经济学人 Democratic convention

经济学人 Democratic convention

MichelleObamaattheDemocraticconventionIfyoubuiltthat,stillsaythankyouSep5th2012,5:00byD.R.|CHARLOTTEAMERICANfirstladiesoccupyanoddposition,somewhereontheregalextremitiesofapresidentialsystemthatgivesthecountryacrossbetweenachiefexecutiveintheOvalOffice,andanelectedmonarch.Apolitician’swifewhoisnotapolitician,expectedtousetheprivilegeofherpositiontoadvanceonlythemostwholesome,patrioticcauses(reading,childhoodobesity,thewelfareofmilitaryfamilies),afirstladymaystill—withskillandguile—beusedasaneffectivepartisanweapon.Atlastweek’sRepublicanconventioninTampa,AnnRomneyperformedusefulserviceinvouchingforthehumanity,decency,trustworthinessandhardworkofherhusbandMitt.Itwasnotground-breakingoratory,butbecausethehumanityofMrRomneyhadbeenunderattackfromhisopponents,theevidentsincerityofherlovefortheRepublicanpresidentialcandidatehadsomepower.\nOnTuesdaynightinCharlotte,astheDemocratsopenedtheirconvention,MichelleObamadeliveredamuchmoreobviouslypoliticalspeechthatdidseveraldifferentthings.Firstly,itsoughttoharnesstheadvantageofincumbencytodefendMrObama’spatriotism,thatofhisadministrationand(morequietly)thatofhisalliesinthebroaderDemocraticmovement.Inhermostqueenlymanner,thefirstladytalkedoftheprivilegeandhonourofmeetingmilitaryfamilies,braveciviliansand“woundedwarriors”asapresidentialconsort—playingupMrObama’srecordasawarpresidentwhobroughttroopshomefromIraqandwhokilledOsamabinLaden.Matchingpraisefor“teachersinanear-bankruptschooldistrictwhovowedtokeepteachingwithoutpay”wasmoreofapresentfortheDemocraticbase,inwhichteachersandmembersofpublic-sectorunionsangryatspendingcutsloomlarge.Thesesectionswerefine,butnothingspecial.Secondly,shedeliveredaseriesofnakedlypartisanswipesattheprivilegedbackgroundandcompetenceofMrRomney,herhusband’schallenger,andthesebitswerenotverygood.Thusshestressed,clunkingly,howsheandherhusbandwere“bothraisedbyfamilieswhodidn’thavemuchinthewayofmoneyormaterialpossessions”,butmadeupforitwithlove,self-sacrificeandambitionfortheirchildren—unlike(weweresupposedtoconclude)MrRomney,thesonofawealthyexecutiveturnedpolitician.Shealsotalkedofhowpresidentsconstantlytakeharddecisions“wherenoamountofdataornumberswillgetyoutotherightanswer”.ThatwasanodtothoseaskingwhetherMittRomney’ssuccessasaprivate-equityboss,whichsawhimpatientlysiftandweighscreedsofdataandfinancialinformationtoidentifylow-risk,high-returninvestments,gavehimtherightsortofexecutiveexperience,giventherapid-fire,high-stakesnatureofOvalOfficedecision-making.Therewaslotsofstuffaboutwhatasweet,lovingandadmirablehusbandandfatherMrObamais,whichfranklydidnotadvancethecauseofhumanunderstandingverymuch:theDemocratsinthecrowdlappeditup,whilethosewatchingathomewhodislikethecurrentpresidentwillnothavehadtheirmindschanged.Butinotherpassages,thefirstlady’sspeechdidonelastthing:itmountedarebuttalofthecoreargumentadvancedattheRepublicanconventionabouttheindividualisticnatureofAmericansuccess,andhowitisgovernment’sfirstjobtogetoutofthewayofwealthcreators,ratherthansmotheringthemwithregulationsorcossetingandunmanningcitizenswithun-Americanlevelsofwelfare.ThosebitsofMrsObama’sspeechweremoreclever,andinteresting.MrsObamadidnotmountastraightforwarddefenceofthepublicsectororgovernmentintervention—indeed,shedidnotneedto,ashalfthespeakersonTuesdayspenttheirtimedefendingthepublicsectorandpraisinggovernmentspending,orinvestment,astheycalledit.Instead,shesetouttochipawayat\nthatRepublicanpraiseforsuccess,andtoimplythatitungratefullyclaimstoomuchpersonalcreditforthingsthatgoright.Nowthisis,ofcourse,dangerousterritoryfortheObamas.Thepresidentisstillbeingwhackedwithattackadsoverhisgarbled"youdidn'tbuildthat"remarks.Thoughhewastalkingabouttheimportanceofgoodschools,roadsandotherpublicinfrastructure,theRepublicansusedthelineasacentralrallyingcryattheirconvention.Speakerafterspeakerexpressedresentmentovertheideathattheirownhardworkwasnotintegraltotheirsuccess.