Elections and the Death Cult

I will venture a guess that, contrary to what many believe, Hillary Clinton's biological status as a woman was as much an asset as a liability in the Democratic primaries. One can only speculate, but there was an understandable and fervent belief on the part of many highly mobilized (white) women voters that her achievement would be theirs. This is the contradiction of phenotype authenticity in an age where some women and some people of color can be the exception to the still standing hierarchies of social power that affect most women and most people of color.

What defeated Clinton, aside from Obama's brilliant "ground game" (as the pundits call it) of registering and turning out new voters and his superlative internet fundraising strategy, were two things: war and race.

Hillary Clinton's shameless warmongering during the runup to the Iraq occupation led a small but significant sector of voters to declare early and often that she would never, ever receive their votes for anything (I am included in that number).

During the South Carolina primary campaign, then, Clinton made her first major gaff in suggesting that Lyndon Johnson was more pivotal in ending Jim Crow than the Black masses who had for years participated in the struggle against American Apartheid. That was the point at which Black voters, heretofore split between Clinton and Obama, walked away from her in disgust. This shift caused the Clinton campaign to recalculate its strategic emphasis away from African America, which they had just lost, to mobilizing white, working-class America's stubborn negrophobia.

The irony is that now, with two men running against one another for the presidency, we will see the real gender war played out.

Phenotype authenticity (wherein a woman is automatically seen as representative of women, or an African American is automatically seen as representative of African America) is a superficial and tangential cultural reflex. It is not, however, insignificant. Too many Black parents believe that Obama's presidency will give a sense of renewed confidence to their children. This is superficial; it is tangential; and it is important. The same could have been said about girls had Clinton secured the nomination.

But now that two men are running, we will see the essence of gender as a thoroughgoing system of male dominance -- and masculinity constructed as conquest, as McCain forces Obama to demonstrate his membership in the death cult called masculinity. Already pundits are saying that what Obama needs on his ticket is more "testosterone" (I shit you not, that was said on television). What that means is the willingness to inflict and accept the deaths of human beings as proof of a "protective" manhood. We call it militarism, because the fact that it is more deeply about gender is too sensitive a topic.

The challenge must be met in order to win, just as Obama had to throw his former pastor under the bus in order to win. Clinton knew he would have to; and McCain knows that Obama will have to step up and demonstrate his "manhood" when the gauntlet is thrown.

This norm begins with gender policing at home and in the schoolyard, where the "sissies" are weeded out for abuse. It is imbricated with what Carole Pateman called the "sexual contract," a deeply-rooted cultural notion that women have to exchange obedience to one man for protection from all other men. It is mythologized in our social imaginary as the line policed by men with guns (now with a few token women) that separates the Dark World of taint, horror, and chaos from the Safe World of our outlandishly over-built environment, our phony smiles, our incessant image-management, our terror of falling behind, and our inalienable right and duty to buy shit.

Masculinity is a death cult. It is proven by the willingness to accept, condone, and ultimately inflict death; and it is demonstrated in our affectations of disregard for our own deaths.

Watch this campaign from here out; and we will see McCain lose I believe, but in the process he will force Obama to present his masculine bona fides in an orgy of ritual, and superficially coded, gender-baiting. It will go unnoticed for what it is, because the power of gender as a social hierarchy is still so ubiquitous that we ignore it like the air.

This is gender in a far deeper cycle of social reality than phenotype authenticity.

Pay attention.

Comments

[bastion]

I found it interesting that within a week's time I came across both your blog post here and this one

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/05/masculinity-and.html

both concerning the issue of Obama and masculinity. I think that the black five posting is unfortunately far closer to the way most Americans (women and men) view the necessary functions of men in positions of martial power. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

[JWakkaJane]

Hmmm. I only got a few minutes right now, but this is a good one.

What about FDR, Ben Franklin, Jimmy Carter? (and no I won't mention Lincoln)
I think there's been a shift since the days of Carter.

I think "Woman's Inhumanity to Woman" by Phyllis Chessler was a long overdue book, like "Odd Girl Out". I have always been inclined to hold women as responsible as men for 'the way things are', including problematic "patriarchal" crap. I've always had a problem with romanticizing women, the 'feminine".

I think if you strip it down a little further, trying to identify what's shifted toward the uglier since Carter was president, say, I think you can get into yer basic problems with the tendency to attempt to control/manipulate (rather than...) a little TOO MUCH, and see how that is not a gender specific problem at all. There are different ways of trying to dominate others. Covert, Overt, subtle, not so.

didn't really think this out, gotta go,..

[Henry]

I, for one, hope you are right. It is long overdue for the left wing candidate to demonstrate his masc bone fides vis-a-vis this vile foul-mouthed disrespect that comes from the right. I can remember Rush-the fix- Limbo referring the Chelsea Clinton as the white house dog... and getting away with it. Kerry permitted his military honor to be pissed on by the "patriotic" right. It's long overdue to take these boys to the mat. You're with us or against us, is not democratic.
Our country is run by ugly criminal bastards who bathe themselves in the moral high ground. And we collectively tolerate this. It's high time for the ugly bastards to reap what they have sown.
(If I were McCain I'b be more afraid of Michele than Barack!)

[AngryAmish]

That hits the spot.

I've been saying for some time now that if Obama wins the party's nomination, he will be coded by the Republicans as gay. Not actually gay, in the sense of sexually desiring men (being gay isn't about the sexl act, anyway, despite the reductive efforts of homophobes), but gay in the sense that he in many ways embodies the cultural signifiers of the sissy, which is really just a de-sexed stand-in for the "faggot": slight of build, well-groomed, cerebral, articulate, the kid who had to fight with his wit on the playground in order to avoid being pulverized. Or, worse, who had to emulate the brutal ways of his bulliers in order to gain their approval and acceptance--a survival tactic that, as you point out, will likely have to be employed by any unconventional male seeking the White House.

[laurenc]

Stan, you are one of the very few original thinkers who I will go out of my way to read--because you are always brilliant and often, unconventional. I find your comments on the masculine mindset of Americans fascinating and absolutely correct. Americans are enthralled with masculinity, and the earliest attacks on the courageous John Edwards were aimed squarely at neutralizing him.
Anyone who's seriously studied gender history knows that you are absolutely correct. My caveats are only that Obama used both gender AND race against his opponents.­..but now, the future of our earth and its population depends on getting his problematic "post-partisan" (excuse me while I choke on that phrase) worldview into the White House.

[Gma11]

Well articulated.

I don't believe Obama will be as tainted as you anticipate. He's had far too many strong "authentic feminists" in his life. Your premise assumes the continuity of the "old paradigm" of power. That's what being transcended. Interestingly, even many feminists are resistent to that. Any monotheism (including fundamental feminism) REUIRES a demon of some kind.

[SmackwaterJack]

Stan, Damn, that hit every mark. Kudos indeed.

[Johnnn]

Very deep. Interesting.