Axelrod's Fall Riefenstahl Strategy

American Thinker ^ | July 09, 2008 | Lee Cary

[neverdem]

This fall, watch for David Axelrod, Obama's campaign manager, to choreograph at least two post-convention mass events at least slightly reminiscent of the stagecraft of Leni Riefenstahl in 1934 Germany.

Ms. Riefenstahl first heard her idol at a 1932 rally. She was enthralled by his public speaking ability and became a devotee, dedicating her genius to making films that deified The Leader. Her 1934 work entitled "Triumph of the Will," documenting a mass rally in Nuremberg, remains a movie classic with its pioneering dramatic camera work and superbly suggestive imagery.

Riefenstahl, a former dancer, put a camera on a semi-circular track and did a continuous rolling shoot that revolved 180 degrees around the stationary Leader, projecting his firm, unwavering, demigod-like resolve before adoring masses eager to be rescued. The film is still widely regarded as the most innovative and effective propaganda piece ever made. 

Watch for a reincarnation of the Riefenstahl Strategy this fall coming from the Obama Campaign. It will start on August 29.  

Barack Obama has mastered the big-audience platform speech. Not since William Jennings Bryan, "The Boy Orator of the Platte," and Democratic Party presidential nominee in 1896, 1900 and 1908, has an American politician catapulted into prominence based largely on oratorical skills. And Bryan had no teleprompter.

Obama's widely-televised primary speeches cemented his image as a stirring, motivational speaker. His followers swooned. Hollywood personalities heralded him as an evolutionary politician. Collectively, the old news media said, "Oooooh!"

Since then, his speeches have failed to reach the euphoric glorification of those early events, which were essentially the same speech reworked for each occasion.  

So, for now, the worm has turned away from Obama in that venue. But not to worry; it'll turn back strong when he delivers his acceptance speech at Denver's Invesco Field before tens of thousands of adoring, cheering fans on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.

At that event, the partisan nominee will be transformed into the Chosen One of the nation. He will no longer just belong to Democrats, but to all America. Some of us will watch with alarm. Others will feel their spirits lifted.   

The camera will pan the stands -- old and young, white and black and brown. Families will hold up small children to see him from afar. Variable camera angles will capture his profiles, his smile, his gestures.  Michelle and the girls will thrill the crowd with a wave projected on the large stadium screen. In response, the crowd will lift a collective cheer.

Someone close to the mike will shout, "We love you, Obama."  He will echo, "I love you back."  The camera will focus close on one, perhaps two, with hankies held to their eyes. Tears because he has come, and they are the ones for whom they've waited.

This mega-event will be the high-water mark of the Obama campaign. But it won't end there. It'll kick-off a short series of mass-audience events. (Is Madison Square Garden booked yet by the Obama campaign? And a venue in Florida? Or Michigan, perhaps?) A "short series" because this is something that can be overdone. But Axelrod et al won't overdo it.

Meanwhile, until the Democratic Party convention, Obama's staff will tightly control his appearances to avoid the gaffes he makes when speaking off-the-cuff in casual settings. Away from the teleprompter, he has feet of clay. Sometimes wet and slippery clay. His staff, alert to the danger, will manage his schedule to keep him safe from himself. The old media news won't like it, but they'll trundle along. After all, they're waist deep in the tank for him.

So, regarding Obama's big-speech prowess, we're in the lowlands of an emotional curve.  We await the post-convention surge when his campaign stages events that will eclipse his earlier speeches in size and stagecraft. For its part, the old media will herald each successive extravaganza as evidence of a mounting ground swell for an Obama victory.

These fall events will be less congratulatory than his acceptance speech. They'll aim to project an image of thoughtful substance. The Presumptive President will artfully smooth over the rough edges of the gaffes and inconsistencies that surfaced in the middle earth between the last primary and the convention. They were/are calculated to reposition him in the middle. And they're working. This fall he'll chide any criticism as reflecting the old politics and dismiss Republicans as champions of the status quo.

In mass events after the Denver convention, Obama will recreate the histrionics of his primary speeches when adoring, sleep-depraved, enthusiastic campaign workers shared the triumph of victory.  This fall, all the People will share in his coming victory, for it will mean their redemption from anxiety about the future through the Hope he brings for real Change. Obama will slide back into his original campaign themes as he closes toward November.

Fall media coverage will focus on the Obama Phenomena with even more intensity than before. For the final two months of the campaign, we'll be indoctrinated with episodes from the narrative arc of his life history. We'll hear, often, of the historical significance of his political ascendancy as a black man. Panels of television prophets will exalt his story in the genre of legend.  All this will come in a steady progression to his assumptive victory as projected by the old news media.

Meanwhile, McCain, who has already missed several opportunities to crack the Obama façade, probably will fade deeper into the background as he becomes a supporting actor in the high drama of His Coming. McCain, the requisite contra-Obama figure. Moses' Aaron.

