Disdain Versus Change
Last week in this space I applauded the fact that a few important shards of reality broke through the predictable pageantry of the Democratic National Convention. This week, it is hard not to boo the truly fantastical specter of the RNC, where reality was banished from the hall.
Like others, I will critique the non-reality of it all (see Bob Herbert, e.g.), but I also think there is a critical, forward looking lesson from the past two weeks about how the fight is evolving, and what Democrats need to do to win this election and get America back on track.
It's their disdain versus our hope.
The whole frame of the RNC--running against the Washington establishment--was ludicrous, of course, with the ticket headed by a 26-year senator whose agenda is almost perfectly in sync with that of the past eight years. I tried to listen to all the big speeches, but to hear Romney argue that it's the liberals who have screwed everything up, or Palin, charismatic as she may be, gleefully mock Obama, or the chant of "drill, baby, drill" from the crowd, or McCain wax substance-free, ad nauseam, proved to be too much for me.
One of the best responses came from Obama himself.
"You wouldn't know that this is such a critical election by watching the convention last night. I know we had our week and so, you know, the Republicans deserve theirs. But it's been amazing to me to watch. Over the last two nights, if you sit there and you watch it, you're hearing a lot about John McCain - and he's got a compelling biography as a POW. You're hearing an awful lot about me, most of which is not true. What you're not hearing is a lot about you."
Watch the clip. He goes on to talk about what the R's managed to ignore all week: health care, alternative energy, jobs, the recession, the middle-class squeeze, strengthening unions (well, it's not like they would have come out for that one, though I did find it curious that they kept bragging on how Todd Palin is a member of the steelworkers' union--I get that they're making a play for the Reagan democrats, Hillary's white-working class vote, etc, but again, the spectacle of them courting these folks with their deeply anti-union agenda is hard to watch).
Obama's comments--"they're talking (albeit, lying) about me, not you"--were particularly notable compared to those made by McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis, who said the other day:
"This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."
So these are the battle lines, and they're worth a bit of deconstruction. It's not just the old,
"we're about issues, they're about personalities." Like Obama said, it's about reaching "you," the voter, but each camp is going after a very different you.
Obama is correct, of course, in that they're not talking about your real struggles, the challenges you face. They're not talking about the part of your life wherein good government can actually make a difference. That's because they've failed to govern competently and they're bereft of ideas about what to do next.
But they are, in their coded, Rovian way, talking about "you." It's just not the "you" that can't find reliable, affordable health care, or the you whose job was offshored, or the you who would like to know the plan for reversing the eight months of consecutive job losses, or the you who's asking why we're about to bail out Fannie and Freddie.
The "you" they're going after is the one on which they successfully played the fear card in 2004. They played that card again in 2006, but you didn't pick it up, and they noticed. So now they're going after a different you.
They're stoking your disdain for "elitism"--a deeply weird tack given the status of so many of their principal players--for the media, for the Washington establishment (again, incredible). Remember the McCain adds accusing Obama of being a celebrity? It's the same thing: disdain for this unusual guy who's just too damn popular.
In fact, if you had to find one word to characterize that convention last week, "disdain" would be a fine choice. We think of negative campaigning as saying bad things about your opponent, but the negativity of conservatives in this election goes much deeper than that. It's a pernicious drive to tap into the electorate's cynicism, distrust, and disdain.
Did you see Giuliani and Palin tear into Obama for working as a community organizer? It was cast as a critique of his lack of experience, but I also heard pure disdain for helping the have-nots and powerless. (And it's been pointed out that the evangelical Palin should recognize that Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor.)
What happened to the "morning in America" party of their patron saint Reagan? There's no optimism to these folks, just cynicism and disdain for the electorate: "Hey, you're a women for Hillary...well, then you'll want to support our new VP (pay no attention to their hugely disparate views);" disdain for the planet: "drill, baby, drill!;" disdain for the facts: "Obama will raise taxes on the middle class and small businesses!" (He cuts taxes much more than McCain for both groups.)
