Okay so this might seem frightening. But theres a reason why I'm posting third time in a day. I found this really amazing video on you tube which I'm sure many of you might have heard of by now. When the NYT, the economic times both cover it, and at a time when Barack Obama is currently the most vidded person on you tube, it surely must have spread around. But in case you haven't heard of it, you better take a peek at this clip.
The travesty of the video is that the same reason why people are congratulatory and panegyric about this young person is also why it undermines the basic idea that it represents in the first place. The very fact that this video didn't just pass by unnoticed like the hundreds of other campaign related videos, but instead garnered a million views, depicts a rather unfortunate mindset of the people in the country. And I am rather guilty of being one of those whose impressions are molded by the media. And seeing someone who dresses like a slacker, is chewing gum, but most importantly is 'young', would definitely flash the words 'dumb' and 'ignorant ' in front of my eyes. I hope the media and the politicians reach out to these youngsters in a more researched manner and not heed to the stereotype build up by the media. As a result of which they usually dumb them down and whistle to them with a leash in their hands. I'd like to see how the Clinton camp reacted to this. They seem to downplay Obama and his voters, jibing that his votes come in from the fazed celebrity acolytes. Looks like this time around, the people are better researched than the candidates. I have to say. I am impressed America.
The situation is pretty much reversed in our country. In our place the voters are and have always been better informed about the issues than the candidates themselves. Its always the younger generation that the politicians have a hard time handling. They don't even bother trying to placate them. They realize that they would be stumped for words if they did. Sadly the only thing we can do is to hum along to the lines of 'Waiting on the world to change' while replacing 'word' with 'government'. Till then we watch the presidential elections over in America with mixed interests and trepidation. I have been on the fence regarding the Obama/Clinton fight so far. But looking back at that video and seeing an educated, well researched voter siding with Obama for reasons which are purely objective and detached from and devoid of the traditional sensitivities which so glibly pour out in elections, I have to say I'm all whetted and moving a bit closer to the Obama camp than towards Miss Clinton's.