Today in DC...

When I lived in Los Angeles, I got used to living in a town where people buzzed about movie stars.  Traffic gridlock was a given on Oscar night.  When I lived in New York, it was the theater.  Now that I live in DC, I'm getting used to living in a town where people buzz about politicians.  It's common place to see limos drive by accompanied by the secret service.

But today was remarkable even by DC standards.  Not only was the State of the Union Address tonight, with its accompanying heightened security on the streets near the Capitol,  but today, political rock star Barack Obama was in town, being endorsed by JFK's only surviving brother and his only surviving child.  People were ecstatic.  They stood in line for hours just to get a chance to see him.

Even the media coverage of Bush's State of the Union Address was overshadowed by the event earlier in the day. Who cares about what a lame duck president has to say when there is a rock star in the house?  And Bush did not do anything to make himself more interesting, delivering an address with nothing visionary, or even remotely  provocative other than the fact that he's obstinately sticking by his hawkish/corporate strategies. So why not talk instead about Barack inheriting the mantel of JFK? Of fulfilling the promise that Bobby's death left unfulfilled.

It is a stark contrast between the president who has preyed on our fears to satisfy the greed of his friends, and the candidate for president who sounds like the answer to our prayers.  For years now, I've been saying that we need another Kennedy, another person who will call us to our better natures, and that is exactly what Obama is doing.  

But I am growing increasingly uncomfortable with the messianic fervor surrounding him.  As if he is our savior.  What is going to happen when people realize there is hard work to be done, by us?  And I'm even more pained by the Clinton-bashing coming from many Obama supporters.  If we hate the "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality of Bush, why is it ok now to do the same?  The more fanatical his followers become, the more I'm pushing back.  Which is sad because I really do think his is the message we most need, but we may destroy that message in the process.