Party Watchwords: Fairness and Fear

A watchword is the familiar code used by a sentinel to tell the approach of a friend. After three debates and a protracted exposure to campaigns that show consistency on both sides, we can say what the watchwords of the parties have become. The Democrats are speaking of fairness, the Republicans are speaking of fear.

Once or twice in last night's debate, Barack Obama referred to the value of fairness in the civic life of democracy. Joe Biden, with greater sharpness and force, made the revival of fairness almost the central theme of his debate against Sarah Palin.

It doesn't seem fair that every month in Baghdad the federal government spends money it no longer has to spend in Galveston or New Orleans. It doesn't seem fair that the Republican candidate for president has come into this campaign without a semblance of a plan for medical insurance, and that, as a substitute, he palms off on voters a $5,000 check from the government, without telling us that adequate coverage now costs about $12,000 for a family of four. It doesn't seem fair that the CEOs and stockbrokers and stockjobbers who made out like bandits while they destroyed the economy are now assisted by Treasury to execute their getaway with a parachute of gold.

John McCain, a man celebrated for his courage, could not be the one to carry the message of fear which is the most infectious vote-getter of his campaign. That work has therefore been entrusted to Sarah Palin; and she does it with a credulous devotion that suits her personal style. "I am just so fearful," she said in a speech on October 6 in Clearwater, Florida, "that [Barack Obama] is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America--as the greatest source of good in this world." And again: "I'm afraid this is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to work with a former domestic terrorist who had targeted his own country."

The repetition of the idea of fear, in the words fearful and afraid, was a carefully coached piece of rhetorical insinuation. Yet Palin's phrasing also brought an oddly disturbing echo for anyone who had seen the e-mails channeled in susceptible right-wing circles half a year ago--mailings which spoke of powerful evidence that Obama was a secret Muslim with dubious intentions toward this country. At the bottom of one such letter were the unsigned words: "I'm afraid of this one. I'm just so fearful." An unwary reader might naturally assume that the disarming confession had come--with the signature somehow erased by accident--from an anxious woman of uncertain education in her late seventies or eighties. It now seems likelier that those words came out of the workshop of Karl Rove. Anyway they have become Sarah Palin's words. She speaks for, she has become, that elderly, shaken white woman who is "so afraid" of Obama. It was noticeable too, in last night's debate, that McCain threw out a studied echo of the same letter's use of "this one" when, quite oddly, he called his opponent "that one."

Sarah Palin, as immodest as she is unqualified, has thus been put to the job of trawling for undecided voters who are racially anxious enough to be tipped into voting for McCain by one additional rumor or tremor or fear. It must be added that in this rotten cause, she received some unexpected assistance from the lead story on William Ayers which the New York Times published on October 4. The story by Scott Shane disclosed, in elaborate detail, that there was nothing much to the connection between Obama and Ayers. Other newspapers had reached the same conclusion with less fuss. The effect of the Times's 135 column-inches and the longhair Sixties photos and the fingerprints and picture of Ayers's arrest--the effect of this peculiar treatment was, by the very fact of bringing the matter into discussion, to support the idea of some connection between Obama and the word "terrorist." It was left to Palin merely to insert the word "domestic."

Why did the Times do it? There are several possible answers, all of them unpleasant. One has heard it said that the story, accurate in its details after all, was long in the works and only its timing was unfortunate. Still, the decision to run at all a very big story on the very small subject of Obama's friendship with Ayers, is not a decision that an institution like the Times, with its layers of editors and managers and ownership, could possibly have taken lightly. The same paper that says we ought to negotiate with Iran, and yet says that Iran is an "existential threat," now wants us to know that Obama is a serious candidate, yet it wants to show what a long story can be made of the threat his former associations might be felt to present.

Possibly these swings of emphasis are sincere--if we can allow an institution the virtue of sincerity. Yet "there are kinds of sincerity," wrote Camus, "so confused that they are worse than lies." By now Americans know Barack Obama about as well as they have ever known a candidate for high office. The reasons to vote for or against him turn out to be ordinary reasons. If there is a silent scandal in the campaign, as it now goes forward, it comes from nothing in his past, and nothing, even, in the legend-laden and reconstituted past of John McCain. The scandal is the presence on the Republican side of a candidate who by policy is kept away from questioning by the press. That is a story. Nor would it show imbalance or partiality for the better newspapers of this country now to declare the simple fact. To run someone for vice-president who cannot answer political questions is an abuse of civic responsibility which is rapidly becoming a national outrage.

Comments

[carmazon]

I heard Rush Limbaugh go into a tirade today on his show because Obama was running ads with rerferences to his mother and maternal gradmother. Limbaugh repeatedly attacked Obama for now "trying to run as a Caucasian." I can only shudder at one Limbaugh's point was, and I don't understand why the more bizarre and extreme language being used by some isn't getting more publicity. Right wing radio is no longer even putting up a pretense of not being racist. . Laura Ingraham repeatedly played a taped interview with an obviously urban African-american man who was homeless and was expressing his desire to vote for Obama , and she repeatedly warned her listeners how these kind of people could control the election. One of her listeners called in and suggested that Mc Cain use the tape in an ad to demonstrate who was "the average Obama voter" and Ingraham agreed vigorously. Someone has to call these people on resorting to racism as their desperation grows.

