Random Ramblings #39: Of Presidential Politics & The Affects of Sarcasm

The Romney Family: Image Credit National Journal

Every Friday we’ll take a break from topical posts and will post some random personal thoughts. 

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A Cuppa Joe – Random Ramblings from a Fellow Struggler

And we’re off. The Republican nomination is all but sealed, so the volleys between incumbent and challenger have begun. As always, both have supporters who are passionate and vocal, a combination that sometimes works; sometimes misses. Passion plus politics, after all, equals words, tons of ‘em, and boatloads of attitude behind each phrase. The attitude can over-speak the content, and as a rule, an attitude of sarcasm falls in the “miss” category.

Sarcasm backfires. Sometimes, anyway, though not often enough, to my thinking. It’s a cheap device, intended not just to make a point, but to also demean an opponent. And I’ve often thought sarcasm is an admission of a weak argument, as in, ‘If I can’t disprove your position, at least I can make you look as bad as possible.’

Comedians do it ad nauseum, building multi-million dollar careers on the gift of degradation, and their success is more of an indictment of us than of them. Still, stand-ups aren’t expected to be sweet, but when official leaders (or their backers) resort to put downs, they openly if inadvertently admit they’ve taken the low road.

Enter Hilary Rosen, influential Democratic strategist and spokeswoman, commenting on challenger Mitt Romney’s stay at home wife who raised four sons and thus, per Rosen, “never worked a day in her life.” The quip backfired, way big, eliciting two on air televised apologies and a written follow up as well. If I know anything about this game, the apology will be a whimper next to the roar of the insult, and yet again we’ll see the female vote pawed over by candidates with different views of gender roles but a similar desire to woo then sway women to their camp.

The Rosen firestorm has the Dallas folks talking. My wife is a stay at home mom who works, and hard. Always has. So I’m careful, when asked whether or not Renee “works”, to clarify that she labors unceasingly for a terrific boss (God) and is deeply appreciated by her grateful clientele (me and the boys). Should I ever be stupid enough to insinuate her stay-at-home status equates leisure, I’d get the chance to see just how comprehensive my accident and injury coverage really is. Stay at home hardly means stay asleep. Family demands can make an accomplished entrepreneur out of anyone, and woe to anyone who minimizes them.

Then again, Rosen’s comment is indicative of a growing cultural contempt for certain roles and priorities held by traditionalists and, increasingly, dismissed by others: gender roles, definition of family, sanctity and permanence of marriage. We in the traditionalist camp don’t always live up to what we preach (I was married and divorced 32 years ago, then married again in ’84, so I’ve no stones to throw) but we preach it and strive to practice it nonetheless. And in so doing it’s easy to feel we’re spitting against the wind. That an accomplished, intelligent strategist could openly lump full time motherhood with zero work experience says a lot about the mindset of the speaker and the approval she expected to receive in response. So from where I’m sitting, it looks like we can buckle up and expect more of the same, from different quarters but the same mindset.

With that in mind, I’d say we’re off to a harsh, tight and draining campaign season. Hope we all can keep a reasonable level of emotional, intellectual and spiritual perspective between now and November, and I hope you have a blessed, peaceful weekend. Take good care.

Love,

Joe