So, I know it's been a while, but I just came across this documentary about the republican sentiment during the Obama/McCain campaign of 2008. The documentary follows the McCain campaign through various right-wing rallies across the country, focusing on smalltown/rural America. Most of those interviewed thought the country was doomed. If Obama was elected president, America would surely fall apart! Well, in my opinion, the documentary does prove that America's doomed. But not because one side won over the other; because political rhetoric has fallen to its lowest point, and the deep partisan divide prevents any resolution of issues.
Clearly, this documentary was not completely unbiased. It portrayed republicans as racist, uneducated, blindly patriotic, and downright crazy. Some of the people that were interviewed claimed that Obama was the antichrist; others likened him to Hitler. In the deep south, a few proud "rednecks" argued that America wasn't ready for a black president. I know that not all republicans feel this way, but even the more moderate responses in this documentary presented cause for concern.
Some opposed Obama for "political" reasons. Reasons like, "you shouldn't tax the rich because big corporations create the most jobs." and "Obama is trying to turn this country socialist." Few of the people in this video even understood what they were saying. One man had misspelled "socialist" on the back of his T-shirt and stammered to come up with a response when asked what socialism even meant.
It was clear that religion was also deeply tied to the republican party. The documentary portrayed pastors in churches advocating parishioners to vote for McCain; one woman passed out pamphlets to churches trying to convince people to vote republican. A lot of campaign slogans and T-shirts connected "God" to the republican party, Sarah Palin, and... the right to own a gun (yup). And if you attempt to argue with them, all they have to say is "it's in the Bible" or "God says so" and the argument's over. How's that for political rhetoric?
People were so angry in this video--- about all the wrong things. The documentary filmed peoples' responses to Obama's refusal to salute the flag or wear a flag lapel pin; they considered this to be the most vile, horrible anti-American thing they've ever seen. But when it comes down to it... is that what's really important? Wearing a pin? If they just want a strong white man to put on a pin and salute the flag, pretty much anyone could run our country.
Granted, this sampling was not necessarily a reflection of all republicans. It portrays the kind of rural Americans that go to political rallies and say memorably offensive things. Obviously, the people most likely to want face time with the camera are the extreme ones. But these people still exist. There are people out there who voted for McCain because they were sincerely convinced that Obama is the anti-Christ.
I know I have to take this kind of thing with a grain of salt, but the fact that these are real people just makes me want to close my door, pack my bags, and buy a one-way plane ticket to Finland. Stupid, stupid America.
