01.09.2004

Cult of non-personality

Phil Hamilton reviews the website of the George Bush campaign - and takes a dig at the Republican Party's convention

New York this week saw the celebration of the cult of the non-personality that is the Republican Party’s convention. Unlike Britain, where the mainstream political parties still engage in the pretence of having debates, the convention is an openly stage-managed bout of chest-beating, with standing ovations right on cue and contrived celebrations of the ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ Americans uniquely enjoy.
Readers familiar with this grotesque bout of leader-worship will not be shocked to learn that Bush’s campaign website is heavy on the razzmatazz but short on political substance. Beneath the legend, “A nation of courage”, the site presents a selection of news stories designed to warm the stony hearts of the Republican faithful. ‘One millionth volunteer joins president on tour’ offers a quick profile of Rebekah Mohr Brown, a Republican activist who sounds as if she’s swallowed the collected speeches of her hero: “September 11 … changed everything for me and I believe we need to do all we can to wipe out the threat of terror, both here at home and abroad,” she muses. Another page looks at the (allegedly) growing band of ‘Democrats for Bush’. If some like Senator Zell Miller really believe Bush provides “consistent leadership in changing and challenging times”, then why not join the Republicans? I mean, could you imagine ‘Labourites for Howard’?

Some of these pieces are not without their uses though. Those messages designed for internal consumption are very revealing of the narrow Republican mindset. Indicative of this is an address by vice-president (read Bush puppet-master) Dick Cheney to loyal supporters in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Opening with the required self-deprecating banter, Cheney moves to thickly pile on with ‘war on terror’ rhetoric, attributing “sophisticated, patient, disciplined, and lethal” qualities to an enemy Cheney cannot bring himself to name. The more cynical among us could be forgiven for thinking this is less an oversight and more a device to subsume everything that incurs the displeasure of US imperialism under the all-encompassing category of ‘terrorist’. Obviously Cheney takes the opportunity to lay into John Kerry’s inconsistent voting record (voting for the assault on Iraq, but against some of its funding) and mocking him for suggesting that the ‘war on terror’ needs to be sensitively pursued. Spectacularly missing the point, Cheney foolishly interprets this as a sign of softness, as opposed to a critique of the Bush gang’s clumsy unilateralism.

The next grouping of items purports to explain Bush’s record in office, organised into four fluffy-sounding themes. The first, ‘Land of opportunity’, looks at jobs and education. Now, to say Bush’s programme for more jobs is evasive would be generous. For example, in response to the question, “Does the administration support outsourcing [of jobs]?”, viewers are treated to five bullet points on how healthy the economy is before the question is addressed in typically neoliberal fashion. Bush’s solution to job flight is “to make Americans more competitive in the global marketplace”: ie, more attacks on working class living standards and the remaining skeleton of welfare provision. ‘Building a safer world’ is newspeak for Bush’s authoritarian and militarist agenda, ‘Supporting our community values’ sets out Bush’s new found environmentalism and ‘Compassion of the American people’ seeks to play up Dubya’s ‘caring’ conservatism.

Former New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani chips in with his own remarks from the convention’s opening session. Seeking to make capital out of the tragedy that befell the city almost three years ago, Giuliani shows that his reputation as one of the saner elements in the Republican Party is entirely undeserved. In all seriousness he begins his address by likening George Bush to George Washington, and then turns to the twin themes of the ‘war on terror’ (again) and milking September 11 for all its worth. Obviously keen to prove he is a cut above the rest of his party’s one-trick ponies, Giuliani ventures to explain the rise of international terrorism. Without any hint of his country’s role as the major sponsor of state-supported terror, he argues it was the response to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes that is to blame. Because three of the individuals responsible were released a couple of months afterwards, terrorists were sent a message (primarily by Europe) that “accommodation, appeasement and compromise” would be sought.

Other than the unintentional howlers, this website does make grim reading and there is no denying most progressives would be happy to see Bush lose the presidency. But is there any way Kerry can be considered as a positive alternative?