Politics meets Hoops at Brown

There is an interesting article at ESPN today about the help that Craig Robinson is lending to the Barack Obama campaign. Robinson, the coach of Brown University, is the brother of Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle. Though campaign contributions would probably be welcomed, the Obamas have been getting help from Robinson in the form of occasional speaking appearances and pep talks. Robinson is a basketball coach at heart, so his advice is more along the lines of a coach- staying positive and competitive, the importance of preparation, etc. Politics aren’t his specialty, it’s people.

So when Robinson speaks on behalf of the Obama campaign, it usually isn’t for the purpose of supporting policy initiatives, commenting on foreign policy or joining in the snips and jabs with Senator Hillary Clinton, it is usually to talk about the kind of guy that Barack is, and how he could tell- basketball. Robinson used to play pickup basketball with Obama when they were both a lot younger. He found out a lot about the democratic nominee’s character and personality on the court. Being perceived as genuine and personable is one of the biggest things in politics these days, and is one area where Obama and frontrunner Clinton seem to have the most disparity.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 13, 2007 - Post a comment