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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (34079)	3/12/2004 2:34:05 PM
From: Original Mad Dog	Respond to of 793858

The key to postmodernism is reflexivity, when words no longer seem to refer to anything outside themselves. Reflexivity set the tone for this primary season. In his stump speech, as well as in interviews, Richard Gephardt said he was "energizing the base," by which he hoped to energize the base. Howard Dean said he would be nominated because he "was bringing new people into the process"--a remark that was designed to bring new people into the process who would then guarantee his nomination. It is an odd experience, watching politicians campaign using the same language their campaign managers use giving a backgrounder to political reporters. But the popularity of this new mode of discourse led several reporters and commentators to say that voters had become "more sophisticated." What it really showed, though, was that voters were starting to think like political reporters, which is not at all the same thing. Interesting article. Thanks. I had noticed that the discourse seemed to be circular and self referential, and that pesky outside facts which call into question the slogans are often unwelcome. This description did a nice job of exposing it. I do think that it happens on both sides, however, and the article only talks about the Democrats. Bush has uttered his share of phrases that would fit in that article as well.

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (34079)	3/12/2004 3:00:10 PM
From: DMaA	Respond to of 793858

Orwell called this "duck speak". "Let me tell you something. My message of hope and optimism is resonating all across America." And the crowd applauded! He might as well have hollered "applause line!" to receive the same reaction. Or he might have just said "quack quack quack" and gotten the same reaction

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (34079)	3/12/2004 4:28:27 PM
From: frankw1900	Respond to of 793858

Despite the desires of French derivatives and Muslim terrorists, we are still in the modern era. Anyone who starts seriously using the postmodern trope is going up a blind alley. 'Postmodern' is premodern: a return to magical thinking. Ferguson is good: But by fall the weirdness will drop away, as politics leaves its self-referential cocoon and emerges into the harsh light of that other, larger world, where nonpolitical people live. I don't know what the harsh light will reveal, but I can guess. Is it possible that electability will no longer be a good reason to elect a candidate whose message is his message? The Bush message, if the Reps have any common sense, should be now, and in the Fall, "The Dems are soft on national security and they will tax you to death. Tax, tax, tax, and make nice to the bad guys: That's all they know. We, as you know, will defend our country, promote its aspirations, and nurture its growth." They shouldn't talk about it. They should get out and tell it. Kerry's hopeless. He talks about the Bushites being "crooks," as if this is going to grab the hearts of the undecideds. It won't. Reagan slept whilst his appointees tried to steal the country and he still got re-elected because enough undecideds knew what he stood for and he was demonstrably a bit ga-ga! But it was clear he wasn't so ga-ga he would deviate. Bush isn't ga-ga at all. Kerry has at least two positions on everything. It seems to depend on who he spoke with last. I can hear it now: "Do you want the country's policies made on the parking lot?" If I was Carville, my favourite happy warrior, I'd take the election off and do my wife's photocopying....