Sep 6, 2000: Grizzly Al, Constipated George and The Great Oz

To contradict the fizz water ad slogan, Image is Everything. Take a look at how the images of George & Al have changed in just a few short weeks. Not long ago, Dubya was riding high in the polls, and people were saying that that the race was over before it had even begun. I myself was forced to rethink my own personal campaign promise, made way back in March when Dubya was still considered a long shot and a light weight by the collective unconscious.

"If he wins, I’ll move to Singapore" I publicly stated. Well, at this point it looks like I’ll be spared, but who knows what can happen between now and November? Singapore is a strange and highly ordered place, completely unsuited for people as prone to chaotic spasms as myself. But the food is excellent, and I could get used to the humidity.

But I digress. What we’re looking at is this: What happened to cause this shift in public opinion, and, more importantly, "Did anything really happen? " (A bit of Clintonian rhetoric here – "Define "happen")

The answer my friends: Image. Turn the wayback machine to before the Philly beauty pageant. Dubya seemed like a man of the people, Gore seemed aloof, cold, and out of touch. The operative word here is seemed . Where does this seeming come from? The polls have something to do with it. But no true political junkie really believe the polls – Dubya himself was smart enough not to gloat when he was riding high, knowing full well that acknowledging the polls then would only cause him heartache later.

So who is this architect of the collective unconscious, this "man behind the curtain" that we’re all supposed to ignore? For the answer to that question, look no further than your local mainstream newspaper (not this one) ~ The NY Times, CNN, the networks, and all of their internet arms. Therein you will find the kingmakers. Think back to a few months ago, to any national paper’s coverage of the campaigns. An article about Dubya shaking hands and kissing babies somewhere, photo showing him looked relaxed. Next to that, another article about Gore, doing basically the same thing. The Gore in those photos was less relaxed, feeding the collective image of Gore as a big stiffy.

Somewhere in the last month, the Gore campaign became "re-energized," touting "populist themes". The candidate held a much publicized, probably scripted make out session with the wife. Suddenly, the photos changed. Since then, Al seems relaxed, while Dubya seems to be sporting that constipated look. Again, the operative word is "seems".

The piece de resistance for me was on the cover of this Sunday’s NY Times. An article about Gore’s 1989 fact finding trip to Antarctica showed a picture of the candidate in full arctic explorer garb, smiling with cheeks flushed in a rugged, manly fashion. No longer the stiff Gorebot of old, he was transformed into Grizzly Al of the Antarctic – brilliant!

Did anything really "happen?" Did Al Gore suddenly have an incredible hulk like transformation, causing Dubya’s bravado to wilt? Or is the collective unconscious just being manipulated? Is there some sinister "tail wagging the dog" going on here, or is it mostly arbitrary?

Some people, cynics and conspiracy theorists, mostly, have been uncouth enough to connect Al Gore’s choice of a Jewish running mate to his remarkable transformation in the public eye. "Jews control the media" they’ll say, eyes scanning the horizon, shotguns at the ready for any black helicopters that might swoop down from the direction of Washington. To these conspiracy theorists and their claims of Jewish media control, I have one thing to say:

We do.

Just kidding, of course. My relatives couldn’t stop kvetching amongst themselves long enough to put out the Park Slope Pennysaver, let alone control the media. I applauded Al Gore’s choice of a Jewish running mate, but only because it gave my octogenarian grandmother impetus to live for another few months. "Josh, I’ve waited 80 years to vote for a Jew" she said to me right after Gore made his announcement "I’ve postponed dying this long, I can wait a few months more." Grandma lives in California, a swing state. Al Gore could have done much worse, trust me.

Getting back to the question of media manipulation – Is there a Great Oz behind a curtain calling the shots, someone whose been secretly picking the winner of every presidential election for the last fifty years? I doubt it. Somebody with that kind of power couldn’t care less which of two business friendly parties wins. Choosing between the lesser of two evils is for commoners. As in the movie, this "Oz" is concerned merely with maintaining illusion – in this case, the illusion that, behind the images and posturing, there is a real difference between the two parties. As long as we the people buy into the contradiction of "two party democracy," we’ll continue to get suckered into choosing the lesser of two evils.

Next week: The two party system: Dueling Dildos?

copyright 2000 Joshua Samuel Brown

comments? Email me at "josambro at josambro dot com"
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