There is a profound moment in The Bible when Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Today more than ever, this question resonates in American society, and one source of confusion in America is today’s political rhetoric. Pilate led a life of politics and he was left bewildered. Simply thinking about politics and the mudslinging this election season perplexes me.
Arnold Conrad, a former minister, prayed last Saturday at a McCain rally in Iowa, and said that if John McCain does not win the election, non-Christian religious people will be shown that their God is bigger than the Christian God; this assumption springs from the notion that God votes Republican. Somehow I think the God of the poor and downtrodden could care less about political parties.
John McCain and Sarah Palin spent last week talking about how Barack Obama consorts with terrorists (namely Bill Ayers), and that he is not to be trusted. His campaign all but accused Obama of being a terrorist himself.
To his credit, McCain seems to be distancing himself from these statements, as demonstrated when he corrected the poor old woman who said that she does not trust Obama because she read that he is an “Arab.” He also said that Americans should not be afraid of Obama being elected president.
And to my chagrin, Democrat John Lewis of Georgia compared the rhetoric of hate from George Wallace in the ’60s that led to the bombing of an African-American church in Alabama, killing four little girls, with the rhetoric of the McCain campaign.
The AP reports that “in a statement issued Saturday, Lewis said McCain and running mate Sarah Palin were ‘sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.'”
The AP article titled”Congressman says McCain ‘sowing the seeds of hatred'” tempers Lewis’ statements, writing that “Lewis’ comments follow widely reported examples of anger at McCain rallies that has been aimed at Obama, the first black man to be a major party’s nominee for president. During McCain and Palin rallies, supporters have shouted ‘traitor,’ ‘terrorist,’ ‘treason,’ ‘liar’ and even ‘off with his head.'”
The AP article also notes that Lewis’ statement follows on the heels of Palin alleging that Obama has been “palling around with terrorists,” and that Obama does not see America like others do – whatever that means. It strikes me as odd that Palin keeps saying “terrorists” since she is only referring to one man, Bill Ayers.
I think John McCain was not prepared for all of these radical, xenophobic people to come out of the woodwork and show up at his rallies shouting “terrorist” and “traitor.” There was a report on CNN Monday Night on the kinds of people at McCain and Palin’s rallies. They interviewed a man at a Palin rally who was holding a sign with the acronym ‘S.A.R.A.H’.: Sane Americans “R” Against Hussein Obama. The astonishing thing about him was that he thought the reporter’s criticism of his poster was ridiculous.
So this week, all this negative rhetoric is circling in the atmosphere, with a lot of finger-pointing and accusations in the news.
And then we see Barack Obama: calm, and steadily in the lead; not responding to the hateful rhetoric coming from either side or the flagrant accusations against him. Instead, he spent his time assuring the American people that he will put jobs at the forefront of his administration’s responsibilities, and talking about his four-point plan to get America out of this economic mess, with a genuine focus on the middle class.
His new economic speech comes on the heels of General Motors’ statement that they will shut down factories in Wisconsin and Ohio by December 23, even sooner than previously stated. Twelve hundred jobs will be lost this year in Wisconsin, and just two days before Christmas. Tuesday GM notified workers that a stamping factory in Michigan will also be shut down, resulting in the loss of another 1,340 jobs.
Obama has proven himself this week not to be just a man of campaign rhetoric. He is not waiting to be elected President to help alleviate the suffering of middle class Americans; Obama said Monday, “I’ve already proposed a middle-class tax cut for 95 percent of workers and their families, but today I’m calling on Congress to pass a plan so that the IRS will mail out the first round of those tax cuts as soon as possible.” He also wants a wider scope of unemployment benefits for people who are having a hard time finding a job in our weakened economy.
I want to return to my original question: “What is truth?” Neither John Lewis, John McCain, or Sarah Palin’s assertions last week are truthful. All of their statements demonstrate the extremes that political rhetoric alone can dwindle to in a heated election season. But I would note, it’s disheartening that the empty Republican rhetoric is coming from their candidates for the White House.
Focusing on the rhetoric and accusations that are a part of the election cycle is confusing, but issues and policy matters are not when they’re grounded in a search for truth. Each side has ideas on how to fix things. I agree with Obama and Biden’s ideas. If you come to a different conclusion, at least be able to explain why, and don’t let your answer include what other people have told you or what your favorite pundits repeat. Use your own judgment and look objectively at the issues.
As Sheryl Crow said on Larry King Live Monday night, the next president will assume the office under precarious circumstances, and I would add that it is obligatory for all of us to vote the right candidates into office, or we may sink even deeper into our present crises and stumble ignorantly into more.
As college students, it’s important that we reflect on how many of our political opinions are influenced by our family. This election is too important for us to vote based on fostered opinions. I ask both liberal and conservative readers to reconsider your current views, and decide before Nov. 4 who would make the best President – not because your parents have handed a political ideology down to you, but because you have reflected on both sides’ policy propositions and, guided by your own internal compass, you believe that your choice will lead all of America into a better future.
Stephanie England is an English junior and a Mustang Daily politcal columnist.