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"The American Economy – When Commonality Trumps Difference"

24 October, 2008 03:37:00 thewriteup

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During the past several months, lower and middle income-Americans have redefined their lifestyles in response to soaring gasoline prices, increases on food, a failing financial market, and the threat of another ‘Great Depression’. While Americans turning to alternative means of transportation and using less gasoline helped lower fuel prices nationwide, upheaval on Wall Street remained inevitable. In addition to the crisis in the financial market, Americans have endured a record number of job losses across the country. The United States Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that the current unemployment rate of 6.1% remained unchanged for September. The rate for Black Americans rose to 11.4%, compared to 5.4% for whites. The number of unemployed has increased by 2.2 million during the past year. And more than 720,000 jobs were eliminated this year making the economy the number one issue on the minds of all Americans. National polls and survey data show that the voting public is listening closely to the presidential candidates for their short-term and long-term proposals to alleviate the strain on struggling families.

The recent 700 billion dollar economic bailout received bi-partisan support. However, the everyday lives of many of both Senator McCain and Senator Obama’s constituents will remain the same. There is little faith in the ‘trickle-down’ effect when lower and middle-income families do not have investments that need to be protected or large amounts of money sequestered in CD or money market accounts set aside to supplement retirement funds. Many of these families have nothing left over after dividing their paychecks between living expenses and gasoline. What people are looking for is hope, and a renewed confidence in leadership that they believe understands the present condition they’re in and will implement policies that will help to improve their lives.

With less than one month before the election, candidates are visiting battleground states addressing crowds they hope will ensure victory on November 4^th. Dominating the presidential race news coverage is what is being said at these campaign stops and rallies. Rather than focusing solely on the issues affecting Americans, Republican candidates for President and Vice President have focused their energy on a failing attempt at the character assassination of Senator Barack Obama. Pundits have queried as to why Senator McCain and Governor Palin would not seize every opportunity to address the economy, the number one issue on the minds of the American public. McCain and Palin have instead chosen to personally attack Barack Obama and risk potential backlash by going negative. In recent days both Palin and McCain have not only challenged Obama’s patriotism, but have suggested that Senator Obama has direct ties to domestic terrorism.

The McCain-Palin campaign has been cautioned about using race and class subtexts at rallies which some believe have incited hatred and violence. Supporters have been heard chanting “kill him”, among other things, during speeches. The UK’s Sun reported last week that one Obama enthusiast in England was gunned down for wearing an Obama T-shirt. Though the majority of McCain-Palin supporters are not likely to take up arms against fellow Americans choosing Obama, the racial healing called for in the wake of the Reverend Wright media frenzy is needed now more than ever.

The discourse that the candidates should engage in must focus on the economy, education and healthcare, a dialogue that illustrates the commonalities among American citizens, rather than divisive and destructive insinuation that threatens to destroy the progress this nation has made in race relations over the past 45 years. An October 14, 2008 New York Times poll showed that the majority of Americans, race notwithstanding, are ready to elect Barack Obama by a margin of 53% to 38%. However, while Obama’s lead in the polls indicates that some ‘red states’ may be blue in November, pundits remain reluctant to predict a landslide. Despite the numbers, even Obama supporters are urging voters to go to the polls and not be lulled into a premature sense of victory, citing the Bradley effect and noting that a Black candidate must be a minimum of 5 percentage points ahead to be considered even. With matters of race resurfacing at this late stage in the game, Obama opponents are clearly trying to resurrect a time in America where difference trumped commonality. This nation cannot afford to return to yesterday with such a long way to go.