Do you stand for you or us?

Just noticed this.  Maybe it is all about what you stand for.

This

vs.

Comments

[melissa walker]

Sorry I don't think I understand the point here - you are comparing a paid link to a search result for an intro to his site?

[kevin]

not surprising to see which one was marked as visited...

[kevin]

not surprising to see which one was marked as visited...

[gareth]

Melissa,
Wasn't meant to be a comment on the type of the link but what the campaign stand for, whether you go their sites, their ads or search links. Clinton is campaigning for President (the usual term); Obama for America. A subtle, but I think important, difference

[omer rosen]

Looking from a distance at your elections (I live in Israel), I am coming to think that that Obama's campaign is more a buzz than a real ability to make a change. It might be because of the viral activity over the internet that makes him look less serious than he really is.

[Rob @ Cynic]

Initially I thought I knew what you were getting at Gareth, but having read your explanation, I was so wrong.

I thought you were articulating the importance of having a simple, clear 'philosophy' rather than an [albeit important] subtle play on words between President and America.

Maybe you're right - but I can't help but feel "Help Make History" is a more powerful statement than "Obama for America" - one is outward thinking whereas the other feels inward, but then we all know the American sentiment don't we [ ;) ] - though to be fair, both candidates could claim to be offering American voters the same promise in some way.

There's a famous story about the US Airforce pitching for a new fighter plane to be built.

Over weeks, all the Generals sat around the table listening to ever-complex pitches about how "Manufacter A" would build a better plane than "Manufacter B"

A while later, a new company walked in and the guy took out a marble and rolled it down the long table.

"Who'd like a fighter plane that registered the size of a marble on the enemies radar?" he asked.

Everyone obviously nodded in agreement, to which he brought in his engineers and said, "These guys will show you how it's done".

As the old adage goes, make people want to buy, don't try to sell.

And for the record, don't think I am a Hilary supporter - I just thought her internet link was more powerful, but that could be because it didn't include all that corporate bollocks underneath it like Obama's.

Right, I'll shut up now.

[felix]

It's fascinating reading the comments and see how different everyone's point-of-view are.

The distinction between "we" and "I" is a fundamental difference between the two. The inclusiveness in Obama's speech and tone is what makes him so attractive to the "We" generation.

Henry Jenkin has a great post on this subject.
http://henryjenkins.org/2008/02/obama_and_the_we_generation.html