To get something out of the way right here up front, I'm a staunch supporter of Barack Obama's and have been since he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Where I may differ from a great number of Democrats out there is that when a whole lot more people were supporting John Kerry, John Edwards, or whoever else in 2004, I was campaigning for a former Republican, General Wes Clark (who could make an outstanding VP for Obama). Don't get me wrong, I'm a full-on Yellow Dog Democrat (rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican), but I think the things that separate the parties most fundamentally in the US isn't ideology, it's populist doctrine. The Republicans for a long, long time have represented the interests of big business and ignored the needs of the poor and disadvantaged.
The argument frequently used against Barack Obama's candidacy is that he isn't experienced enough to lead the US in the more and more complicated arena of foreign policy. The only documentary I've found out there gives the American public a better chance to look at Obama's character and capabilities as a diplomat abroad.
Bob Hercules and Keith Walker's Senator Obama Goes to Africa runs right around an hour, but don't let that discourage you from giving it a look. This film was made in 2006, before Obama had formally declared his candidacy for President, and if anything, I think it could very well have been an influential trip in that respect. The most nutritious part of Senator Obama for me was the relatively unvarnished look at the candidate, unlike any of the advertisements or video clips being circulated by Obama's campaign and supporters or that of his primary opponents up to this point.
Obama presents the erudite, energizing intellectual option, the truly enlightened American who doesn't have the historical baggage of Gore, Hillary, and others. I only hope the new generation of Democratic candidates don't just latch on to his coattails, but emerge from similar circumstances as Obama: not independently wealthy, but well-educated.
The wonder of the film is that it allows you to follow along and get a sense of how much "the real deal" Obama is as someone who can go overseas and command the respect of the world on top of understanding the issues affecting all of us, third world up to the superpowers.
Similarly to when I wrote about Al Franken's transformation during the runtime of All Franken: God Spoke, from entertainer to junior statesman, Obama makes a transformation here. Different from Franken's transformation, Obama as a junior Senator realized on this trip the great need his country and the world had for him at this point in the course of human events. It was this trip, I'm convinced, when Obama realized that the alleged "cult of personality" was a charge made in jealousy by others and that he would run a campaign like no one has, possibly ever.
I imagine we won't see as clean an observational portrait of Obama until after the election in November. Everything is going to be quite blatantly slanted, whether for or against. I like docs that really dig in and make an ideological statement, but I'm glad this one didn't. Instead, the filmmakers decided to sit back and observe, a much wiser choice, and it makes this film stand out amongst all the advertising that's out there.
First Run Features is the exclusive distributor of Senator Obama Goes to Africa and it is currently available from their website. First Run also put out One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern, which Jeff liked a lot. This thing would make a lot of scratch if it were available through on-demand download services people are using to put video on all manner of digital devices, especially after he wins the nomination.