“Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.” – President Obama in his victory speech in Chicago, November 7, 2012
In the wee hours of this morning, following the results of the 2012 election in which 130 million U.S. citizens voted, President Barack Obama and Governor
Mitt Romney participated in a time-honored tradition of U.S. presidential politics:
the deliverance of concession and the proclamation of victory.
In their respective speeches, both men
spoke about bipartisanship and articulated their imaginings of a nation their
particular notions of the nation—not the nation-state—of America.
Each man put forward his definition of the
United States as a nation—his vision of America, American values, and what it
means to be an American.
In his concession address in Boston after
midnight on Wednesday morning, Governor Romney spoke about what motivates,
renews, and compels this nation, expounding the indispensable role of social
leaders and the stability of home life:
“We
look to our teachers and professors. We count on you not just to teach, but to
inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. We look to our
pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the
enduring principles upon which our society is built: Honesty, charity,
integrity, and family. We look to our parents. From the final analysis,
everything depends on the success of our homes.”
Governor
Romney describes America as a majestic country built on the values of honesty,
charity, integrity, and family. However, his belief that America is great
nation where “everything depends on the success of our homes” is seemingly
rooted in a local mindset.
In
contrast, President Obama is not limited to the local example of the nuclear
family unit. He says “we believe in a
generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to
the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to
our flag. To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond
the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina
who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a
diplomat or even a president.” These are American dreams. These make up a sense
of shared destiny.
Moreover,
Governor Romney’s articulation of the America is utterly different compared to President
Obama’s imagined nation and his belief that a shared destiny is what sets
America apart from all other nations:
“What makes America exceptional are the bonds
that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works
when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.
The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with
responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and
duty and patriotism. That’s what
makes America great.”
President
Obama uses the word ‘share’ in three instances throughout his speech. The word
‘share’ does not make an appearance in the governor’s language.
President
Obama chooses instead to emphasize the idea that America is united by a deeply
felt sense of shared destiny. In his rhetoric, he indicates that he is one
of us by saying “we” more than 50 times in his speech (Governor Romney says
“we” 11 times and his address is considerably shorter).
While
Governor Romney does speak out against “partisan
bickering and political posturing” and underscores how “our leaders have to
reach across the aisle to do the people's work,” he remains partisan to the
very end despite his best efforts—underlining the role of “Democrats and
Republicans in government at all levels.”
President Obama’s address culminates with the
following assertion, which omits any mention of political party and affiliation:
“I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as
our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are
greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a
collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United
States of America.”
I share the President’s belief in our collective sense of destiny and his vision of our nation; who we are as a people. The difference in
their language and tone during the campaign and after raises the following
question, however: Do they live in the same nation—the same imagined community? From a communication standpoint, is bipartisanship possible going forward? Is there a language for bipartisanship? Do we live in the same nation or do
we circle in our own national orbits? How do we communicate across the aisle? Is there just an aisle or other entire countries within our domestic politics?
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Transcripts: Governor Romney - http://www.netnebraska.org/node/824669
President Obama - http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/11/07/transcript-obamas-victory-speech/
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