OCR Text |
Show mions Monday • September 1, 2008 A new era for the Democratic Party • Greg Wilcox Web editor It is not disputed that the Democrats have faced their fair share of obstacles in recent history. Between Bill Clinton's impeachment, Gore's debatable loss in 2000, and Kerry's ineffective campaign of 2004, times have been frustrating, to put it mildly, for the impassioned Democrat. Watching the Democratic Convention, it is clear that the tides are looking to turn. For one, the speakers all talked on something that has too oft been neglected by Democrats: values. It seemed the party has gotten a clue. Like the stoic Gore of 2000, the democrats have too long relied on statistics and figures, responded fretfully to criticism, and have used other fallacious methods that tended to alienate more than win over voters. So where did things go wrong? Many political analyst's look back to l%8, a turbulent time in our history that culminated into mayhem at that year's Democratic Convention. Many people ("hippies" as many pejoratively called them) were indignant that a Democratic candidate who would not end the Vietnam War received the nomination, and riots ensued. Of course, the conventions are set up much more cautiously now, the candidate to be nominated well known beforehand. But the whole debacle served to alienate simpleton American from the Democratic Party, and the Republicans were then delighted to take on the role of the party that professed to posses true American values. Since then, with some exceptions. Democrats have suffered more setbacks than their rivals and have lost more elections. Indeed, the rhetorical arena of values is one in which Republicans are certified experts. How many times have you been swayed to the right because someone was championing family values? Simple phrases like 'prolife* and 'protect the sanctity of marriage' are enough to disbar any alternative. Unfortunately, these phrases have made a permanent home to our vernacular. Too few Democrats assert, for example, that they are in fact pro-life (no one is for abortion), and advocate better pre and post care natal programs, since the U.S. does have the second highest infant mortality rate in the modem world. How many babies' lives would this save? But by the looks of Obama's campaign at the Democratic Convention, it appears, at least for now at this ever-important time, the Democrats have learned their harsh lesson. They are framing their speeches and general vocabulary in ways that more accurately assert their values and engender inclusion. Of course, any attempt to re-conceptualize vocabulary will be criticized as shrewd by some as a mere attempt to disguise the truth. But this type of re-conceptualizing policy is very different from the superficial messaging work that has harassed Democrats for years. Re-conceptualizing policy means taking a policy's goal that is currently understood in terms of one set of ideas and re-establishing it in the context of another, completely different set of ideas, that hold very differ- Jesus or anti-christ Hillary's influence Spencer Shell I Mckay Stevens Opinions editor Opinions writer The past few days have been a spectacle. Why shouldn't it be? The Democratic National Convention is underway. These national conventions are traditionally a time to celebrate, and, in a sense, demonstrate your national power to the rival party. This year's DNC has continued that tradition...for the most part. So far, supporters have been praising the moving speeches of big names, such as Michelle OV#n» and the struggling Edwaru Kennedy. But the most powerful speech of all. and the most dominant presence so far in the DNC has come from the second-most-popular Democrat in the nation: Hillary Rodham Clinton. The history-making campaign of Hillary Clinton has been an epic devastation for the Democratic Party. Sure, you could pick up TIME Magazine and find Barack Obama's face filling up all but the trademark red border; but it is Hillary Clinton and her devout followers that has filled up news time and headlining articles. These headlines inform us that Hillary has told her voters to get behind Obama. If you read the contents of the articles, however, you will find the disappointment and bitterness from supporters and leaders alike that has proven a near lethal poison for the Democratic Party. Hillary's supporters know that she is not happy. She fully expected to win the nomination and the presidency. So did they, and that's why they cannot let it go. Now, just two months shy of the general election, the party that has claimed "Unity" as their key slogan struggles to achieve said unity amidst a division rivaling that of the Republican-Democrat split. So what was il about the Clinton campaign? In its current turmoil, faithful Democrats might ask: "What did she do wrong?" She did nothing wrong. That's precisely the problem. One would venture to say that she has been the most influential and most effective candidate NOT to win the nomination from her own party. She turned a party (or a large portion of one) into a religion and a dream