What a riot of emotions I find myself sorting through after watching Sarah Palin's speech tonight accepting her Vice Presidential nomination on the Republican ticket. I wound up watching it hunched over my laptop on my on again, off again internet connection on a live feed from CNN, because Venus and Serena Williams' quarterfinals match at the U.S. Open was taking center stage in the apartment where I live, and my staunchly pro-Obama boyfriend refused to tune into the Palin Power speech because he didn't want to increase the Republicans' ratings.
But I was curious, maybe it's a kind of anthropologist's curiosity: who are these strange tribespeople who gather in the red states, and can't stand Obama and Biden, my favorite politicians ever? Not that I've ever really followed politics prior to this moment in my life, which is what is so weird about all this. It's like I'm stuck in a reality television show and I can't get out. But more than that, as a woman, I'm curious about how Sarah Palin's presence in this election affects politics, affects the way the political games are played. My very first response to hearing who McCain had picked for his VP was a sense of triumph: the only way the Republican presidential nominee could even conceive of approaching Obama's hold on the electorate was by resorting to picking a woman for his ticket. That's kind of exciting, right?
And in spite of myself I kind of like her. It feels like high treason to admit it. She's very charismatic, she manages to wade through boilerplate speechwriting and still sound like a regular person you might meet in the town where you grew up. As CNN's Campbell Brown said over and over again: "She was very relatable." I enjoy the fact that the commentators don't know how to wrap their commentary around the fact that she's kind of overwhelmingly maternal and yet super snarky. It had seemed like the Republican party wanted to paint her like some kind of a victim, of the media, of the liberal media, but she kind of hopped right out of victim status, as any woman worth her salt would. So I appreciate that.
But what is probably the most deeply upsetting thing I have experienced in this entire campaign—and I have watched more speeches by politicians and pundits alike than I thought was humanly possible since the primaries began…what kind of shook me from the ground up was the comments of Republican women afterward, on the convention floor, about why they liked her speech, saying things like: "Because she's an American woman," "She's lived what we've lived," essentially "She's one of us," "She's a true American, unlike those Obama imposters."
My life story is in some ways very similar to Barack Obama's. My mother is white American, my father is African. I have a funny name. I did well in school and went to Harvard. I can relate to a lot of different kinds of people, even Sarah Palin. But it is upsetting to have it thrown in my face that to many Americans, I will never really be an American. I don't look all-American; read: white. I will spend my entire life spelling out my name in M-as-in-Marys and S-as-in-Sams. White people will not look at me and know that half of my ancestors look a lot like their ancestors. Which I've been brought up not to care about, and it's a critical defense mechanism, embracing the one-drop rule. One drop of black blood in your family tree, and forget about being all-American. And overlook the (controversial) fact (should I even go here?) that, like Barack, not being descended from American slaves on my black side, I don't have a family history that has been indoctrinated into and beaten down by the racist mentalities of this country generation after generation. So I feel more entitled (elitist?) than some Americans think I should.
But it felt very clear to me tonight that, however much I might look at Sarah Palin and think—I know where you come from, I can relate, I've been to Wasilla, That's where my grandmother lives, I know how this conservative Christian thing works, I get the rural small town thing. Well, however much I might feel these things, I feel fairly certain that if she saw me on the street, she would write me off in a hot second as someone with no connection to her own experience. And why should I care? Her politics are wretched. She's against abortion even in the cases of rape and incest. She's against putting the polar bear on the endangered species list for crying out loud. I don't need her approval. But it is painful to know that there is a large percentage of this country's population for whom my story will never be as "American" as their own, who think I have less claim to America than they do, and by extension no right to define the cultural/political terms of my own life in the nation of my birth. I really don't know how Barack wakes up in the morning and goes out there every day with a smile, knowing full well (genius that he is) that the real game is to convince his fellow Americans that he, too, is really an American with a capital A.
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One thing I can't stand is the whole 'elitist' label. They are all senators and governors! They are the exemplars of elitism. I understand the romanticism associated with electing someone from the working class but it's clear to me that when republicans say 'elitist,' it is really code for 'snob' and what they are trying to do is convince Americans that Obama thinks he's better than the average person.
There's much work to be done.
Masi, I hope you are enraged enough to keep posting.
And as a friend of mine said this morning: getting an education is now considered "elitist", who knew?
The whole mythos of "American" is the worst part of election season. It certainly makes my (non-American) fiancé think we're all absolutely nuts. It makes my skin crawl.