They're so busy spewing venom, they don't have time to think about the "you" that could use some seriously good government right about now. We face so many profound challenges both here and abroad, in no small part because we've been operating from their fantasy play book for so long. WMD's, Americans don't torture, Brownie's heckuva job, Mission Accomplished, the economy's fundamentals are sound, we're all whiners stuck in a mental recession...all of this nonsense keeps today's conservatives so busy assaulting reality that any actually useful initiatives have been almost totally crowded out.
But how do we make this election about the right "you," not the disdainful one who gets a negative charge out of dumping on Davis's "composite views," but the one who wants and needs a return to reality-based governing? As Drew Westin has pointed out, if this fight ends up being about our lists of good ideas versus their emotional grab, we lose.
Obviously, we need to elide our ideas with narratives that emotionally resonate, as Obama effectively did in his acceptance speech. It's helpful to point the hypocrisy so clearly on display last week at their convention, but too much of that and we just end up vying for the same negative vein they're busily tapping.
This doesn't mean they get a pass. Part of the narrative that Obama et al must continue telling stresses how damaging their ideas have been, particularly over the Bush years, and how McCain/Palin double-down on the worst of those ideas: supply-side tax cuts, endless war, no serious energy policy beyond drilling, privatize Social Security, health care reform that eschews risk pooling, the whole "you're on your own" agenda Obama castigated in his speech.
But the positive part of our agenda is equally important and it is simply this: we have will and the skill to honestly assess where we've gone wrong over the past eight years, and to make the needed changes to get America back on track.
We can look, open-eyed, at the current economy, with its contracting job market, banks failing in the wake of the housing bubble, and unprecedented levels of inequality and do something about it, something very different than what we've been doing: progressive tax changes (cuts for the those on the losing side of inequality, increases for its beneficiaries); an alternative energy plan that creates jobs while investing in independence from fossil fuels; a re-regulatory agenda to break the shampoo cycle of the macroeconomy (bubble, bust, repeat). They look at the same thing, somehow see an endorsement of Bushonomics, and push for more of the same.
It's the same with the war, where they're so busy supporting the Cheney/Bush/surge success story, that their eyes are off the ball. Did McCain even mention the resurgence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
I admit it, Mr. Davis, these are "issues." And while I know you'll be fighting to make this election not about them, we'll be relentlessly linking them to the real lives of the people you and your team are trying to collar with cynicism, disdain, and mockery.
And while it will be a close one, in the battle of hope and real, substantive change against cynical disdain, I think we'll win.
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The average life expectancy of a white male is 75.7 years. John McCain is 72.
(source: WebMD - http://www
Given his medical history, I'm gonna guess he picked-up Dad's longevity gene (and not Mom's longevity gene) and he could very well be "called home" while in office. That gets us a new president in Sara Palin.
Now that's change we can believe in, right folks??
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE DARN COFFEE, PINK ROSES, OR WHATEVER SUITS YOU...BUT JUST WAKE UP!
The average age for a man born when he was is actually about 68.. However as you get older the life expectancy does increase..
Regards
Palin: Drill in ANWAR and sportingly (!) shoot from airplanes the wolves and bears. Maybe her campaign slogan should be:
Drill and Kill
A damn fine article J.B.,If only the rest of this country read your story then i think people would really understand what`s at stake for our near future.
this post is fantastic.
everyone, please spread the word and make an attempt to tell someone who won't vote for obama why you are voting for him and why you think it will help our country. we need to keep spreading the good news because the only the republicans can do is walk around like primitive apes, shaking sticks at the sun, babbling like angry, stupid fools, and surgically dividing the electorate with insane values voting.
