Fear in Politics and Campaigns
The last seven years in politics have been unnecessarily fearful, largely because our leaders have encouraged people to be afraid. The Bush administration took advantage of September 11th to promote its agenda every chance it got. Bush and Cheney drastically increased executive power, intentionally broke laws, and made disastrous policy decisions – all with fear as a primary means of justification.
Fear allowed the right wing to suppress dissent within the Republican Party and silence the Democrats almost altogether. The media only gave a voice to the fear-mongering; they gave very little critique. Without significant dissent, the Patriot Act passed in the Senate 98-1 and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution passed a few months later, 77-23.
Fear intimidated dissent into silence and promoted hawkish, authoritarian, and illegal activities. Potential critics were especially terrified – terrified of being labeled as “terrorist sympathizers,” “weak on national security,” or part of the “blame America first crowd.” They were also afraid that something bad would happen and they would be left holding the bag because they didn’t do something that was purported to make the country safer.
Fear is a powerful motivator. Social science research shows that people are more strongly affected by potential loss than they are by potential gain. The threat of loss motivates them to do things they wouldn’t normally do, and even do things that are not rational. Orwell’s 1984 shows an extreme example of a society totally obsessed with fear. Goldstien, the supposed terrorist menace, is blamed for everything and used as a reason for every policy. The country is constantly at war and the people are constantly afraid. They submit to the government and do not question it.
Not only have our politics been dominated by fear for the past seven years, but so have our campaigns. Bush won his biggest arguments by making Kerry look like a weakling on national security issues and by feeding fears about his leadership. Rhetoric of war, terrorist attacks, and mushroom clouds ran throughout Karl Rove’s reelection campaign.
The latest embodiment of fear is found in the McCain campaign. McCain’s chief arguments against Obama draw largely on fear: the fear that Obama is too inexperienced for the 3AM phone call; the fear that Obama’s past is not well-known enough; the fear that he could be associated with religious or political radicals; the fear that he is too different. McCain talks endlessly about the dangerous and fearful times in which we live, and how we need a “steady hand” guiding the government instead of the young risky Senator Obama. This fear-based approach stands in stark contrast with Obama’s campaign of hope, optimism, and common goals.
The Machiavellian political analyst side of me is sympathetic to the Rove/McCain fear tactics. They are effective. And now that McCain is in such a desperate situation in the election, it must be even more tempting to go deeper into fear-mongering. But the moral and intellectual side of me is disgusted by appeals to fear. Although they may be effective, it is absolutely unacceptable for our leaders to lead us by appealing to the worst side of humanity.
Our great leaders have inspired, not terrified. In his first 100 days, when the economy was in shambles and Fascism was beginning to rise in Europe, FDR famously said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
I agree with you that fear is a powerful motivator and has been used manically many times before, however, for my personal edification; what is the bush agenda?
Fear tactics. Like scaring Seniors into thinking that Republicans want to take their Soc. Security away? Or telling factory workers that Republicans will strip them of pay and jobs? Or telling people that they won’t be able to afford health care if the government doesn’t give it to them? Or perhaps the notion that Americans are niether smart enough nor capable of finding a way to be energy independent without a government subsidy or program?
Why don’t liberals stop telling Americans that they can’t do it…isn’t the Obama slogan “Yes We Can”? How come he keeps saying we can’t.
Derek, no one ever told you that you can’t afford health care. The millions who can’t afford health care, however, cannot afford health care. That’s not fear tactics, it’s a simple truth.
Are you seriously suggesting that Obama’s rhetoric uses a lot of fear? Really?
You may have legitimate gripes with some policies, and that is fine. But it is just silly to say that Obama uses fear like McCain does (especially lately, with Obama pulling away in the polls).
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli was the favorite author of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein. Just sayin’…
“Would I rather be feared or loved? Um… Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”
–Michael Scott, The Office
Michael Scott has an answer for every single dilemma ever, I am convinced.
Just yesterday, we were trying to think of a funny way of making an announcement for FaceAids…
“There are certain topics that are off limits to comedians: JFK, Aids, the Holocaust. The Lincoln assassination just recently became funny-I need to see this play like I need a hole in the head. And I hope to someday live in a world where a person could tell a hilarious Aids joke. Still one of my dreams.”
But more seriously, I think the opposite is true for a lot of the plebs. They love to be afraid. I don’t get it, but somehow, identifying the bad guys and their evil plot makes the world more understandable. Some people have a very high need for closure, and identifying the bad guys must give them that: dogmatic, authoritarian, and fundamentalist people are just some.
The terrorists hate our freedom and want to kill us all.
The gays are trying to destroy our institutions.
The atheists are destroying the foundation of our country.
The media skews its reporting to benefit Democrats.