As an international onlooker from the outside, I find it very difficult to find good objective copy or coverage on the primaries. I think the EU wants Cain to win too and Im not too sure why!
I think your view is very important Masi and I hope you do keep blogging. It is very disturbing to me to think that I, as a white (ethnic) person, may have more rights and respect in your country than you do.
I find it very hard to keep my emotions and anger under control when I listen to Palin. It frightens me to hear her views as I posit that she speaks as the voice of a generation of successful, intelligent and influential women who are reverting back to fundamental conservatism and domesticity after the overbearing strength of and unfair attentions drawn to the more hard core of the feminisms.
The work to be done to rectify this shift seems overwhelming. I fear for the next four years and what that will do to a country that welcomed me as one of its own for two years while it continues to disregard so many of the people who belong there and cannot call anywhere else home.
Ive been jokingly telling alot of my dear American friends to get the heck outta Dodge before the next election...I've heard many people saying that they will abandon the country and its administration if the reds win again. Who ever thought that American people may have to find political asylum?
Keep blogging Masi...
In general I find, people fear 'hybrids'... just because they can't put them in a box. I like your post.
I think the Palin nomination... what she (or her handlers) chose to say in her "coming out" speech... all the important things she did not acknowledge or say... helps to form a picture of what a large percentage in this country is becoming. Psychologically speaking, those in power are loath to relinquish their power. It gets away from what this election should be about and descends to a petty doggerel that would be hardly worthy of discussion except the stakes are so tremendously high.
I'm well educated (Ivy League) with two degrees, white and a woman. The only thing for me that is mildly interesting about Palin is her perceived strength. But it is accented with too much malice for my taste. Also her views are diametrically opposed to mine and, frankly, too narrow in scope to adequately represent the needs of such a richly diverse US population.
The controlled nature of these political conventions... particularly the RNC... and the "preemptive raids" preceding them (along with callous disregard towards the independent press covering the demonstrations there)... all of this in combination with the eroding of our civil liberties during the last 8 years keeps reminding me how high the stakes really are (and I'm not even talking about other serious issues like the growth of poverty in this country, the need to raise taxes of the upper middle-class and wealthy in order to help shore up US debt and finance public services like the upkeep and improvement of roads/transportation etc., lack of affordable healthcare and our diminishing regard around the world.)
The erosion of our civil liberties is egregious... particularly since 9/11, the introduction of the Patriot Act and the questionable expansion of executive power.
I keep thinking about a passage in Robert Bolt's play "A Man For All Seasons." Sir Thomas More showing his wisdom... innocent until proven guilty even when confronting the Devil himself:
ROPER: Arrest him.
ALICE: Yes!
MORE: For what?
ALICE: He's dangerous!
ROPER: For libel; he's a spy.
ALICE: He is! Arrest him!
MARGARET: Father, that man's bad.
MORE: There is no law against that.
ROPER: There is! God's law!
MORE: Then God can arrest him.
ROPER: Sophistication upon sophistication!
MORE: No, sheer simplicity. The law, Roper, the law. I know what's legal not what's right. And I'll stick to what's legal.
ROPER: Then you set man's law above God's!
MORE: No, far below; but let me draw your attention to a fact;-- I'm not God. The currents and eddies of right and wrong, which you find such plain sailing, I can't navigate. I'm no voyager. But in the thickets of the law, oh, there I'm a forester. I doubt if there's a man alive who could follow me there, thank god...
ALICE: While you talk, he's gone!
MORE: And go he should, if he was the Devil himself, until he broke the law!
ROPER: So now you'd give the Devil benefit of law!
MORE: Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
ROPER: I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
MORE: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you----where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast---man's laws, not God's--and if you cut them down--and you're just the man to do it--d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.
Well, it would seem the powers that be here have begun the process of cutting down laws in the guise of protecting the US. I guarantee those within the convention halls for the RNC wouldn't see it this way.
Let me just add, I've found DemocracyNow news coverage to be incredibly thought provoking and informative. It is worth checking out their segments, starting with Sept.2 and their coverage of the RNC. Also, within their Sept.3 segment is an interview with registered Republican Scott Ritter (former UN weapons inspector in Iraq) who speaks intelligently about issues and is highly critical of what the Republican Party is becoming.
Keep the blog coming Masi... and use other outlets of expression too. Theatre is always good! The important thing for all of us is to speak up for injustice and help give voice to those who aren't adequately represented.
I know my comment has gone all over the place... but god! There is sooooo much to say and soooo much that is wrong that needs to be made right here in the good old US of A!
