09-15-2008, 04:15 AM
Argenpress, Argentina
<b>
Elections in the United
States: Whatâs Important</b>
By Juan Francisco Coloane
With the rise of Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as partner on the John McCain ticket, the issue has been limited to the immediate sphere of personal emotions. It is like a return to the pre-Woodrow Wilson era, with full international isolation of the U.S.
Translated By Chris Kelso
September 8th, 2008
Argentina - Argenpress - Original Article (Spanish)
With the conclusion of the two Party Conventions to confirm the nominees for the presidency and vice-presidency, the agendas in dispute were becoming diluted in the personal biographies of the candidates and in the projection of their respective charismas.
The addition of Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket reveals that the gravitating element is profoundly associated with the role of marketing in politics, where it is spread through the agendas and the political platforms. They obtain votes because of their record, and later, when they are in power, they do things differently. It is politics in its purest form, and it has not changed since the beginning, with very isolated exceptions.
At the end of these two conventions, what was long awaited, happened. The United States, the dominant power of globalization, turned into a village, reducing political exercise; instead of aggressively aiming to resolve transcendental problems, it aimed at issues linking public ornamentation in the characteristics of figures in competition.
This essentially is the spirit with which the Republican Party has decided to confront the eight weeks that remain. As the agenda they had was saturated with eight years of George W. Bush, the party that has planned to be in the White House 16 years in order to eradicate any trace of progressive liberalism, according to the current Vice President Dick Cheney before assuming office eight years ago, decided on the strategy of destroying the opponent, and not for setting up a more attractive theme.
It is a shame. Also taking into account that in the election of Ronald Reagan, and the current President George W. Bush, they have spoken on things from economic content to the contention towards communism in the times of the Cold War.
With the rise of Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as partner on the John McCain ticket, the issue has been limited to the immediate sphere of personal emotions. It is like a return to the pre-Woodrow Wilson era, with full international isolation of the U.S. Without entering into the arena of prejudice, with Sarah Palin emerges a political figure evoking a mix of Doris Day and Connie Francis. The Republicans are masters in this sense. They brought out Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, all at appropriate times, faced with this the Democrats could do little.
People and Not Politics
The Republican bet consists of highlighting the war experience of McCain and the pathos of Palin as a woman, converting into decisive factors for this election. It is not the content of the public politics which is the topic of interest for the voter, but rather the values that the candidates represent.
That is to say, what started and emerged in this election with the rise of Palin to counteract the substance of Barack Obama, is not a U.S. parted in two because of a polarization of political or ideological character, but rather is something worse: in the methodology of the Republican which dominates the political scene, public politics are separated from the individual condition.
A return to the origins of the formation of the U.S. soul: the strictest individualism, exacerbated in a world that is becoming every moment more interdependent. In this sense, the McCainâPalin ticket would be an anathema with regard to the times. âFor the Republicans this election is not about issues, but about people,â comments an expert. âNo longer is Iraq important, Osama Bin Landen remains at large and the economy matters little,â he emphasizes.
Although making an effort in order to not fall into the trap of marketing, Barack Obama cannot be situated very far from this either. Because of this, the issues to debate and resolve have been reduced to a less specific part, that of values, education, and moralities.
Where is the âEl Doradoâ of Votes?
The Democratic Party itself has succeeded in the last elections of Senators and Governors, with an agenda far away from social themes. What they concentrated on, facing a generational change of voters that could be referred to broadly as a âpragmatic modernistm,â are the opportunities originating from the post industrial societies, focusing on the profitability of services, higher technology, information, transport, and biosciences.
To go after the vote in the western states, and the womenâs vote inside the electorâs sphere, would seem to be the slogan in the final part of this election.
In this sense, not everything is working for the Republican marketing. Before the arrival of Palin, Barack Obama maintained a significant window over McCain in preference from women. In a recent poll (Washington Post-ABC News), Obama had a 55% approval rating from the electoral universe of women. McCain hardly bordered 37%. With the nomination of Palin, unexpectedly she appears to be obtaining more adhesion from men. On the other hand, more than 50% of women think that Palin is not qualified to be vice president. There is an area of seven states in the Midwest and West, with Democratic governments where they have increased the number of representatives.
The positioning of Sarah Palin and the publicity arsenal emphasize the personal values, which represent an appeal to the core ethics of the so-called average U.S. citizen. To this should be added the way she will acquire the campaign in this remaining period. She has started to dominate the political strategy of the adversary's destruction, commanded by the disciples of Karl Rowe, the advisor who contributed to the two victories of George W. Bush.
This average electoral group will determine if the United States will either leave or remain in the heart of darkness.
To resolve the most essential central issues in the economy, or the failure of the U.S. in its aspiration to lead the world, seem like very grandiloquent goals facing a neoconservative electorate, and each time more preoccupied with the close and personal arena. Someone will have to see the gurus of self-help and entrepreneurship, Sex and the City, the age of information and advanced technology. Any ideological contraption that tries to link the content individual with the system, dreams of depravation.
