THE CULTURE WARS..UPDATE

Peter Beinart, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote a thought-provoking column in the Washington Post today (November 3, 2008) entitled 'Last of the Culture Warriors. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/02/AR2008110201718.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Beinart asks the question, Why has America turned away from Sarah Palin? Scandals in Alaska, her grasp of basic national issues, and those Couric interviews didn't help, but according to Beinart her troubles ran deeper. "Palin's brand is culture war", states the author, 'and in America today culture war no longer sells."

Beinart takes us back to the 1920s when evolution, prohibition, immigration dominated election after election. The reason: Republicans were then, as they are today--a minority party devoted toward the needs of the big banks, big business and elite, they could only win by motivating (and deceiving) the electorate by the use of "wedge" issues. In the 1920s, Beinart reminds us that the Republicans "pitted the newly arrived, saloon frequenting, big city Catholics against old-stock, tea totaling, small town Protestants." But then in the 1930s the culture war died. The Great Depression put the question of economic survival forefront into the voter's minds...in 1932 the Democrat, Franklin Roosevelt was elected. The culture wars were over. The Republican "brand" was out of favor and remained in the wilderness for decades.

In the 1960 election Kennedy beat Nixon narrowly. But Nixon didn't go awat. In the 1968 election Nixon returned with an appeal to the "silent majority" the socially conservative Americans who were repulsed by the Hippie counter-culture, anti-war, and what they saw as anti-American sentiments. He was successful in dividing the electorate and won handily with a nearly 500,00 vote plurality over Humphrey, his opponent. Since that time, with only a few exceptions (Carter's one term and Clinton's two-terms) the Republicans have continued the divide and conquer strategy.

According to recent Newsday polls referenced by Beinart, in this election, issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, guns, and abortion--past 'wedge issues" used by the Repubicans, represent only about 6% of the electorate's concerns, while the economy looms up at 44%. In this environment a culture warrior like Palin is out of tune with the electorate's concerns. Her championing of small town America , her efforts to link Obama to domestic terrorism (Bill Ayers), to question his Americanism and patriotism and "depicting the campaign as a struggle between the culturally familiar and culturally threatening" is a well worn Republican strategy. But they seem to have limited traction with the electorate. The attacks have had their effect--on some. But in this election to the clear-eyed majority who are focused on real problems to which the Republicans and the fresh face of Sarah Palin have no real answers.

Perhaps our system really does work. We'll see tomorrow!