we are fighting against the agents of intolerance, the party of graft, corruption, lies, chicanery, illusion, crocodile tears, and wanton jingoistic insanity. we are fighting the agents of chaos, so hellbent on personal dominion over others that they scan spin nothing but webs of untruth to perpetually deceive the american people from the true promise of america. WE MUST NOT LET THEM HIJACK THE MESSAGE OF THE TRUE PROMISE OF AMERICA OR WE WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER ELECTION. WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO DEFINE US, RATHER WE MUST BE CONTROLLING THE MESSAGE OF THE ELECTION. IF WE CONTINUE TO NOTHING BUT REACT, WE WILL LOSE BECAUSE WE WERE NOT AGRESSIVE ENOUGH. WE NEED TO BE BLUNT AND HIT HARD WITH SIMPLE BUT INESCAPABLE CRITICISM ROOTED IN OUTRIGHT FACT. DONT LET MCCAIN AND PALIN OFF THE HOOK BUT HIT HARD AT EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE OF HYPOCRISY. DONT ALLOW THE CONTRADICTIONS TO SLIP AWAY BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THEM TO CONTROL THE STORY OF THE ELECTION. BARACK PLEASE HEED THIS ADVICE!!! WE NEED YOU!!!
Amen! I am tired of people wanting to be so nice and so politically correct all the time for fear of offending anyone. That type of thinking is exactly what lead us to be where we are today. We need more folks saying stuff like this!! Let's hear more of the truth!!
Obama/Biden 08!!!
Why won't the MSM press McCain to admit that we never should've invaded Iraq in 2003, but they press Obama night and day to admit that the "Surge" is working and bringing us close to victory?
It's called protecting capitalism.
That's exactly what I was thinking yesterday when Obama was interviewed. Again and again it was the Surge -"Why won't you admit your were wrong about the Surge" asked by George Steph over and over.
Perhaps Obama should be clearer in his answer. The truth is that the Surge hasn't worked because if it had, we would no longer be in Iraq. There is less violence because we have more soldiers in Iraq - that's not a surge, that's a troop increase (surge implies an increase for a limited amount of time). Who knows what would have happened, if we had drawn down our troops - perhaps the Iraqis would have stepped up and taken over their own security? It is their country after all! That the simple answer to this stupid question!
Or, he should take a page out of the Rovian/McCain playbook and simply say - "This question has been answered. I will answer no more questions about the Surge!" How do you think that would play in Republican-world?
The real question is to McCain - "Why won't you admit that your support of the Iraq War was wrong? Why do you think every problem in the world has to be answered with our military? Don't you think our military has been stretched to the breaking point by this approach?"
,,,and why won't the msm press McCain for a definition of "victory" in Iran? How will we know when we've won?
I cannot believe that people (including the four blacks) sat in the audience and listened to John McCain tell them they had been bamboozled, hoodwinked, and led astray for eight years and their was nothing but wide eyed glee on every face. I cannot believe that I listened to John McCain tell the American people the Maverick party would throw the bums out and bring the change America needs,.
Bazarro world
Einstein was right. "There are two infintes, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure abou the former."
Awesome quote.
Einstein could have said "There are two infinites, the universe and the studity of a large portion of Americans, and I not sure about the former."
As one of the 28+ million small businessowners in the US, 95+% of which employ 2-10 people, I'd just like to point out that when you speak about raising corporate taxes ... you are talking about giving us a choice between paying those taxes or creating another job to offer a livelihood to another American.
If any of you run a business, you know how tough it is. I run two, one in California, and one in Arizona.
I am pro-choice, and have always been independent in my social views ... but when I vote I know I am responsible for having a thriving business that can support my team of 18, and their families, as well as delivering the best services as we can and also help support our vendors as well. So I vote as a business owner first and foremost.
It is us entrepreneurs that have kept all of the local economies churning despite the media's attempt to make this the "worst" economic crisis ever. We are the ones continuing to innovate, and are out there working 7 days a week to actually make things happen, rather than sit and whine that someone has to come in and "save" us. We save ourselves.
Instead of labels of evil, or ignorant..
Jared,
The best description of what happened at the RNC was the pure venom they spewed. Their disdain was plentiful and their mocking of people's success was breathtaking in it's scope.
That was the saddest convention I have ever seen and I thought the 04 con was sad, with the mocking and denigrating of Kerry's service while actually FIGHTING in Vietnam while McBush dropped bombs from above and got shot down. Funny how to members of the Thug party, if you are a republican your military service is above reproach while if you are a dem you military service is to be mocked and denigrated.
But watching the glee with which the delegates and their buddies in the hall laughed at other's hard work in their lives was appalling.
Just appalling and sad in their disdain for those not like them.