All this as Barack Obama steps firmly onto the stage of Marshall McLuhan's "global village" when, to paraphrase McLuhan, the incarnate medium becomes the message.

If all this comes to pass, some of us who support the crusty, combative, former Navy pilot who reveres Teddy Roosevelt may still be wondering what we wonder today?  Which is...

When will McCain answer the bell and fight like hell?

[SERKIT]

Hedley Lamarr (Barry Obama): "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

Taggart (David Axelgrease): "G*d darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore."

[AU72]

Denver/Nuremberg, Civilan Corps/Brownshirts.

All that's missing is a stirring anthem like "Horst Wessel Lied", or "Tommorow Belongs To Me".

[cla62]

Well said, and laid out exactly as it will happen. McCain needs a fighter running his ad campaign. To hell with this politically correct running from all statements that tell the truth. Stand up and fight man, quit being a little pussy. He needs to attack, strategic, straight forward attacks before the annointed one stands in the pulpit for all to see and glorify!!!!

[fieldmarshaldj]

"When will McCain answer the bell and fight like hell?"

He hasn't yet, so why start now ?

[NewHampshireDuo]

Not since William Jennings Bryan, "The Boy Orator of the Platte," and Democratic Party presidential nominee in 1896, 1900 and 1908, has an American politician catapulted into prominence based largely on oratorical skills.

May BHO have the same electoral success as Bryan.

[OKIEDOC]

What a great movie.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Not since William Jennings Bryan, "The Boy Orator of the Platte," and Democratic Party presidential nominee in 1896, 1900 and 1908, has an American politician catapulted into prominence based largely on oratorical skills."

Funny, I thought Barry catapulted into prominence based largely on his pigmentation skills.

[muawiyah]

Naw. Turned out he can deliver a prepared speech pretty well and he has Eisenhower's vocal qualities.

This can all be explained ~

[rod1]

He won because it was Barry vs. Blue-Stained Dress II and Barry was more in vogue.

[Palladin]

Oh, please—nowhere no how can anyone compare the voice-over commercial skills of Barack Hussein Obama with the eloquence of William Jennings Bryan.

And Bryan wrote his own material. It was not concocted by some overwrought ex-soap-opera script writer.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I would say more like the skills of Ike Turner and less like President Ike (well, ‘cept Michelle has Ike T’s temper).

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, but that “Cross of Gold” speech of his was crass demogoguery at its worst. He harkened in the modern era of Democrat party liberal hysteria.

[fishtank]

MSN Live Search for “Obama + Messiah”

http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?q=obama%20messiah&FORM=BILH

[henbane]

All this as Barack Obama steps firmly onto the stage of Marshall McLuhan's "global village" when, to paraphrase McLuhan, the incarnate medium becomes the message.

And Barry wants to harangue a frenzied mob at The Bradenberg Gate in Berlin.

Axelrod's Riefenstahl Strategy is deja vu all over again.

?Foreshadowing Invesco Field--Denver CO?

[weegee]

"...cheering fans on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech."

Chris Matthews Hails Obama Speech As 'Worthy of Abraham Lincoln'
Newsbusters
March 18, 2008 - 18:02 ET

On Tuesday night's "Hardball", Chris Matthews praised the current Democratic frontrunner's speech on race as "Worthy of Abraham Lincoln," and also claimed it bypassed Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" address as the "best speech ever given on race in this country." Of Barack Obama's speech in Philadelphia today, Matthews went on to declare: "I think this is the kind of speech I think first graders should see, people in the last year of college should see before they go out in the world. This should be, to me, an American tract."

--

CNN's Gergen: Obama Speech Echoes Martin Luther King, Abe Lincoln
Newsbusters
June 4, 2008 - 17:46 ET

"Change We Can Believe In" is the new "I Have a Dream," that is, if you ask the crew at CNN.

During Tuesday’s live election coverage, CNN reporters and analysts gushed over Barack Obama’s speech, comparing it to those of Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln as well as praising Obama for his graciousness towards Hillary Clinton.

Leading up to Obama’s speech, Anderson Cooper announced: "An extraordinary moment for Barack Obama, for his wife, Michelle Obama, for all of those supporters, not only gathered in that, in that stadium tonight, but people watching around the country, even those who may not support Barack Obama certainly taking this moment to reflect on the historic nature of what is happening on this evening."

[snip] CNN political analyst and former Bill Clinton staffer David Gergen praised Obama’s public speaking abilities and compared this speech to those of Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln:

"We haven't had a speaker publicly speak this well since Reagan. There are echoes, obviously, of Martin Luther King in this speech. There are echoes of Lincoln in this speech. Bill Clinton could give a heck of a speech. I think Barack Obama may be even a better speaker.” Gergen also said, “[T]his was a night, the last night until September, when the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate are going to be on national television on the same night, being seen by everybody. And I think there's no question that Barack Obama gave a better speech."

[patriot08]

I think Kwissey got a case of man-love for Obama.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the pic.

[henbane]

I think Kwissey got a case of man-love for Obama.