Watching Gov. Sarah Palin’s farewell speech over the weekend, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the uneasy sense within the Republican Party regarding their message. After the embarrassing whooping Republicans received during the last election cycle in most levels of our government, the party seems to be taking some time to reflect on where they may have gone wrong and forge a new strategy. How will the Republicans garner support to gain back their political clout? Gee golly, I think I’ve figured it out.
In keeping with the old maxim “the medium is the message,” the Republicans have chosen their medium—in this case, that of children’s educational programming, somewhat in the same vein of Sesame Street and, my old favorite, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. With this medium they can “educate” the electorate like never before.
For proof one needs to look no further than the current characters beaming the Republican message into the hearts and minds of Americans, sounding more like Muppets than politicians.
With the Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys of the world, the party has always had an overwhelming plethora of Oscar the Grouches. I get so tickled when they get grumpy, usually over meaningless things, just like the classic Oscar. But they can only go so far as getting folks riled up and, every now and then, maybe throw in a little fear. The Republicans needed some folks to counter their grouches.
Enter Mr. Rogers, er, I mean Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who was honored earlier this year by giving his party’s response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. Jindal spoke with a calming tone and soft, understanding eyes. Now that’s a guy I’d want as my neighbor. During his response he even had a story that ended with a lesson! If I remember correctly, the moral had something to do with making sure you have boat insurance if you rescue people from their roofs during a flood, or maybe it was the other way around. That, and America is the best.
Palin, too, has come to the rescue, and ironically her character doesn’t take the place of a puppet. Rather, she reminds me of those Sesame Street hosts, like Maria or Luis, who conversed with children across a glowing screen. Even when Palin speaks firmly and with authority, she generally comes across like my kindergarten teacher impressing upon me my Ps and Qs. Only she impresses something along the lines of America is the best, guns are the best, being rugged is the best and no one else is the best. With a scripted “gee golly” here and a “ya know” there, she can relate with the inner child in all of us.
Get ready, America, for the softer, more accessible side of the Republican Party. Ya know, it’s the kind of party that speaks to you like you’re a child, and lets you know, gee golly, that everything will be OK.
Richard D. Oxley is not a political scientist or guru. Rather, he is a layman savant or political connoisseur of sorts, offering intellectual, well, semi-intellectual (OK, he’s basically functional) stimulation upon current national topics.