Like most presidential elections, the 2008 US elections represents a collision of myths of the various versions of America that exist. What are these myths that are being portrayed?
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
A very prominent myth of this election is that the Republicans are the party the working class. Throughout the campaign, Senator McCain has called Senator Obama an "elitist" enemy of middle class America while insisting that the GOP is the party of the "common man."
This portrayal was perhaps no more blatant than during the candidates' final debate last week, when McCain lashed out at Obama's tax plan. McCain, erratic and nonsensical as usual, claimed that Obama's plan, which involves cutting taxes for the 95% of Americans that earn less than $200,000 a year, would harm small business owners. He repeatedly mentioned "Joe the plumber," an Ohio man that recently spoke with Obama over taxes. Joe, now famous after his name was 23 times in the debate, was worried that Obama's tax hikes on those that earn more than $200,000 a year would hamper the success of his plumbing business.
The average annual income of Ohio "plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters" is $47,940. It turns out that Joe, who currently does not own his own plumbing business, would actually be given a boost by Obama's proposed tax cuts for the middle class as he launches his company; that is, unless he earns more than four times the average income for Ohio plumbers.
Of course, these myths are nothing new. Republicans have long proclaimed themselves the party of the working class and criticized the Democrats for being snooty and "above the people." While it is easy to be contentious and bite back at McCain for how many houses he owns or how much money his wife's beer business reels in, we must remain cerebral and tactful. The fact of the matter is, the economic policies promised by Barack Obama will benefit 95% of the American people will the plan proposed by John McCain will only benefit the top 5%. Now, ask yourself, which is the elitist party?
An anonymous person posted a response to an article about Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama on the Chicago Sun Times' website. the post was about how racism has affected this presidential campaign - - http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/10/colin_powell_endorses_barack_o_1.html
If this is true, then perhaps there is the myth that our society has "overcome" racism and that voters don't hold a candidate's ethnicity against them - -
Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?.....think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different?
Ponder the following: What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter? What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class? What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee? What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards? What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married? What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization? What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard? What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Se nators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.) What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter? What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included disc ipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes? What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem? What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution? What if the Obamas had adopted a white child? You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would b e as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference. Educational Background: Barack Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude Joseph Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science. Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.) vs. John McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899 Sarah Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.
Another myth that Time Magazine pointed out Sarah Palin for using (and the Daily Show mocked her for) is the idea that the "real" America exists in the small towns across the nation. Small town America no longer exists, and the romanticised notion that real democracy is exercised in town halls is idealistic and ultimately, just untrue. Like Haines noted, it is corporate America who the Republicans benefit, the former Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska is using this myth as campaign propoganda.
I think that the article Laura posted is really interesting and demonstrates that different races in the United States, no matter how much we pretend to have progressed because we have a black presidential candidate, are not held to the same standards. I have heard it been said many times that the race factor in the elections won't be seen until election day when people are able to vote at the polls without being subject to social scrutiny or the fear of being seen as racist. I think that this race is far too close to call and anything could happen in the next week...
3 comments:
A very prominent myth of this election is that the Republicans are the party the working class. Throughout the campaign, Senator McCain has called Senator Obama an "elitist" enemy of middle class America while insisting that the GOP is the party of the "common man."
This portrayal was perhaps no more blatant than during the candidates' final debate last week, when McCain lashed out at Obama's tax plan. McCain, erratic and nonsensical as usual, claimed that Obama's plan, which involves cutting taxes for the 95% of Americans that earn less than $200,000 a year, would harm small business owners. He repeatedly mentioned "Joe the plumber," an Ohio man that recently spoke with Obama over taxes. Joe, now famous after his name was 23 times in the debate, was worried that Obama's tax hikes on those that earn more than $200,000 a year would hamper the success of his plumbing business.
The average annual income of Ohio "plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters" is $47,940. It turns out that Joe, who currently does not own his own plumbing business, would actually be given a boost by Obama's proposed tax cuts for the middle class as he launches his company; that is, unless he earns more than four times the average income for Ohio plumbers.
Of course, these myths are nothing new. Republicans have long proclaimed themselves the party of the working class and criticized the Democrats for being snooty and "above the people." While it is easy to be contentious and bite back at McCain for how many houses he owns or how much money his wife's beer business reels in, we must remain cerebral and tactful. The fact of the matter is, the economic policies promised by Barack Obama will benefit 95% of the American people will the plan proposed by John McCain will only benefit the top 5%. Now, ask yourself, which is the elitist party?
An anonymous person posted a response to an article about Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama on the Chicago Sun Times' website. the post was about how racism has affected this presidential campaign - -
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/10/colin_powell_endorses_barack_o_1.html
If this is true, then perhaps there is the myth that our society has "overcome" racism and that voters don't hold a candidate's ethnicity against them - -
Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?.....think about it.
Would the country's collective point of view be different?
Ponder the following:
What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including
a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe
disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while
he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain
killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?
(The Keating Five were five United States Se nators accused of corruption
in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings
and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included
disc ipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?
What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many
occasions, a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?
You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality,
do you really believe the election numbers would b e as close as they are?
This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes
positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in
another when there is a color difference.
Educational Background:
Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in
International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
vs.
John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism
Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in
the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.
Another myth that Time Magazine pointed out Sarah Palin for using (and the Daily Show mocked her for) is the idea that the "real" America exists in the small towns across the nation. Small town America no longer exists, and the romanticised notion that real democracy is exercised in town halls is idealistic and ultimately, just untrue. Like Haines noted, it is corporate America who the Republicans benefit, the former Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska is using this myth as campaign propoganda.
I think that the article Laura posted is really interesting and demonstrates that different races in the United States, no matter how much we pretend to have progressed because we have a black presidential candidate, are not held to the same standards. I have heard it been said many times that the race factor in the elections won't be seen until election day when people are able to vote at the polls without being subject to social scrutiny or the fear of being seen as racist. I think that this race is far too close to call and anything could happen in the next week...
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