While pledging my fraternity in college, I learned a poem, “Sermons We See” by Edgar Guest. It appears that the Republicans could learn from this poem. It starts:
"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day, I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear… "
The Republican Party’s choice of Sarah Palin as their veep candidate has not come without controversy. First, questions abound as to whether she is a qualified candidate, and by extension, would be ready to serve on Day 1, in the event that Senator John McCain is unable to perform his duties if elected president. Secondly, Palin’s strong religious convictions are deemed to be inconsistent with her teachings, given the reports that her 17 year-old, unmarried-daughter is five month’s pregnant. Media sources reveal that the McCain camp knew of Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy before choosing her as the veep candidate. If the strategy was a calculated one, it is consistent with the camp’s attempt to create an “us” v. “them” political environment, whereby Palin and her supporters take on the label of “us” and Obama and his supporters are relegated to a “them” status. Translation: “us-Americans” vs. “them/others.”
As stated in a previous blog, University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, in her research on American National Identity (based on a national random survey), finds that mainly white Americans identify a typical American-citizen as being white and protestant. In making sense of her empirical findings, she uses the story of the slow response to Katrina victims in New Orleans. In other words, the overwhelming majority of those stranded in New Orleans simply did not look like Americans, based on who Americans say are Americans. Rather, they were deemed to be “refugees” in their own country. Additionally, in that same blog, I summarize Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention as an attempt to convince America that she too is an American. She was coerced into making such an appeal to the American public, after she was heavily criticized for stating that "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country." Similarly, Obama’s authenticity as an American has been questioned, primarily due to make-believe stories, namely by conservative networks (e.g., Fox News), that he is not a Christian, rather that Barack Hussein Obama is indeed a Muslim (the use of his middle name served as an attempt to trigger negative attitudes toward Saddam Hussein).
Similar to the strategy to question Barack and Michelle Obama’s patriotism/American Identity, the Republican’s strategy (as it relates to their choice of Palin) may in fact be an attempt to create a racial divide by hoping that the anticipated liberal-media’s attack on Palin’s daughter will result in a closing of the ranks by white Americans. Despite the fact that Obama has vehemently denied any mentioning of this issue, and relegating it to a personal issue, there is no doubt that he will become a victim by association (with other liberals). Recall the case of the Emmett Till murder in Mississippi back in 1955. Despite the fact that the individuals, who were accused (and later confessed) of the murder, were poor/working-class whites, they were still white and thus, other middle-class and aristocratic whites were in support of their innocence, simply because of their race. Similarly, the Republicans hope is that a number of whites will see the liberal media as supporting an African-American candidate, while at the same time attacking a poor white mother (one of their own), whose child is considered to have made a simple teenage- mistake. In short, the strategy is to mobilize white support by casting/framing this story as an “us” v. “them,” scenario.
"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day, I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear… "
The Republican Party’s choice of Sarah Palin as their veep candidate has not come without controversy. First, questions abound as to whether she is a qualified candidate, and by extension, would be ready to serve on Day 1, in the event that Senator John McCain is unable to perform his duties if elected president. Secondly, Palin’s strong religious convictions are deemed to be inconsistent with her teachings, given the reports that her 17 year-old, unmarried-daughter is five month’s pregnant. Media sources reveal that the McCain camp knew of Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy before choosing her as the veep candidate. If the strategy was a calculated one, it is consistent with the camp’s attempt to create an “us” v. “them” political environment, whereby Palin and her supporters take on the label of “us” and Obama and his supporters are relegated to a “them” status. Translation: “us-Americans” vs. “them/others.”
As stated in a previous blog, University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, in her research on American National Identity (based on a national random survey), finds that mainly white Americans identify a typical American-citizen as being white and protestant. In making sense of her empirical findings, she uses the story of the slow response to Katrina victims in New Orleans. In other words, the overwhelming majority of those stranded in New Orleans simply did not look like Americans, based on who Americans say are Americans. Rather, they were deemed to be “refugees” in their own country. Additionally, in that same blog, I summarize Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention as an attempt to convince America that she too is an American. She was coerced into making such an appeal to the American public, after she was heavily criticized for stating that "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country." Similarly, Obama’s authenticity as an American has been questioned, primarily due to make-believe stories, namely by conservative networks (e.g., Fox News), that he is not a Christian, rather that Barack Hussein Obama is indeed a Muslim (the use of his middle name served as an attempt to trigger negative attitudes toward Saddam Hussein).
Similar to the strategy to question Barack and Michelle Obama’s patriotism/American Identity, the Republican’s strategy (as it relates to their choice of Palin) may in fact be an attempt to create a racial divide by hoping that the anticipated liberal-media’s attack on Palin’s daughter will result in a closing of the ranks by white Americans. Despite the fact that Obama has vehemently denied any mentioning of this issue, and relegating it to a personal issue, there is no doubt that he will become a victim by association (with other liberals). Recall the case of the Emmett Till murder in Mississippi back in 1955. Despite the fact that the individuals, who were accused (and later confessed) of the murder, were poor/working-class whites, they were still white and thus, other middle-class and aristocratic whites were in support of their innocence, simply because of their race. Similarly, the Republicans hope is that a number of whites will see the liberal media as supporting an African-American candidate, while at the same time attacking a poor white mother (one of their own), whose child is considered to have made a simple teenage- mistake. In short, the strategy is to mobilize white support by casting/framing this story as an “us” v. “them,” scenario.
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1 comment:
McCain and his pick for a female Vice President has been looked upon as a racial issue and a help towards her and her family. Many Americans see that McCain chose a female president just to make a mockery out of what Obama couldn't get. Yet instead, since his pick's daugther is pregnant and not marry they are loooking at it as if he did this out of pity and support. Well, this might is the case but he probably also knew of the things that she can do big as a help to his campaign. He figures that okay she is already a powerful governemntal influence, but with the help of his words and her words as showing many that a woman can do things good that will help make change will try to dominate on what Obama couldn't do.
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