Sold American:
Cowboy Nation
Gets Ready to Vote
If tragedy is
the name we use for a drama in which the
protagonist falls on his own character, then tragic
is
the shape of public opinion in America.
Headlines Monday claimed that three-
fourths of
Americans already have their minds made up about
presidential candidates, but the poll
suggests more
than that. On the issue of who we are, the poll
reveals that Americans have had
their minds made up
for many, many years. Taking up the question of sincerity, for instance,
a
majority of Americans tell pollsters that Bush says
what he believes (51 percent), but an even
greater
majority report that Bush exaggerated to build support
for war on Iraq (59 percent). So
what are Americans
saying about Bush? That he believes his
own
exaggerations.
Again, on the sincerity question, a majority (57
percent)
believe that Kerry does not say what he
thinks, yet American voters rate Kerry higher than
Bush
for caring about us, for being able to deal with
economic decisions, make sure social security
is
solvent, and increase jobs. What do Americans think
about Kerry? That he does not believe in
his own
capabilities.
On the fundamental question of sincerity,
therefore,
Americans have nothing new to say. As a nation, we
prefer sincere liars to insecure
competents. Look for
a Reagan-Carter repeat. Or, for that matter,
Reagan-Dukakis, Clinton-Dole,
Nixon-McGovern. When it
comes to the question of sincerity, America loves a
salesman best.
And where do we find the qualities of a great
salesman? Not in the product, but in
the pitch.
And what is Bush pitching these days? That we are a
culture at war. More
important than care, economy,
social security, or jobs, is our ability to conserve
our way of
life against subversive forces. It’s an
exaggeration, as we fully know. But it’s
an
exaggeration that creates purpose.
Meanwhile, a mid-week editorial from the
Boston Globe
reminds us what Bush is selling to the rest of the
world. Scan the headlines coming
out of Santiago,
Chile during Women’s History Month. Bush
Administration Opposes 40 Latin
American Nations.
Countries of the Americas, Except US, Reaffirm
Reproductive Health Accord. US
Lone No at Chile
Meeting .
“The United States was the only country to
disagree
with a declaration linking poverty eradication to
greater access to services for family
planning, safe
motherhood and HIV/AIDS prevention,” reports the
United Nations.
A
simple Google search for “Bush opposes treaty”
yields the following: Bush opposes ratifying
nuclear
test ban treaty; Bush Administration Opposes UN
Children’s Treaty; Bush Tries to Weaken
Tobacco
Treaty; US Abandons Environment Treaty; Bush Opposes
Kyoto Global Warming Treaty. That’s
page one.
Our embattled way of life is indeed at war with the
world. Bush is right
about that. But he is only our
most recent cowboy-in-chief, pushing the frontiers,
shredding the
treaties, and sending in the cavalry to
secure the outposts.
So, of course, Americans
feel more comfortable with
Bush than Kerry when it comes to handling an
international crisis and
protecting the country from a
terrorist attack.
On three questions Bush tops the
charts absolutely.
Seventy five percent believe Bush has a vision for the
country. Seventy
eight percent believe that we would
have a good economy today were it not for the
disruption of
the massacre of Sept. 11.
And 75 percent of Americans believe Bush shares the
moral
values most Americans try to live by.
So the poll numbers demonstrate that Kerry and
Bush
are placeholders in a cowboy nation that is nearly 80
percent unified.
So
bring on your Nader, if you will. Or point out
that America is isolating itself in the eyes
of
others. What we have here is a mature culture acting
out its character in ways that are as
predictable as
they are tragic.
If the poll numbers hold up, whoever wins in
November
will be the top cowboy candidate. In this drama of
Cowboy Nation, is there an
alternative ending at hand?
Greg Moses
Site
Editor
MoPress 