“Youdidbuiltthat”,theytoldthecrowdinTampa,whileassuringthemthatBarackObamabothhatedsuccessandwasbentonturningAmericaintoa“nightmareofdependency”(asRickSantorumputit).InCharlotteonTuesdayMrsObamasuggestedthatthiswasslightlybadmanners,nottomentionarrogant.Shedescribedhowherfatherhad“hardlyevermissedadayofwork”despitesufferingfrommultiplesclerosis,andhowhehadsavedandscrimpedtopaythe“tinyportion”ofhischildren’scollegetuitionthatwasnotcoveredbygrantsandstudentloans,becausepayingforhischildren’seducationwas“whatitmeanttobeaman”.ShetalkedofBarackObama’sgrandmother,whospentyearsworkingtirelesslyinacommunitybankwithoutcomplainingwhenlessablemalecolleagueswerepromotedaboveher.TherebuketoRepublicanswastheretobeheard:thiswasMrsObamapraisingthedignityoftheloyalemployee,andarguingthatthepoor(orlessthanwealthy)canbejustasdeservingasemployersandbosses.Thefirstladyalsorebuttedthechargethatsheandherhusbanddislikeprivate-sectorsuccess,addingherownmoraltwist.Sherevisitedherhusband’s“youdidn’tbuildthat”remarksandtriedtomakethemintoabroadermoralargumentaboutgratitude.LikesomanyAmericanfamilies,ourfamiliesweren’taskingformuch.Theydidn’tbegrudgeanyoneelse’ssuccessorcarethatothershadmuchmorethantheydid...infact,theyadmiredit.TheysimplybelievedinthatfundamentalAmericanpromisethat,evenifyoudon’tstartoutwithmuch,ifyouworkhardanddowhatyou’resupposedtodo,thenyoushouldbeabletobuildadecentlifeforyourselfandanevenbetterlifeforyourkidsandgrandkids.That’showtheyraisedus…that’swhatwelearnedfromtheirexample.Welearnedaboutdignityanddecency—thathowhardyouworkmattersmorethanhowmuchyoumake…thathelpingothersmeansmorethanjustgettingaheadyourself.Welearnedabouthonestyandintegrity—thatthetruthmatters…thatyoudon’ttakeshortcutsorplaybyyourownsetofrules…andsuccessdoesn’tcountunlessyouearnitfairandsquare.Welearnedaboutgratitudeandhumility—thatsomanypeoplehadahandin\noursuccess,fromtheteacherswhoinspiredustothejanitorswhokeptourschoolclean…andweweretaughttovalueeveryone’scontributionandtreateveryonewithrespect.ThosearethevaluesBarackandI—andsomanyofyou—aretryingtopassontoourownchildren.That’swhoweare.Somewillfindthatanunconvincinglineofattack.ItisarguablethatevenifMrObamagarbledhisremarksabouttheroleplayedbygovernmentinfrastructure,hedoeshaveapoorrelationshipwithmanybusinessleaders,fouryearsintohispresidency.ButIthoughtthelineabout“gratitudeandhumility”wasclever,becauseintheirworstmomentsinTampatheRepublicansdidsoundshrillandself-congratulatory,nottomentionhypocritical(thisreporter’sfavouritemomentinvolvedatestimonialonstagefromaHispanicbusinessmanwhosemaingripe,itturnedout,wasthathisfirmhadnotsecuredfatenoughcontractsfromthegovernment).Thefirstlady’scommunitariancounter-blasthadonelastinterestingaspect.LikemanyspeakersonthisfirsteveninginCharlotte,shesoughttocasthermessageofcommunitysupportandmutualsolidarityasrootedinthecountry’smostancienttraditions.Therewasalmostasenseofpokeratwork.InTampa,Republicanstalkedalotabouttheirparents,thesecondworldwarandthe"greatestgeneration",andthefoundingfathers.OnthefirstnightinCharlotte,speakerafterspeakerspokeabouttheirgrandparents(ie,I’llseeyourmother,andraiseyoumygranny).FromDemocraticgovernors,senatorsandmayorsspeakinginCharlottetherewastalkofpioneersheadingwestinwagontrainsandofGeorgeWashingtonfightingtheBritishredcoats.MrsObamatracedhercommunity-basedversionoftheAmericandreambacktotheAmericanrevolution,inwhichpatrioticfarmersandblacksmithscametogetherto“winindependencefromanempire”.Inshort,theDemocratsareonoffenceagainstwhattheyclearlythinkwasapurelyindividualisticnarrativeofsuccessfromtheRepublicansinTampalastweek.AndwhileneverquitementioningMittRomneybyname,thefirstladywasakeyplayerinthatoffensivestrategy.Politicsbyanothermeans.Itcertainlyfiredupthehall,whogaveherrepeatedstandingovations.Whetheritimpressesswingvotersinthecountryremainstobeseen.(Photocredit:AFP)