with your Obama mug at the company meeting its sending subliminal messaging to all your coworkers. Second it is raising money, mugs do not cost them $15. Third, they make great gifts. You can give those suckers away to your coworkers and allow the Obama cup to work its own magic. Finally, if you've invest $150 in ten coffee mugs you are much more likely to get off your couch and vote on November 4th.

Obama has also gotten rave reviews for his use of internet organizing. My.barackobama.com is like facebook but for Obama supporters. It also is like facebook in that it collects all sorts of personal information for targeted advertising. While the Bush-Rove team was quite adept at using information to target individual donors and voters it appears that Obama has taken this concept and multiplied by a factor of 10.

The campaign only starts at myBO. Obama also has a presence on facebook, youtube, myspace, and every other social networking site of note. A popular tactic of the campaign is to record an appeal for cash, put it on mybarackobama and then 12 hours later its a youtube sensation and millions of dollars have flown into the campaign. It starts on MyBO then Obama supporters share it with their friends at facebook and myspace. Then those people begin sharing and the virus has begun.

Let's also not forget that Barack Obama is an amazing speaker and I could watch his speeches on youtube for hours if I had the time. The crazy thing is that when I donate money to his campaign its because of a grand idea and not a wonkish plan. Senator Obama is an accomplished legal scholar, he has the plans detailed on mybarackobama for anyone who wants to see them. But he doesn't waste precious TV moments laying them out. Its expensive and, quite frankly, thats not what Americans want to see on the television.

The attention grabbing moments and the time many, if not most, Americans see Obama are his idea moments. Idea's are easy to market and sell. "Change We Can Believe In," "Hope," and "Yes We Can." While all of these are rousing statements and excellent sounding ideas, I could be hoping for a change towards nuclear war... yes we can.

What is important to realize is that every campaigns throughout history has tried to be high on ideals and soft on plans. But Obama is just so damn good at mastering every media outlet available that his competitors have no chance. Whether its his telegenic performances, merchandise sales, energized volunteers, multilateral internet appeals (facebook, mybarackobama, youtube, email), and finally all that campaign cash to buy up television ads it wouldn't matter if his ideas were good, bad, popular, or unpopular anymore. He has the power to alter our national psychology just like the Beatles did in the 1960s.

In fact, he probably already has. I want you to relax............................................................change.

What, or who, popped into your mind?

President Obama will be just as amazing at leading the free world as the Beatles were. I hope that in 2040 I don't have to be an old geezer who looks back to the 2008 election to tell kids about "real politicians" the way my parents tell me about real music. Barack Obama is teaching anyone with an interest in democratic power grabs how to make commercialized tools of mass media apply to Presidential politicking.

Rule number 1: Come Together, Make Yourself Ubiquitous and Squash All Competition.
Rule Number 2: Money isn't the only thing, its only everything.
Rule Number 3: And in the End... Winning is the only thing.

Comments

[lala5427]

The beatles were spectacular but youre right thats not the point. Obama talks a lot a out change. and i think that he is making lasting and dramatic changes left and right, both in the political system and hopefully in the whitehouse and our country.

Great analogy.

things will never be the same thats for damn sure.

[Torgny]

Obama has the unusual combination of being a good speaker - good on marketing and in addition to this a very deep and profound message.

Yes this is a very special year. We know of the great change the Beatles made, but I think that this is even greater. I think that 2008 will be remembered as the year when the world took a new direction (like 1789 French Revolution). The end of the old age of industrialism and materialism, and the beginning of a new era of international cooperation based on compassion. This will take time to implement, but it is really a shift of paradigm. Why is it such an enthusiasm about Obama in the countries he visits now? People feel deep in their hearts that his message is touching the very essence of their being.