Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Palin's small town appeal
This Time article hints at a few important issues surrounding Palin. For rhetoric people, the word myth is really being used in two ways. The author points out that small towns are not really that important to the U.S. in 2008. However, talking about small towns allows her to tap into a powerful story that resonates with the American people. Palin reconciles the notion of a small-town utopia (prevalent in 1950s pop culture) with the social changes that have happened since the 1960s. Her story might suggest that the myth of Main Street can be recovered.
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2 comments:
It is interesting that this post is right by the Clinton advice post. I read this and thought "it's true, we don't really have a myth...we need the American Dream myth!!" I also read the Clinton advice and think "who cares about this American Dream story, it's about the economy stupid!"
It seems like a tension between the advice we got from Jim Kitchens and Lakoff. Do people vote their identity or do people care about the issues that affect them? I'm sure if I could figure out how both positions are correct I would understand this better.
In case you missed it, The Daily Show did an entertaining piece on "small town values." Very telling, I think.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=184108
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