Posted by
Andrews on Friday, July 18, 2008 2:48:51 PM
I am certain no one was really sorry to see Hillary Clinton leave the race. Oh, certainly there are many who now were disturbed by the way she was forced out of the race, the highhanded tactics of ignoring Michigan and Florida as well as the inordinate power of the superdelegates. And I am sure there are many who were closer to Clinton than Obama in terms of beliefs, but, really, did anyone shed a tear when she conceded?
The reason I ask is that I worry that a number of college students, along with some hairy legged middle aged women in Birkenstocks, will be entering therapy November 5, 2008 and won't be coming out of it for a long time. If the relatively tame elections of 2000 and 2004 produced liberals with depression in urgent need of therapy, imagine how much worse it will be for those who are now changing their middle name to Hussein, or are writing love letters to their new found idol. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor might as well cancel the spring semester. The same for Berkley. (Well, maybe a few CP-USA members will make it to classes, but the rest won't.)
At this point I am sure a number of readers are in complete agreement, but are wondering why they should care.
The reason is that the liberal reaction to the election will set the tone for the media for the next four years. Just as the 2000 election created the lie about "stolen elections", as well as the twin contradictory tropes that Bush is an evil genius and a moron, Obama's loss will create the themes that the media will follow until 2012.
So, what will they be?
Obviously, racism will be a popular topic. After seeing their messiah struck down by racist Amerikkka, I am sure we will be hearing a lot about how racism is getting worse. Also, since many will blame the war and fear mongering for Obama's loss, I am sure we will hearing about American jingoism and empire building and the press will be more eager than ever to find fault with the war. If there are no actual setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, I am sure the press will find a way to link any foreign affairs disaster to the "climate" created by our "imperialist war".
And with war and racism being hot topics, I am sure homelessness will see a revival. Homeless vets, especially homeless vets from Mexico, denied their citizenship by a heartless America will be very popular in human interest coverage. Which brings me to immigration. McCain is probably just a little more conservative on immigration than Obama, but he will be painted as a heartless tyrant, splitting up families, keeping babies from their parents, all the Snidely Whiplash caricature the media loves to create out of Republicans.
And, of course, there will be the usual themes. How the Republicans are destroying the economy, are putting black men in jail, are creating a theocracy, are creating enemies abroad, all the old familiar topics. But those will likely be less important than the new story of how racism and fear mongering deprived us of our savior.
The only question I have is whether the Democrats and media will be content with just blaming racism and fear, or whether they will create another story of stolen elections, as they tried to do in Ohio in 2004.
I suppose we will just have to wait and see.