The networking Valley Boy (Silicon, that is): how Obama raised his money
Every time I’ve read that Obama has been one of the largest political fundraisers of all time, I’ve wondered how he did it. Here’s the answer.
He did it by innovative networking-type fundraising among computer-savvy people who were excited by the newness and youth of his candidacy. Google and Facebook and You Tube were started by the very young, and they’re wildly successful. Why not a president who understands such things and isn’t hampered by too much prior experience? Experience just hobbles the mind. Who needs it—and who needs to know much about history? Not Obama.
Here’s the flavor of his appeal:
…[M]ore than any policy, the idea of Obama and the world he speaks for seemed to excite something deep within the limbic system of the Valley brain that manifested itself through the early and continuing financial support that was crucial to launching Obama’s campaign. Getting behind Obama, especially for those who did so early, appealed to their self-image as discerning seers. Though she ultimately went with John Edwards, Nadine North captured this better than anyone: “Obama was the new, new thing, and that’s what we’re all about here.”
[NOTE: In a related matter, I’ve written before about the ways in which Obama uses his speech patterns to appeal to the young.]
Ugh. “…the world he speaks for…”, “…seemed to excite something deep within the limbic system of the Valley brain…”. This loose sort of speech gives me the creeps. Limbic System. The Valley Brain. What’s next, the Ether? Phlogiston?
As someone who worked at three dotcoms back in the time when twenty-something CEOs stomped the earth, I don’t look forward to a dotcom president, which is what I think Obama would be.
If there were “political technology” constantly recreating itself, maybe his lack of experience would be of less concern, but there isn’t and all that Obama is offering us is the old negotiation paradigm and the example of JFK meeting with Khruschev in 1961.
Obama, being historically illiterate as well as inexperienced, doesn’t realize that summit went badly for Kennedy and the US. As JFK ruefully said later to a reporter, “[Khruschev] beat the hell out of me.”
Yet another example of the self esteem generation. They are big on the “Yes we can” and pretty skimpy on the what, the why, the how, and the results.
Yep, dot.bomb all over again. Sales, deliverables, revenues? Surely, you jest. This is the New Economy, where the old rules don’t apply. And oh yeah, we’re also leveraged to the hilt. But who cares? And what’s a “business cycle”, anyway?
We all saw how well that worked out. Scary.
After reading the article in full – I’ve decided to donate to
McCain’s war chest- he may not be the strongest candidate,
but he’s all we’ve got
> This is the New Economy, where the old rules don’t apply.
I think it’s a mistake to entirely diss the idea of The New Economy. I certainly think they had a lot wrong, but there is and will be A New Economy (it is in place, and there “will be” a better understanding of it at some point). And the differences are not trivial. There are some vastly critical differences between an IP and Services Economy and an Industrial Economy. IP and services are a vastly different commodity for dealing with than manufactured goods.
What you saw was the First Draft. Eventually, they’ll produce a better one.