October 14, 2003
The Pledge.
This is going to be a huge issue in the election, count on it. I think that Republicans will emphasize it and appeal to patriotism, while Democrats either try to out patriot the Republicans or try and ignore the issue. Realistically, it probably doesn’t make a whit of difference if the phrase “under God” is or isn’t in the pledge or on our money. It is a rote tradition, and I believe that most people don’t really think about the words when they recite the Pledge.
This is the sort of meaningless issue that could dominate the debates next year, rather than focusing on something substantive, such as differences in economic policy, social policy, and foreign policy. It’s controversial, it’s easy to boil down into 5 second sound bites, it’s contentious. It is pointless. The media laps up this sort of thing because it generates ratings, which is ultimately all they care about. The media is not liberal. The media is corporate. They have one agenda: profit. There are exceptions, but they are just that. Exceptions.
So count on hearing more and more and more about the Pledge in the coming months.
Posted by rev_matt_y at October 14, 2003 03:18 PMI sometimes ponder whether democracy by informed consent is possible where a society is immersed in TV as a primary information source medium.
Changes in the F.E.C. (Federal Elections Commission) which would grant equal status to third parties would possibly go a long way toward diminishing the important issues to 5 second sound bites of counter challenges to each party’s patriotism.
Posted by: David R. Remer at October 14, 2003 11:58 PMIt will be even larger still if the Supreme Court rules on the case in the spring or right before the elections next year. With one justice (loud mouth Antonin Scalia) has taken himself off the case because of remarks he made after the 9th Circuit issued its ruling. That leaves only eight justices and the possibility of a tie vote is very real. If they split the vote, the ruling by the 9th Circuit will stand. The Republicans will be livid and the calls for a Constitution Amendment will start in earnest. All of this over two word in the pledge that should have never been added…such is the sorry state of political and social discourse in this country.
All Americans could stand to read the Constitution from time to time just to familiarize themselves with it wording—spirit and letter. If nothing else the Preamble should be read and re-read until we all understand it meaning and intent!
Of course, the GOP will probably make it sound like the words of the pledge were carved in stone by George Washington himself!
And we should all remember that the words “under God” were added less than 50 years ago by an act of Congress during the height of the Cold War fears.
Posted by: repugnant at October 15, 2003 10:14 AMConservative pundit Mickey Kaus is calling the Supreme Court’s decision to take the case “God’s gift to Bush’s reelection campaign.” ABC News agrees.
Posted by: rev_matt at October 15, 2003 04:05 PMDavid, I think that you may be on to something there. We as Americans have gotten lazier and lazier when it comes to picking our elected officials. Instead of doing some research on the real issues, people simply want to tune in to Letterman, Leno, or Oprah, to hear some witty banter or a cute soundbite. Remember all of the oohing and aahing when GWB kissed Oprah on the cheek in 2000? I mean, John Edwards announced his candidacy on the Daily Show, a political satire show! That being said the pledge of Allegiance thing should be a complete non issue. No matter what the ruling, life will go on unabated. However, it is tailor made quick easy answer world that the voters seem to so desperately crave.
Posted by: Nate Daniel at October 15, 2003 06:35 PM