Masi, I think your questioning shows a lot more strength than Palin's attacks. Continue sharing your experience and wisdom!
Alright. I too can relate to Palin's small-town appeal. After all, we are basically talking about a political version of Cindy Crawford's. Like you, I don't doubt that Ms.Palin (or Ms. Crawford, for that matter) would not acknowledge me as an American on the street.
As far as feeling too entitled because one's ancestors weren't slaves or worrying about not being considered an American: I too am born of an African father and white American mother. I could think of nothing less important to me than being considered an American. The Barack story, the re-definiton of Americanness, the immigrant as a central trope of the same...all of this is merely a rhetorical tool that I am willing to employ when absolutely necessary.
If Barack can make hay with a new discourse, that's great. A part of me would like to think that Barack's narrative of Americanization is nothing more than rhetoric. (Michelle Obama's remarks, in the wake of her husband's election win, about being proud of her country for the first time, however self-aggrandizing, would tend to support this hypothesis.) That would be an optimistic projection on my part...and politicians have a funny way of believing in their own bluster.
But who cares about being an American? And why should a job-seeking immigrant from a country ravished by colonialism feel any less entitled than an ancestor of a slave? And why should we have to make claims of suffering to gain access to benefits which should be basic human rights? The notion (primarily American) that we should mete out benefits by measuring suffering or difference and judging them to be worthy of redress or not is unethical from its very assumption.
Now, all of this cannot be said in an election. And, hence, there is no point in watching or speaking of an American election (or perhaps any other) with anything approaching empathy or pathos.
What really disturbs me is the idea that the two people in the White House should be "like ordinary Americans." Wouldn't it stand to reason that the person who is going to be the president of the USA should be better than the average American. It boggles my mind that some Americans are so interested in seeing "themselves" in a candidate that they would rather dumb down one of the most important jobs in the county. Some Americans thought that electing a less than average, C student, TWICE was a good idea because they are fans of mediocrity. This is a nation that hates intelligence and thinks critical thinking is elitist. No wonder our public schools are in trouble. To be honest I don't want the president of the US to be "like" me, I want him/her to be better than me.
Good post, Masi. I am so very tired of the Republicans telling us what "regular folks" they are. I just heard beer heiress and former prescription drug addict Cindy McCain tell us what a wonderful father and husband McCain is. I guess she doesn't remember him calling her a "stupid c--t" in public.
I'm also totally fed up with this "maverick" garbage. What the heck does that mean? Nothing, that's what, but for some reason, it seems to convince people he's a great guy. I'm from Arizona, and McCain hasn't done a darn thing for Arizona - he's just a Washington politician.
And how dare a grandson and son of admirals stand in his $500 Italian shoes, next to his heiress wife in her $300,000 outfit, and call Barack Obama an "elitist?" It infuriates me. Lincoln was right, you CAN fool some of the people all of the time... and they are the ones voting McCain/Palin.
All the time I was listening to her speech, and Rudy's speech before her, I couldn't help but think that she meant "white" every time she spoke of small towns and they meant "not white" when they called Obama cosmopolitan.
One of the comments above mentioned the pre-emptive strikes. Every talking head at the convention talked about how the Democrats and the media are saying that because she is a new mother she shouldn't have accepted the nomination. I haven't heard one Democrat or one media outlet say those words. The only time I hear it said is by Republicans denouncing the Dems for saying it! It's ridiculous!
Great post and keep 'em coming.
Masi, thank you for your wisdom and insight. I waited until the Republican convention was over and yesterday posted two Obama signs on my front lawn here in central Pennsylvania, wondering if they'd mysteriously disappear the way my Al Gore signs did before. To my surprise, a neighbor walking her dog pointed to one of the signs, smiled, and said "As my mom used to say, 'From your mouth, directly to God's ears.'" I'm praying God hears.
Uh OK, I had to sign up to leave a comment so let me see if I can address some of what I've read here, I will probably mix up the blog and comments because everyone here seems to be way over on the left side so please, bear with me.
