Is it time to stop the denunciation game?
Stanley Fish is making sense: The demand that Barack Obama denounce and renounce his pastor, who delivered himself of sentiments a million miles from anything Obama has ever said, is only the latest and most publicized example. In previous little dust-ups Obama has had to distance himself from Louis Farrakhan (after Hillary Clinton demanded that ...
Stanley Fish is making sense:
Stanley Fish is making sense:
The demand that Barack Obama denounce and renounce his pastor, who delivered himself of sentiments a million miles from anything Obama has ever said, is only the latest and most publicized example. In previous little dust-ups Obama has had to distance himself from Louis Farrakhan (after Hillary Clinton demanded that he both denounce and renounce) and from his own middle name. Clinton, in her turn, has been called on the journalistic carpet because of remarks made by Robert Johnson, Geraldine Ferraro, a campaign manager and her husband. John McCain has had to repudiate a talk show host who introduced him and a minister who embraced him. And it’s only March. What do we have to look forward to? Denunciations of grade-school friends who grew up to become neo-Nazis or sub-prime lenders?
Fish then goes on to lament that such key issues as "war, the economy, health care, the environment" aren’t being fully debated because of this denunciation circus. "We should collectively denounce and renounce denouncing and renouncing," he concludes.
Allow me to suggest an explanation. Most people don’t have well-developed views on the truly important issues of the day, because such topics are complicated and folks are busy living their own lives. It doesn’t take any special expertise or research to react to an incendiary speech by Jeremiah Wright, so that’s a lot easier (and frankly, more entertaining) for everyone to chatter about than the collapse of Bear Stearns. One major contributing factor is political journalists, who tend to know an awful lot about delegate-counting methodology and very little about, say, collateralized debt obligations. In a way, this relentless focus on trivia is a sign of trust in the system: Most folks would rather talk endlessly about nothing while elites sort out the nation’s real problems. At least, that’s the hope.
More from Foreign Policy
Can Russia Get Used to Being China’s Little Brother?
The power dynamic between Beijing and Moscow has switched dramatically.
Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World
It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.
It’s a New Great Game. Again.
Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.
Iraqi Kurdistan’s House of Cards Is Collapsing
The region once seemed a bright spot in the disorder unleashed by U.S. regime change. Today, things look bleak.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
