Obama's Paradox: His "New" Politics depends on the Oldest Politics

[kennetha]

Obama's is the simply the newest practitioner of "new" politics on the block. He reminds me in many ways of the new politics gurus from earlier days -- Gary Hart -- whose explicit theme was "new ideas" -- Jerry Brown, Paul Tsongas, and, of course, Howard Dean. All of these earlier guys appealed, with varying degrees of success, to what are now called, somewhat derisively, the latte liberals. None of them ever succeeded in making much connection with working class whites or with African Americans. The HUGE difference between Obama and Hart -- besides personal judgment -- is that Obama has one of the oldest forms of politics going for him -- identity politics. It's identity politics, I submit, that gives him such a hold on the African American vote. I suspect that hold has nothing at all to do with his "we are the world", identity transcending brand of new politics. This is a really neat hat trick. He's sewn up the African American vote as solidly as Jesse Jackson at his best ever did without having to imitate Jackson's "our turn" rhetoric or Jackson's subsequent attempt to form a "rainbow coalition." Obama almost never makes any explicit appeal to race or any other identity constitution formation. But just by being who he is, he simultaneously appeals both to those driven by the oldest form of identity politics and to those who wish to see identity politics transcended and relegated to the past as something dead and over.

It's something of a paradox, I think, that he has been able to pull this off. But it also shows that his "coalition" may be something of a mirage, serving two not easily reconcilable masters at once.

[George_Bonanza]

1. Interpretation:

"C'mon racists! Pull this one out for old Hillary!"

[kennetha]

3. I don't at all understand your remark.

Can you please explain to me what you mean by this?

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. Yeah old and new politics, TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER !

[kennetha]

4. Is that a criticism of my analysis or an endorsement?

[boston bean]

5. If I never hear the words hope and change again it will be to soon.

Those words will never be the same to me again. Just phony propaganda! About equal to GWB's hard work.

[kennetha]

6. I do agree that Obama is mostly a new pose

without much new substance at all. The thing that makes his pose appealing is that he sort of embodies his own pose.

[catnhatnh]

7. You Sir or Madam are a Clown....

And a racist one too...You try to somehow tie Mr. Obama to some past democratic failures as if naming names cement them together.Then you throw out the term "latte liberals" as if Republicans neither drink coffee nor have distorted views.You express it is somehow wrong for blacks to support a black, even if the involved black is a stone dedicated democrat.Please explain to me, since you wrote the term, what a " Identity Constitution Formation" is? Go ahead and enlighten me...

[kennetha]

9. Wow!

Such elevated discourse from you.

I didn't say or imply that there was anything wrong with identity politics. You said that. Not me. But it is OLD politics, not new politics at all.

[cooolandrew]

8. Nope that is patronising he had 2 earn every vote from every demograph. His support didnt happen by

...magic. Most Americans know whatever colour that just being black isnt electable. Condi and Powell prime example. If the people are with him he has earend it.

[kennetha]

10. So you really think

that African Americans are drawn to Obama for the same reasons as so-called latte liberals are? What makes you believe that?