I don't understand why everyone who ISN'T WHITE thinks that white people see America as white, as a mostly white guy I can tell you we are not feeling that way, especially in the past few years of floodgate immigration. I call it that because everywhere I go anymore there are many people of different colors and such speaking different languages, and mind you, I live way out in the sticks. I suppose many of you in NYC and big cities like that are used to the multi-cultural atmosphere, my problem is not with the culture but with the lack of acceptance of ours. Like it or not liberals, there really is an American culture(and no it isn't a culture of hate or negativity as your politicians and professors would have you believe), America has always been a "melting pot" but for some reason, there is very little melting taking place anymore, its now more of a tv dinner of sorts with little compartments for all those different things so none of them intermingle. The people who are coming here from other countries are no longer trying to melt in, they are here for the benefits of whatever America has to offer them, but they still consider themselves _____________________(whatever they were/where ever they escaped from), and many of them plan to go back someday. My beef is that many of us who are born American have ancestors who came here, perhaps many generations ago, who were proud to be Americans and adopted the "American Culture" specifically the customs and language. For a person of ANY color in this day and age to say they don't feel they are seen as American because they aren't white is showing their own racism, which btw is far more prevalent in the black community toward whites than the other way around. That is my perspective and the perspective of many white people I have spoken to over the years. Yes it is true we see black, latino, asian people etc. as DIFFERENT because from us they are, just as we are to them, but that isn't racist and it doesn't mean we see them as "less American", that is just plain BS. What I see as less American is the lack of love for this great country, certainly there are things that have happened in our history that were not right and they have been corrected. I have never enslaved anyone or made someone of another race or color use the back door and neither has anyone else I know, so get over it and stop making excuses, we did nothing to you, we rode the same school bus and went to the same stores/McDonalds/gas stations etc.
Just to be clear, I will not be voting for Obama, not because he's "not white", but because he hasn't been able to make up his mind on or be decisive about anything he's been asked so far, he's a master of dodging the question and there is alot of rhetoric and I think he's way too inexperienced and easily manipulated, not good qualities for the Pres. He does talk a good talk though, and he comes across very likable(and he's a smoker, I really liked that) I just wonder what you libs would have said if Micheal Steele or Alan Keyes had been the Republican nomination or VP pick, I'm guessing the same crap you're dishing out about Palin, it doesn't matter that shes a women, it only matters that she's not a LIBERAL WOMAN. Your double standards are amazing and hello, we see them. Do yourselves a favor and think for yourself for a change, don't just "Believe in" one.
Umm, exactly what are Palin's reasons for not supporting abortions in cases of rape? And isn't it rather obvious that polar bears are near extinct?
Thanks everyone for your comments! I have to respond to notthatguy, because I thought your comment was really interesting.
Here's the thing: what is the "American culture" you are referring to? I think that, rather than us all being in our TV-dinner compartments (a cool analogy, although I disagree with it), the deal is that we are melting into a stew that some people are not psyched about, that seems somehow less "American". But the "American culture" is evolving, that's the thing. The stew has different flavors now than the Irish, Italian, German, Scandinavian and other immigrants who defined so much of what we take for granted today as being "American." Now Latin American, Caribbean, African, and Asian immigrants are adding to the flavor system more and more. It's a blend of different spices.
At the same time, the fairly recent changes in technology and travel do mean that being multicultural (and America has always been multicultural) necessarily involves
being international, or transnational, and today's immigrants do have more ties to communities abroad than was probably possible for earlier waves of immigrants. That does not mean that they are less proud of the United States or their contribution to our country. It's just a result of our historical situation. The definition of "nation" is changing, the global landscape is changing, and that's something every country in the world has to deal with. It would be silly to ignore it, or to explain it away as new immigrants being "unpatriotic."
As a multi-racial person, I certainly know something about being, literally, a melting pot, so I hope you will take seriously my thoughts on this one.
Also, it's definitely not my intention to "dish out crap" about Palin because she's not a liberal woman. I actually am very interested in the Conservative Feminism movement, and while I disagree with her politics, I think her presence in the presidential race definitely livens things up and brings important issues to the fore.
It makes me sad that you think I am accusing you of the equivalent of having enslaved someone. My goal was not to make anyone feel guilty, or like "the bad guy," just to express my own opinions and feelings. Some white members of my own family have told me how upset they felt after reading my post, and that was also difficult for me.
But each of us has a different experience and a unique opinion, and I believe deeply in the importance of voicing those opinions. I would just ask that you avoid falling into the trap of "lumping all liberals together" and vilifying us as some sort of faceless mass. It's my goal to avoid doing that in my blog posts and in my everyday life. I don't believe in judging anyone out of hand just because of where they live, who they support, or whether or not they went to college etc. When we get into an "us and them" mentality, nobody benefits. I'm not saying we should all sit in a circle and sing kum ba yah every day all day, but when we let our defenses down, we can really understand where the other person is coming from. Thanks for your post, and please keep the ideas flowing!
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