that many refuse to let go, even when she has. Her success has caused the great division within the party. Now, whether or not this issue continues to steal media headlines or stay atop the party's concerns through election day has yet to be seen. No doubt Mrs. Clinton will continue to rally behind Mr. Obama, but will those who have trusted her thus far continue to do so during the climax of the campaigning experience? After watching the Democratic National Convention, one can only come to a single conclusion. Barack Obama is Jesus. Obama will, amongst many things, end the war in Iraq, fix the economy, build a flawless health care program, fix broken politics, cut taxes, and educate all the youth - all while blindfolded. His wife, Michelle Obama, was one of the many singing his praises, saying, "He'll achieve these goals the same way he always has ~ by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are. You see, Barack doesn't care where you're from, or what your background is, or what party -- if any - you belong to. That's not how he sees the world." The DNC was filled with so muchpropaganda that it was almost smothering. The thing is, I am not sure how Obama can be like Jesus after receiving multiple emails professing that Obama is, in fact, the opposite of the good man himself. According to these e-mails, the "anti-Christ will be a man. in his 40s, of Muslim descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a massive Christ-like appeal ... the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything. Is it Obama?" The last time I checked the Book of Revelations for the words anti-Christ and Muslim, I found nothing. Regardless, this attack comes across as the smear of all smears. It's one thing to call your opponent a pig, immoral, sleazy or a crook, but to mark him as the anti-Christ, one to usher in the apocalypse, seems a little too harsh, but so does painting him as the next savior and redeemer of the world. How is anyone supposed to make a good, informed decision about whom they are going to vote for when politicians never tear down the facade that seems like a pre-requisite to being a politician? Obama- mania continues at DNC • Jennie Nicholls Editor at large UVU Review cordially invites readers to examine yet another article of Obama rhetoric. Sen. Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination Aug. 28 - the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Enthralling, inspiring, idealistic, and articulate although the articulateness is to be expected from a politi- ent and often more accurate implications. Therefore, the political deliberation then conveys more honesty for the Democrats, who are now thankful that the losing trend is reversing. Obama's campaign is effectively communicating who Democrats are and the true values they represent. Redefining is the wrong word since he is merely reestablishing its original purpose: to represent the interests of the American public. Hope, a word Obama's campaign often includes, now applies to the Democratic Party as much as it does to the nation, and a new era for the beleaguered party is in the works. cian — his acceptance speech was more than enough to sway any fence-sitting Democrats still healing from Hillary withdrawal. "We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past," Obama said as he referred to John McCain's incessant support of Bush. That, along with equally inspiring material that Obama has made a name for himself using, proved to do just that, inspire. Since the beginning of the election speculation by news organizations and politicians have pegged Obama as a motivating orator. To hear Obama say things like,' "History teaches us, that at denning moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington," moves listeners, and even persuades American hopefuls to believe his campaign slogan, "Yes we can." In what may become a new slogan, Obama told the crowd in Denver, "We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight. On Nov. 4, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough.'" His acceptance ushered in the same inspiration seen throughout his campaign. He once again rallied for hope in the American heart and proved his plans for radical change are not only drastic, but also plausible, "This moment, this election is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive." Interested in writing a letter to the editor? Letter to the editor requirements tt vttseview.opbiiotis ©gmail.com • Letters must be turned in on Wednesday by noon in order to be printed in the next edition. • We make no guarantee that letters will be printed. • Letters 300 words or less have a greater chance of being published - anything longer will be edited for content. • Please provide an electronic copy regardless of whether or not you wish to submit a hard copy. • All letters become the property of UVU Review as soon as they are submitted. We're looking for you to join our staff Come visit UVU Review W r i t e r s , p h o t o g r a p h e r s , designers always w a n t e d . smiles on these faces. in SC 220 to see the |