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Selling The Politics of Hate
Candidates attacking each other is nothing new.
Neither is the public attacking the candidates they don’t like.
This year’s historic race for the White House, however, is bringing out the worst in Americans. Our worst fears based on our worst prejudices.
Jane Caputi, a professor of women’s studies and communications at Florida Atlantic University, has put together an exhibit that shows just how bad it is out there.
The Sideshow: Hating Hillary, Baiting Barack & Mocking McCain is a collection of images Caputi gathered from the Internet and other sources that show the presidential candidates depicted as animals, witches, sex objects and aliens.
Hillary is shown as a ball cracking lesbian who emasculates men and doesn’t know her place is in the kitchen.
Obama as an untrustworthy mulatto Muslim who will destroy the country.
John McCain as a handicapped old man who needs to be put out to pasture.
And Sarah Palin as a redneck bimbo who is the object of men’s sexual desires.
These images are on bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, magnets and other paraphernalia available for sale.
I had no idea the amount of hate out there until I stepped into the Ritter Gallery on FAU’s campus and saw the images after my editor suggested I check them out for a story on the exhibit.
When I came back, I suggested we do a web presentation instead so readers could see the images. The result is the slideshow above.
Many of the students I talked to said they found the exhibit funny and nothing more than what they’d expect during a political campaign.
A few were offended and said the exhibit shows how far we still have to go as a country.
I agree with the latter.
Comments
By Ron
October 8, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
Palin was pointing out the facts about Ayers the terrorist and Obama having close relations for many years. It was in the NY Times on the front page. How is that “hate”?
McCain was cleared of all and any wrong doing in the Keating scandal.
By Rhonda Swan
October 8, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
The hate, Ron, is in the images in the slideshow. Thanks for posting, Rhonda
By bill
October 8, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this
when Obama entered the presidential contest race was injected at that moment. any other “three year”, not three term senator would not be considered for the top on the presidential ticket. Obama has no executive experience, he has not been a mayor, a governor, not even a boy scout counselor.he has the perfect hollywood story and background,pushed by the media.by the way I am an american african.
By Ron
October 8, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
If the hate is in the images Rhonda, then why did you open your blog by injecting Palin in the opening sentence?
You put the word “hate” in your headline, then associate Palin with it. It’s an outrageous and misleading attack accusing her of hate, where there is none coming from her.
By TC
October 8, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this
Well, Ron, there’s certainly a lot of hate deliberately being generated by VP candidate Palin at her campaign stops of late. Even to the extent of the FBI searching for members of her audience for having shouted “kill him!” during at least one of her recent partisan rabble-rouser appearances.
By Rhonda Swan
October 8, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
Ron, I associated Palin AND Obama’s campaign with the nasty turn the race has taken to get into the fact that campaigns typically arouse negative emotions. The negativity of this one, however, is at a much higher level with the HATE that is obvious in the campaign paraphernalia. You clearly want to make Palin the issue here rather than deal with the issue raised in this blog.
By Ron
October 8, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this
You made Palin the issue by associating her, and Obama, with hate coming from outside their control. It was wrong to use either of them as examples of hate. Hope that clarifies.
By TC
October 8, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this
I’m not sure that recognizing and then rejecting on an individual basis is altogether the answer here. So much of our “free will” is nothing of the kind, and though negative campaigning is generally acknowledged as “low down” it is also realized as nonetheless an effective tactic that candidates will utilize—especially if they are trailing. Words and imagery that cross the line of legitimate spoofing or political satire, may be identified and rejected as such by the masses, but the influence of the offending examples nonetheless serve to subliminally reinforce the audience it deliberately targets and otherwise succeeds in planting the seeds of doubt in much of the rest.
By Prettyskin
October 8, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this
When both candidates decided to enter the presidential race, they were willing to suffer seemingly endless series of small humiliations. That includes guilty by association.
By Obama Who
October 8, 2008 7:33 PM | Link to this
It is very clear in the MSM That Obama is surely getting a free ride.Look how many times the media has blasted Palin.Anybody who doesn’t believe that is very gullible,But Sara,tells it like it is.Thats why they hate her.
By Lynne
October 11, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this
Rhonda, I completely agree. I don’t know if either campaign was aware at the raw emotions of people during this race, and they have both been irresponsible in stoking hysteria and hatred for the sake of a vote. Unfortunately, the bulk of that has been on the Republican side as of late. McCain himself recognizes it and is trying to get the race back to issues and not personal attacks. Read the article on the front of MSNBC. It is documented. Thanks for writing this blog!
By lucky
October 12, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this
Black,black,black,black,black,black,black,black,blackblack,black,black,black,black!
By lucky
October 12, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this
Black,black,black,black,black,black,black,black,black black,black,black,black,black!
By TC
October 13, 2008 1:44 AM | Link to this
SAY WHAT?: Lynn wrote: “They have both been irresponsible in stoking hysteria and hatred for the sake of a vote.” Just what “hysteria and hate” has Barack Obama deliberately generated - can you name a single instance? Lets be honest here, this entire issue of race baiting springs directly from the recent campaign tactics employed by the McCain camp. They are desperately trying to hold onto their base after taking a dramatic dive in the polls. The blame rests entirely with the McCain campaign. They’ve been campaigning negatively ever since the current administrators took over — ironically, they are the same ones responsible for using race as an issue against McCain when he ran against Bush in 2000. It’s Willie Horton time, all over again. Fear the black man. “He’s a terrorist! - but not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Too late, McCain.
By B.
October 16, 2008 7:54 PM | Link to this
I’ll be glad when Nov. 4th comes & goes so people can find something else to hate on…altho this could be just the beginning.