<b>
Elections in the United
States: Whatâs Important</b>
By Juan Francisco Coloane
With the rise of Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as partner on the John McCain ticket, the issue has been limited to the immediate sphere of personal emotions. It is like a return to the pre-Woodrow Wilson era, with full international isolation of the U.S.
Translated By Chris Kelso
September 8th, 2008
Argentina - Argenpress - Original Article (Spanish)
With the conclusion of the two Party Conventions to confirm the nominees for the presidency and vice-presidency, the agendas in dispute were becoming diluted in the personal biographies of the candidates and in the projection of their respective charismas.
The addition of Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket reveals that the gravitating element is profoundly associated with the role of marketing in politics, where it is spread through the agendas and the political platforms. They obtain votes because of their record, and later, when they are in power, they do things differently. It is politics in its purest form, and it has not changed since the beginning, with very isolated exceptions.
At the end of these two conventions, what was long awaited, happened. The United States, the dominant power of globalization, turned into a village, reducing political exercise; instead of aggressively aiming to resolve transcendental problems, it aimed at issues linking public ornamentation in the characteristics of figures in competition.
This essentially is the spirit with which the Republican Party has decided to confront the eight weeks that remain. As the agenda they had was saturated with eight years of George W. Bush, the party that has planned to be in the White House 16 years in order to eradicate any trace of progressive liberalism, according to the current Vice President Dick Cheney before assuming office eight years ago, decided on the strategy of destroying the opponent, and not for setting up a more attractive theme.
It is a shame. Also taking into account that in the election of Ronald Reagan, and the current President George W. Bush, they have spoken on things from economic content to the contention towards communism in the times of the Cold War.
With the rise of Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as partner on the John McCain ticket, the issue has been limited to the immediate sphere of personal emotions. It is like a return to the pre-Woodrow Wilson era, with full international isolation of the U.S. Without entering into the arena of prejudice, with Sarah Palin emerges a political figure evoking a mix of Doris Day and Connie Francis. The Republicans are masters in this sense. They brought out Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, all at appropriate times, faced with this the Democrats could do little.
People and Not Politics
The Republican bet consists of highlighting the war experience of McCain and the pathos of Palin as a woman, converting into decisive factors for this election. It is not the content of the public politics which is the topic of interest for the voter, but rather the values that the candidates represent.
That is to say, what started and emerged in this election with the rise of Palin to counteract the substance of Barack Obama, is not a U.S. parted in two because of a polarization of political or ideological character, but rather is something worse: in the methodology of the Republican which dominates the political scene, public politics are separated from the individual condition.
A return to the origins of the formation of the U.S. soul: the strictest individualism, exacerbated in a world that is becoming every moment more interdependent. In this sense, the McCainâPalin ticket would be an anathema with regard to the times. âFor the Republicans this election is not about issues, but about people,â comments an expert. âNo longer is Iraq important, Osama Bin Landen remains at large and the economy matters little,â he emphasizes.
Although making an effort in order to not fall into the trap of marketing, Barack Obama cannot be situated very far from this either. Because of this, the issues to debate and resolve have been reduced to a less specific part, that of values, education, and moralities.
Where is the âEl Doradoâ of Votes?
The Democratic Party itself has succeeded in the last elections of Senators and Governors, with an agenda far away from social themes. What they concentrated on, facing a generational change of voters that could be referred to broadly as a âpragmatic modernistm,â are the opportunities originating from the post industrial societies, focusing on the profitability of services, higher technology, information, transport, and biosciences.
To go after the vote in the western states, and the womenâs vote inside the electorâs sphere, would seem to be the slogan in the final part of this election.
In this sense, not everything is working for the Republican marketing. Before the arrival of Palin, Barack Obama maintained a significant window over McCain in preference from women. In a recent poll (Washington Post-ABC News), Obama had a 55% approval rating from the electoral universe of women. McCain hardly bordered 37%. With the nomination of Palin, unexpectedly she appears to be obtaining more adhesion from men. On the other hand, more than 50% of women think that Palin is not qualified to be vice president. There is an area of seven states in the Midwest and West, with Democratic governments where they have increased the number of representatives.
The positioning of Sarah Palin and the publicity arsenal emphasize the personal values, which represent an appeal to the core ethics of the so-called average U.S. citizen. To this should be added the way she will acquire the campaign in this remaining period. She has started to dominate the political strategy of the adversary's destruction, commanded by the disciples of Karl Rowe, the advisor who contributed to the two victories of George W. Bush.
This average electoral group will determine if the United States will either leave or remain in the heart of darkness.
To resolve the most essential central issues in the economy, or the failure of the U.S. in its aspiration to lead the world, seem like very grandiloquent goals facing a neoconservative electorate, and each time more preoccupied with the close and personal arena. Someone will have to see the gurus of self-help and entrepreneurship, Sex and the City, the age of information and advanced technology. Any ideological contraption that tries to link the content individual with the system, dreams of depravation.