Adversity and Reckoning
The Springfield prologue to the Obama-Biden show has the beat. I hear a particular note, a leitmotif. Obama: "overcome the adversity of the last eight years." Biden: "The next president of the United States is going to be delivered into [the world]...The reckoning is now...These times require more than a good soldier, they require a wise leader."
It's the Biblical note. When George Bush used to do it, we called it signalling--telling the base that he's one of them. I think we're hearing it again, which is a good thing. The base that Obama's going for overlaps with what used to be the Bush base of believers. Obama mentioned Biden's Catholicism. These guys will not surrender the mantle of righteousness.
The upsweep through adversity into the sunny future--this is the classic pattern of the American civic-political speech going back to the 17th century. Sacvan Bercovitch wrote about it memorably in The American Jeremiad.
Now for the adversity and the reckoning.
To the tune of Chicago is My Kind of Town:
JOE BIDEN IS MY KIND OF GUY
JOE BIDEN IS MY KIND OF GUY
HE'LL HELP BARACK MAKE MCCAIN CRY
HE KNOWS THE VALUE OF ISRAEL TO US
ANY OF YOU WHO DON'T LIKE IT-- YOU CAN SUCK PUS.
Jewish Daily Forward, March, 2007:
Delaware Senator Joseph Biden rejected the notion that the U.S. needs to become a more neutral player in the Middle East, while criticizing the White House as uninvolved and ineffective. He spoke to the Forward for 45 minutes over oatmeal at Manhattan’s Regency Hotel yesterday morning,
“In my 34 year career, I have never wavered from the notion that the only time progress has ever been made in the Middle East is when the Arab nations have known that there is no daylight between us and Israel,” said Biden, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations committee. “So the idea of being an ‘honest broker’ is not, I think, like some of my Democratic colleagues call for, is not the answer. It is being the smart broker, it is being the smart partner.”
Biden, a dark-horse Democratic presidential contender known for straight talk (and the occassional gaffe), has long been a strong supporter of Israel in Congress and is now aggressively courting Jewish voters and donors for his 2008 bid. The debate over the U.S.-Israel relationship, meanwhile, has reached a fevered pitch in the wake of last week’s Washington conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee: On Sunday, New York Times columnist Nick Krisof published an op-ed in the paper that argued that the country lacks a serious debate over Israel, and needs to back away from its “crushing embrace” of Israeli hardliners.
Biden argued that the U.S. doesn’t need more distance, but does need to become a more effective, proactive partner for peace.
“We contract our foreign policy, and that is a dangerous situation,” Biden said. “Do you think there’s any reasonable prospect that the Saudis are going to push Hamas to recognize Israel? So now we have a quote unity government and we’re going, ‘Oh my goodness, we have a problem.’”
August 23, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Re: The upsweep through adversity into the sunny future--this is the classic pattern of the American civic-political speech going back to the 16th century.
Who was giving political speeches of any sort in the 16th century US? Iroquois chieftains? The Spanish alcalde of St Augustine?
August 23, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's a century between friends? Fixed it. Thanks for the snide correction.
August 23, 2008 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Todd,
PHEW! Am I glad you fixed THAT, I had a sleepless night trying to square it.
August 24, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm willing to give Gitlin a pass on the 16th Century comment. It was probably a typo. On the other hand, if anyone knows about a 16th C. speech that relates to American politics, it's him.
On another blog about Biden I wrote that choosing him was an example of the theory that a good defense is a strong offense. I don't think he will lure voters to the ticket but I think he might hold those who are on the fence.
It is also emblematic of the point that I think Gitlin gets at. The Dems are cutting the Reps off at the pass every chance they get.
If it's abortion....Let PA Sen. Bob Casey speak at the convention.
If it's faith-based social services....Let's support them.
If it's religion....Let's use the code words.
If it's a Swiftboat book, let's confront it full steam.
There are probably more and better examples. But the point is,this group working with Obama has done its homework.
August 23, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Professor Gitlin, you know how much I love your posts as I often show up in your threads and we've exchanged a kind word or two here and there.
But I am frankly stunned to see you of all people excited about Biden being the pick. He's nota real progressive and his work on the bankruptcy reform is a sin that the ordinary working folk that you usually champion are paying for right now.
What gives? Seems to me like you're giving Biden a pass in order to get through the election even though this choice is at least as objectionable as Obama's FISA cave.
August 23, 2008 11:09 PM | Reply | Permalink