[moonwatcher]

On the evening news, I saw two angry guys in Wisconsin complaining about Obama. I would like to tell those guys how I feel. I'm angry too. I'm tried of watching you people elect dummies that get us into wars for no purpose other than they wanted the oil. There was no weapons of mass destruction. I'm angry that the guy that planned September 11th is still running around. I'm angry that our country is in financial crisis and you people want to elect the same stupid people again. If you think you have a corner on anger there are millions of people like me who have watched their 401s go down the drain and all you are concerned about is a man who sat on a board with Obama who committed a crime years ago when Obama was eight. We're all supposed to get angry about an angry minister who didn't like it when we went into Iraq. I'm sorry but I'm tired of hearing you people blabber. We put up with almost eight years of your selection and look where it has got us.

[PT6]

Palin's FEAR message is perfectly in line with ROVE's Messages over the years!

Shame on Newsweek for having Rove, a person who ignored a subpoena from Congress, allowed space in their Magazine.

I certainly respect Newsweek but it they drop down to the FOX level I stop reading that Magazine!

[mentalasanything]

Let John McCain know that you find this type of mudslinging campaign unacceptable.
(Keep it clean and pass it along!)


http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

[punditpolice]

McPalin keeps asking "who is Barack Obama?" We need to push this video and get it into the MSM- they will NOT stop the Ayers attacks- fire back with this!

Sarah Palin: Palling Around With Secessionists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eniG9l_7its

[grf67]

Why is palin already in court for tax evasion? She can answer the abuse of power changes later.

[PioneerKing]

Mr. Bromwich:

You are a bit off base. This is not about the racists who were never going to vote for Sen. Obama.

This is about solidifying the base, and shaking the foundation of the folks who believe in Sen. Obama. This tactic is to surpress the enthusiasm of the newly registered, the lasped voters and to stem the tide of the Reagan Democrats from going over to McCain. This is about scaring the elderly in Florida who were beginning to turn towards Sen. Obama.

This is not about those folks who were never going to vote for Sen. Obama this tactic is about diminishing turnout by the registered Democrats and Independents.

[redsongia]

When is Palin finally getting hauled into court? It seems like she breaks ethical, tax and any law dealing with good governance at record rates.

[redrush]

The negativity and undercurrent of racism is what is going to bring the disaffected Republican voters to the polls. Pre Palin and back when McCain had integrity, the "base" were willing to stay home on Nov 4th. but now they have been given something to vote AGAINST because the McCain/Bush policies obviously won't garner any votes on merit. Sad but true the frightening adage "Give the people something to hate" will distract from the empty rhetoric of this campaign.

[5150]

Whaddya like: this one, that one or the other? You know this one, you know about that one and as for the other, well you know. Follow your heart: this one, that one or the other.

[vicenteduq]

Intelligence Test for America on November 4.

And the Whole World watching the Big Event.

Vote for Imbecility or for Reason.

For me PalinMcCain is a covert duo of racists, with the help of Fox News.

Have you counted the number of times that Palin or McCain say HATE, like in "they hate us" ????
Have you counted the expressions "Nations that dislike us" ????
or the sentence "that threaten us" ????

They are politicians of FEAR and HATE, I dont understand How a Black Man, a Latino, Asian, Native American or Multiracial can vote for such pair of Bigots. Unless the person considers himself or herself very "White looking" and "safe of persecution".

I am optimistic. I believe that America is Intelligent, Smart and even Shrewd. I believe that the Obama Coalition of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Multiracials, PHDs, Masters, BSs, and also Intelligent and Cultured People will defeat the Dangerous Imbecility.

See how :

http://tossUpStates.blogspot.com/

http://milenials.blogspot.com/

Vicente Duque

[bannorhill]

In 1 1/2 years as Governor Sarah Palin has pushed through ethics reform, taxed excess oil profits, increased education spending, balanced a budget, given tax refunds, set up a committee to study global warming, got work started on a gas pipeline, and cut 10% out of the state budget with vetoes.

In 4 1/2 years as a Senator Barack Obama pushed through one bill to name a post office and you claim Governor Palin is the one who is unqualified.

[Lui]

Palin should dump McCain and run as a third party candidate.

She could restart the "Know Nothing Party"

[prabbit]

They've been operating for years now...just under a different name: Republican.

[bannorhill]

Obama could start his own party and start a "Do Nothing Party".

[billthomson]

The republicans are upset that Newsweek had the gall to put an unretouched photo of Palin on the cover. The funniest thing about this is they are drawing attention to a story questioning her competence.

Rome may be burning, but how dare you fail to retouch our candidate!

http://palincounter.blogspot.com/

[GingersPawPaws]

FOX news is for McCain if you want to stop all the Lies you need to put your TV off the Channels that are supporting him and Palin,
Morning Joe was bashing Obama this Am

if you want something to stop MAKE IT!
find out your news stations that are supporting mcCain /Palin and boycot them Quit Watching if their ratings go down they get the message!

[Tommygun264]

FOX Noise lost tens of millions of dollars in revenue each year for over a decade before it turned a profit. Boycotts and campaigns against local affiliate stations can only go so far against a neoconservative agenda willing to take massive financial losses. Strengthening and enforcement of the regulations meant to guard against media monopolies - laws which limit the number of television and radio stations and print media - should also be pursued. The FCC has granted Rupert Murdoch - a foreign citizen - a virtual monopoly of news source outlets in large sections of this nation, all under the guise of deregulation. This must be reversed.

[BarackMarley]

Palin saw America as imperfect enough to Pal Around with radical Alsakans who wanted to secede from the union. Her hypocrisy knows no limits.

Read an Interview With AKIP Chairman, Lynette Clark on Palin's Involvement
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/akip-interview-on-palin/