The Great American Novel
This intelligent and biting criticism of the media by Elizabeth Edwards makes me disheartened all over again that her husband dropped out of the race. Of course, she could never have written this if he were still in the running, which in itself says something about the state of free speech in America.
In Edwards' view, the media made and broke candidates' chances by covering them as if "searching out characters...for a novel." Those who got most of the attention were:
"... a self-described 9/11 hero with a colorful personal life, a former senator who had played a president in the movies, a genuine war hero with a stunning wife and an intriguing temperament, and a handsome governor with a beautiful family and a high school sweetheart as his bride. And on the other side, a senator who had been first lady, a young African-American senator with an Ivy League diploma, a Hispanic governor with a self-deprecating sense of humor and even a former senator from the South standing loyally beside his ill wife.
"Issues that could make a difference in the lives of Americans didn’t fit into the narrative template and, therefore, took a back seat to these superficialities."
And what about the less made-for-media candidates? They were all but invisible:
"Who is responsible for the veil of silence over Senator Biden? Or Senator Dodd? Or Gov. Tom Vilsack? Or Senator Sam Brownback on the Republican side? The decision was probably made by the same people who decided that Fred Thompson was a serious candidate."
And so we are left with the war hero, the former first lady, and the young African-American senator.
I wonder how this novel ends?
Comments
That's 18% of people who admitted that race plays a factor in their decision. How many more voters were reluctant to share their racism to pollsters. After 250 years of slavery and another 100 years of segregation, isn't it time we moved beyond this?
Posted by: Lev | April 28, 2008 04:56 AM
You would think so, Lev. Apparently we're not the great Christian nation we claim to be.
And that's a great point about the statistic itself. If a person is enough of a knuckle-dragger to let race influence his vote, it's not a leap to assume he's a liar as well.
Posted by: abi | April 28, 2008 08:43 AM
Good catch abi.
Posted by: Dennis Cartledge | April 28, 2008 08:14 PM
How does it end? With a President who does not measure to the best we could have had. Were Abe Lincoln alive today, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Posted by: TomCat | April 29, 2008 12:50 PM
According to rumors (and to my surprise), Elizabeth Edwards plans on endorsing Hillary for president. I guess we know how she thinks the novel should end.
Posted by: Kathy | April 30, 2008 05:53 PM
Cart - thanks!
TomCat, the system is set up to elect not the most qualified candidate, but the one who (1) best panders to Americans' lofty opinion of themselves, and (2) who is willing to sell himself or herself out to monied interests.
Kathy, I'm really disappointed by that rumor, if it's true. To me, Clinton is the epitome of what John Edwards was trying to fight aginst.
Posted by: abi | May 1, 2008 06:25 AM
Abi, I could not have said it better.
Posted by: TomCat | May 1, 2008 03:27 PM