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Ugly case of cultural condescension
Vincent Grimaldi, Boston GlobeTHE UGLINESS of this presidential election has come to the forefront with the selection of Governor Palin as John McCain's running mate. It's time we get out in the open what is really happening here. Coverage of Palin has two underlying assumptions: She's a hick and she's stupid. Experience is the buzzword in this election. We have a new dialogue: How experienced is Senator Obama compared to Governor Palin? Through intellectual gymnastics, surrogates explain how Obama has the upper hand. But they mean something more invidious. He is smart and she is stupid. He is Harvard, she is University of Idaho. It may not square well with Obama's populism, but that is the narrative: Vote Ivy. It's obvious the media don't just dislike Palin's positions, they dislike her. They don't approve of her life story, her hobbies, or her religion. The coverage reflects this bias. Obama's narrative of an Ivy League-educated, globalized citizen is familiar, while Palin's small-town roots are foreign. From "Borat" to "The Daily Show," middle America has become the punch line of many jokes. The hick narrative being promulgated is just the latest manifestation of elite America's new hobby: widespread cultural condescension. Posted by: Mike 2008-09-04 |
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