Playing to subliminal and residual fear, conservative Republican candidates enter the race for the Presidency of the United States playing the race and class cards as they seek to distinguish themselves.
When one listens to the declarations of Newt Gingrich and now Rick Santorum, there are unmistakable racial and class undertones.
First, you have Newt Gingrich declaring that President Barack Obama is the “food stamp President.” In your mind, what does that mean? Who comes to mind when you hear “food stamps?” Blacks, other minorities, poor whites? Other descriptive adjectives often associated with recipients of food stamps is that they must be lazy and would rather stay on welfare than work — the total opposite of the American way of hard work, self-reliance, and self-determination.
Now enters Rick Santorum. In making his bid to run for President, he asserts that an ‘insider” in the Obama administration says that the major goal of the administration is to “get people hooked on entitlements; and once they are on, they will not want to get off.”
Santorum further proclaims, “America was great before 1965.” Why did Santorum choose 1965 as the frame of reference? Wasn’t that the period that the historic Medicare and Medicaid legislation was passed? It definitely was in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement and the beginning or furtherance of legislation that has had substantive and significant ramifications on the American way of life.
Then there is Santorum’s observation about President Obama’s stand on abortions. Santorum declared, “I find it remarkable for a black man to say we are going to decide who are people or not people.”
What are we, the public, to think?
We would like to think that we have candidates on the various sides of the political spectrum who will address the pressing issues. We need realistic ideas on improving the economy so there will be jobs for people to have, balancing the budget, reducing the deficit, closing the educational achievement gap so Americans continue to maintain a leadership position on the global stage, terrorism and other threats to the values we hold dear — without resorting to race and class stereotypes.
If race and class are going to be interjected into the presidential election, we should at least demand that candidates have the courage, the integrity, and the fortitude to have an open, honest, and civil conversation. Playing on the fears and prejudices — real or imagined — will not serve anyone, except those who wish to wallow in bygone days rather than learn from them. We must figure out how we can build a stronger America for all as we confront formidable challenges in the 21st century.