John Kerry Woos Oakland

by Phil Wolff in Current Affairs, Events Gone By, Issues, Media Watch, News, Vision.

Two thumbs up. One for process, one for substance. Like a Broadway musical or a romance novel, American political rallies follow a formula. The better they follow it, the more idealized the experience.

First, you need an enthusiastic crowd. 

The rally was well promoted and professionally operated. We only expected to attract 500-700 people into the Teamsters hall. The fire marshal let in a thousand. Another 1200 waited outside in the damp forty-degree breeze, craning to hear JK over a public announcement system. The audience was what you might expect: Teamsters, veterans, fire fighters, Kerry volunteers, paid staff, 50 reporters, the curious, and their children. A handful of volunteers phoned East Bay citizens for the past week, spreading the word. It paid off.

The energy was good. Modest anticipation. Good cheer. Nobody angry. Nobody bored. Eager to see Our Guy.

Second, the big entrance.

Since Kerry won delegates, he's been under Secret Service protection. Everyone is aware of this, having passed through metal detectors and a bag search. He's running late from his fundraiser in San Francisco, rumor has it he's taking a private boat to beat Friday's Bay Bridge exodus. A check of national media shows he was late to the dinner from his foreign policy speech at UCLA. Kerry arrived with staff (think West Wing couture) and wired up men with wandering eyes. Cheers! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! seems to work best in a 4-4 beat.

Next, the warm up team stirs up the mob.

Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry speaks to supporters at the Teamster's Hall Friday evening in Oakland (Michael Lucia / Oakland Tribune)

Politicos banged the drum like the comic who gets the audience going before the Tonight Show. State Treasurer Phil Angelides was our host. He introduced the head of the Teamsters local, the rep to the central committee, the state treasurer, Mayor Jerry Brown who introduced three of the city council, Cruz Bustamante, state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (fresh from leading the California Dean campaign), and Senator Diane Feinstein. Each did their bit for party loyalty and gave 1-2 minute rousing speeches. A little bit of the rhythm we'll see for the next hour.

Kerry did his shtick.

Really good shtick.

Crowd roaring, jumping up and down, placard waving shtick.

He stroked the audience. The veterans. The firefighters. The union workers. In their language. On their terms. Kerry really listened. And the audience could tell. That conversation kept us riveted, eager for the next surprising line.

Phrase by phrase, he played true. The lines were the usual stump rhetoric, but polished and flowing. Skewering Bush, point by point. Pulling policy and the events of the day and the audience into context. The war and energy policy. Corruption and transparency. Homeland first responders and Iraq spending. Polluters and influence. Pocketbooks and health care. Tax codes and corporate PAC money. Distractions and issues. 

Subtext was everything. And the crowd got it.

Hope.

Fairness.

Opportunity.

Pulling for the small guy.

Faith in the public.

Duty.

Patriotism.

And then he left.

A good time had by all, even the hundreds who waited out in the cold the whole time.

I drove three Danish reporters to BART (sorry for missing the exit, guys). We talked about the media coverage. In November, when Kerry was an afterthought, his San Francisco rally drew 300 attendees and maybe three or four cameras. This time there were twenty camera crews, a dozen print journalists, local radio, and amateurs. All the electronic media would grab 15 to 30 seconds. Which ones? What context would they add? Which message would dominate? And would this news fodder compete against all the other memes popping up today?

We also talked about Kerry's connection to the crowd.

He changed uncommitted voter minds. He gave the audience love and they gave it back. Rapport. Will that translate into buzz, into active word of mouth? Into volunteerism and activism? One of the strengths of the Dean campaign (thank you, Dr. Dean) was to amplify and reinforce that sharing of love. They were able to keep it spread it to about a million people, and to keep it growing within their core for a whole year. We have eight months until the next election. Will Kerry and the Democrats and their friends, like Labor, be able to build on that love for Kerry, their frustrations with Bush for the length of a pregnancy? Will they be able to move the American people to find that love in their own hearts? Despite mean people saying nasty things?

This is the start of a romance triangle with the American people.

Kerry is stepping up, speaking his mind. In the overtures he's telling us we're not being treated well by our current beau. That Bush not only doesn't listen, but that he's mean, seeing other people, a bad provider, doesn't look out for our children and grandparents, and wants what's best for George, not us. Kerry has this political season to tell us not only why we should dump Dubya in the middle of things, but why John is a better man for us, the man we want to share our future. We're getting it. For some of us it's not about love, or lifestyle, or basic safety. It's about getting our country to a battered women's shelter before something worse happens. 

Campaigns are conversations. This was a good one.

More coverage:

• Kerry pulls no punches during rally in Oakland : Presidential hopeful blasts Bush on everything from the war to lack of funding for firefighters. By Alex Katz, Oakland Tribune.
• Kerry says Bush has left U.S. vulnerable to attack : Senator wants 40,000 more troops overseas. By Carla Marinucci, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writers.
• Kerry pays campaign visit to Oakland. By By Alex Katz, Tri-Valley Herald

What was your experience?