Raising Race

-- By AdamCarlis - 18 Feb 2008

Introduction

In a presidential campaign, "experience" could mean any number of things and so it means precisely nothing; making it a winning word for politicians crafting a message the masses can support. It works because it's versatile. The word’s ambiguity prompts voters to interpret the candidates’ messages in a way most in concert with their own worldview. Mr. Obama uses the term “quarter century of experience” to denigrate old man McCain? and some American’s picture an aging Washington insider. Mrs. Clinton raises her own “experience” as a foil to newcomer Mr. Obama and many of those same Americans picture a young man not quite ready for oval office. In each case, the audience is left to define the word for themselves and, in each case, it is the speaker who benefits. During this campaign cycle, Mrs. Clinton has repeatedly attempted to harness the word’s power. As potential voters digest her message, they do so in uncontrolled and potentially destructive ways, particularly if Mr. Obama is the eventual nominee.

Part 1: By speaking broadly about her experience, voters can attach their own meaning to the word.

When Clinton speaks about experience, she speaks in generalities. Her campaign does not provide a biographical sketch detailing her activities and accomplishments. Her campaign website glosses over the 15 years she spent at a major corporate law firm in a single sentence, giving it the same treatment as her one year part-time stint on the board of President Carter’s Legal Services Corporation. As a result, it is difficult to objectively analyze her experience.

This is not an accident. Clinton presents her experience in generalities because everyone values “experience,” but some may not think that her particular experience prepares her for the presidency. Instead, voters are invited to broadly associate her campaign with the word “experience” and fill in the gaps themselves. This is particularly powerful because Democratic voters associate George W. Bush with inexperience, blaming his lack of preparation for the current war in Iraq, the crumbling economy, and mismanagement of the bureaucracy. Without details, we can all assume that she has the right experience for the job.

Part 2: Obama the Foil: If she is Experienced, He is Not

• He is young and new to politics so the mantle sticks
• Masks her own legislative shortcomings by raising his

Part 3: Experience, the General Election, and Race

The State of Obama After the Primaries

McCain? 's Capitalization on Experience

• Republican's have taken up the "experience" mantle in encouraging McCain? 's attacks on Obama.
  • Conservative elements in this country will not vote for a black man. By carrying the "experience" argument into the election, McCain can can raise the race issue without having to do so explicitly

Racism Wil Hurt Obama's Ability to Fight Back Effectively

• Few questioned John Edwards experience even though it is less than (or at least comparable to) Obama's.
  • In the 3-way race for Iowa, the experience tag stuck to Hillary and people questions whether Barack was ready. Edwards's experience was rarely questioned.
• The media continues to play up the race issue to a point where it is near central to the campaign.
• Highlighting Obama's inexperience can be likened to calling him a "boy" and the underpinnings of racism will make it harder for him to defeat the argument

Conclusion

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