Obamamania was coined in 2007 to describe the energetic supporters of Barack Obama, a relatively unknown Democratic presidential candidate. The term refers to the frenzy of devotion similar to Beatlemania. Obama’s charisma, youth, and progressive policies attracted younger Americans who dominated the internet with websites, videos, and blog posts. Grassroots support helped propel his campaign, with supporters making donations, attending rallies, and distributing flyers.
The term “Obamamania” was coined in 2007 to describe the immensely energetic and motivated supporters of Barack Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate. Many commentators have remarked on Obama’s sudden rise in popularity with some disbelief, wondering why the nation had been gripped by Obamamania. The candidate’s supporters have suggested that his immense popularity reflected his strong ties to the American electorate.
The term is a reference to the “Beatlemania” that swept the world in the 1960s. Many Beatles fans displayed a frantic demeanor at concerts and other events, while at the same time the Beatles’ popularity increased immensely, with their albums topping the charts and dominating the airwaves. Obamamania was characterized by a similar almost frenzied level of devotion from such fans, leading to great public attention for the candidate.
As a candidate, Barack Obama had a number of distinguishing features that attracted public comment long before he officially committed to the presidential race, not least his relative youth for a presidential candidate. He was a relatively unknown candidate who leapt into the public eye with a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The fact that Obama was African American was also a topic of discussion in a country that had elected only white presidents.
The Obamamania phenomenon appeared to originate among younger Americans, who perhaps were attracted to the candidate because of his perceived progressive social policies, coupled with his relative youth. Some people have also commented that Obama was a very charismatic candidate, captivating people at political rallies and other events with extremely well-written and delivered speeches, coupled with a knack for performance. The rise of Obamamania has also heralded a shift in American politics, with supporters relying on a variety of means to get the word out about their candidates.
Obama fans have dominated the internet, for example, starting numerous websites promoting the candidate and posting hundreds of videos, blog posts, and audio commentaries about the candidate. Some Obama fans have gone all out, as in the case of “Obama Girl,” a woman who garnered a lot of public attention with a slightly sexualized video about the candidate called “I Got a Crush on Obama.”
Obama’s early command of grassroots support undoubtedly helped propel his campaign, with supporters making donations through his website, attending rallies, holding information sessions, and brazenly distributing flyers around the country. Obama fans also made political posters, stenciled their hometowns, and voiced their support on the airwaves, newspaper columns, and other more traditional venues.
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