The libruls sympathize with all of them.
i’ll give you credit, derek, on your points regarding social security and jobs, but i’ll have to agree w/ chris on the healthcare issue. and, clearly, both sides are in agreement on the energy subsidies issue, which is so far off the typical understanding of “fear tactics” it really detracts from the 2 legitimate points you do make.
possibly contrary to david’s opinion, i think both sides have used fear tactics fairly equally. obama’s camp uses palin and mccain’s age to sway voters to his side, while mccain uses obama’s relative lack of experience and his past associations. dems have always used fear tactics on issues like social security and jobs, just like repubs have always used threats of socialism and religion. it’s part of the political game.
i do, however, think mccain’s current barrage of scare tactics are particularly lame, given mccain’s past pledges to abstain from such tactics. i also think the anger that his rallies are exuding calls for some serious reconsideration of campaign strategy.
mccain has almost certainly lost. if he keeps his campaign going as it is, i am genuinely afraid for barack obama’s life. seriously . . .
I like Machiavelli just as much as the next guy, but…
fear is SAFER than love, IF you cannot have both.
thats the original meaning.
Mr Berry, Funny you mention those two. It seems the current administration choose fear instead of love. Who does that group them with? JUST SAYIN
hold on there WilS. did the bush admin choose for everyone to be afraid of it, or is it such an abysmal failure that we have to be afraid?
I’m going to manipulate one of your quotes a bit here by inserting Obama’s name and switching up the text a bit. Tell me if you think it’s inaccurate.
“[Obama] talks endlessly about the dangerous and fearful times in which we live, and how we need a “steady hand” guiding the government instead of [another Bush term].”
Although I do agree that Republican campaigning strategies do come across a bit more draconian than do the Democrats, to say that Democrats are all about hope, optimism, and common goals is a bit off the mark. I think Democrats like Obama use class consciousness as a fear tool. Obama really focuses on the inability of the middle and lower classes to support themselves in a time of economic downturn. He constantly ridicules “Washington insiders” for taking democracy and control away from the people. Then he says you’ll get 4 more years if you elect John McCain. If that’s not playing on fear politics, then nothing is.
There is some truth to what you say David about Republicans being more predisposed to hawkish measures. However, there seems to be a subtle hint that Democrats are the antithesis to everything bad and fearful about politics. You seem to suggest that Democrats were tricked into partaking in the post-9/11 binge on nationalism. Do you really believe that? Or are you just being a partisan?
WilS: I have to agree with j_ball…The Bush Administration is such an abysmal failure that we have to be afraid.
I’m still wondering what’s up with the that 23% of Americans who think Bush is doing a good job…
Steve, of course I don’t think that Obama and the Democrats have completely clean hands as far as using fear for political advantage goes. Nothing in politics is ever so black and white. But it doesn’t take a partisan to hear the rhetoric and the tone that has come from the Bush administration and label it as fear-mongering.
The black and white isn’t in absolute terms, but in relative terms. Relative to each other, Obama’s message is focused on hope and change while McCain’s is mostly focused around making people afraid to vote for Obama.
We knew a long time ago that the election was going to be about Obama, though. It shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise.
its not 23% of americans. just as the vote this year will not represent %100 of americans.
let’s just hope obscene numbers of folks vote for these guys like they did last election.
i mean come on. 60 million people for bush? and kerry?
that’s crazy.
they sure know how to buy votes! (as if the politicians are the only people who get bought off) lol.
as far as fear is concerned….yeah. i am afraid of an obama presidency. what kind of new deal will it be this time? do we have a name for it yet? not to mention the question of war and foreign policy.
What questions on war and foreign policy? Do you seriously think he’s a more volatile leader than McCain would be? Even without his ridiculous “Bomb Iran” song, McCain’s eruption over the Russia/Georgia debacle is enough to make me fearful of having his finger anywhere near an international trigger.
By foreign policy, do you mean the ridiculous assertion by Jerome Corsi that Obama has close ties with the Kenyan government and that he will put their interests first? Come off it.
Obama’s seemingly neo-liberal predisposition is somewhat encouraging, to me. I think I like the idea of a U.S. president that seeks to use international organizations, rather than sideline them.
ian, please keep in mind there are a lot more than two ways of looking at things…it’s not obama vs mccain all the time. that’s just the choice that people are forced to face right now. and that is highly unfortunate.
steve, you know i don’t like the idea of world government
May I quote your post?
Under the Creative Commons Copyright, anyone can quote articles from this site as long as they credit the author and link back. Thanks!
in addition, if one can think that Obama is separate from the state of the fear that is prevalent in politics today, then I don’t know what to tell you.
its the same state with a smiley face. what’s the difference?
So, is anyone planning on coming to the inauguration?