Correct on all counts but the American public is too brain dead to know
Look. It is really STUPID to believe that an ordinary hockey mom isn't a HUGE change. Americans have elected millionaires to the White House for decades upon decades. What we have here is an ordinary middle class woman whose son is going to war and whose husband belongs to a union. This is not only CHANGE, it is unheard of in the history of these United States.
Joe Bidden is a 35 year congressman -- THIS ISN'T CHANGE.
Barack Obama, is a Millionaire --THIS ISN'T CHANGE.
Whatever your policy differences are, don't worry, Barack Obama will soon enough embrace all major Republican issues. He has already said the surge worked, though he voted against it. He is backing off his TAX plan as we speak [again embracing the McCain plan] he is also going along with McCain on troop withdrawals.
Today John McCain said something that impressed me, he said that he would pick the best people to work in his administration no matter their party affiliation. This is real CHANGE! Obama, hasn’t said this.
The Democrats had their chance at change and it was a Hillary Clinton ticket that was squandered; now we have a working mom who is fun to watch and I as a Hillary supporter find myself rooting for her.
It's amazing that you would even mention Hillary Clinton when she was only used as a ploy to garner sympathy so that you and your party could use it a tool of division against Barack Obama.
The games you and your party play are dangerous ones. You don't care about the United States Of America as a whole. You only care about people who think and behave as you do.
Our responcibility as Americans is to support each other even if we disagree.
I am ready to take that charge and be responcible for my people, (THAT MEANS EVERYONE)
Like most Americans, I watched the Republican National Convention (RNC) and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). In a nutshell:
DNC = hope, change, 21st century vision and yes, the issues affecting everyday Americans.
RNC = cynical, sarcastic, mocking, no vision, no ideas, zzzzzz
Obama/Biden 08'
As I talked with the people who used Obama's perceived lack of experience (Repub lie) to say he shouldn't be president, these same people now embrace Sarah Palin and refuse to believe any facts about her - yes, America will get what it deserves.
We can only go so far off course till there will be no getting back on track. Four more years may be all it takes.
Middle class Americans are digging their own graves.
Excellent point!
you know what i really don't get about the celebrity issue? saint reagan was a true celebrity. he was an actor and went on to be governor of california, then president. arnold schwarzenegger is a true celebrity who went from entertainment to politics. obama may be a celebrity, but its BECAUSE of politics. so people like him...why is that perceived as a negative?
Obama's experience as a "community organizer" was mocked by the GOP! However, it is those skills which will win him the election. While we are wasting broadband posting senseless messages on the HUFFPO, Obama's organizers are in the neighborhoods of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, and other battleground states getting voters registered.
Don't give the pols much credibility as they have never asked me who I would vote for. This election is all about winning Ohio, and other battleground states, and is not about 45% vs 46%. That is silly!
An Obamma "footsoldier" came to my doo the other day to find out how I was going to vote, because I'm registered Independent. She couldn't believe I could support Mccain. I had to tell her I was in the military during the cold war to fight Communism why would I vote for it........ she turned white and slinked away, it was gold.
Are you really proud of that reaction? Where is the love and respect for people and their differing veiws? All of us have to take a good look inside of our self and challenge ourselves to be better.
You can have and own your own veiws, but when they step on the decency of others we need to give ourselvs a reality check.
I applaud your service to our Country yet appeal for compassion when dealing with differing views.
Thats how we get better as a Nation.
forget trying to reach ignorant white racists. They are incurable sociopaths. The real question of this election is whether there are still enough of them to determine the outcome.
It seems to me that thre're more than enough "ignorant white racists... incurable sociopaths". Here're the latest numbers- just released:
McCain leads Obama 48 percent to 45 percent among registered voters, by Gallup’s measure.
Nielsen Media Research reported that the Republican convention earned more television viewers than the Democratic convention. Republicans earned an average audience of 34.5 million, while Democrats earned an average viewership of 30.2 million.
And you really think all those are racists and sociopaths?!
Yes
But we should continue to reach out to their children who are young enough to see the limitations of their parents and still have the neuroplasticity to overcome them.
I rember a bumper sticker: "Teach and you reach the future"
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