Comment, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
Emily Peckenham,
Program Officer, FES Washington, D.C.
Tonight, kids all over the District of Columbia will be dressing up as witches, goblins, princesses, firemen, cats, and superheroes as they trek door-to-door demanding treats from their neighbors in the yearly "Trick-or-Treat" tradition. A bit later in the evening, college students and other young people will venture out for their own Halloween festivities - gathering at parties and bars to quaff seasonal drinks, compare outfits, dance, and participate in costume contests. Two acquaintances will be dressing up as "Sarah Palin", and its probable that a passerby might see many "Barack Obamas" and "John McCains" as well as few "Hillary Clintons" out on the streets of D.C. tonight.
October 31, 2008
The often staged and carnivalesque nature of the U.S. presidential race seems to find its foil in the masks and mockery of Halloween night. Making fun of presidential candidates has a long and vigorous tradition in the United States, finding its expression in political cartoons, bumper stickers, Saturday Night Live televised satire, and pithy nicknames like "McPain" or "Nobama". Just like Hollywood celebrities, presidential candidates are lampooned for their physical characteristics or personal quirks, but they are only celebrities in time, under the spotlight of a public and media who expect much more than new film or an exciting scandal. In a month or two, the public's attention will shift away from the also-rans, the 15 minutes of fame and the family scandals that make characters like "Joe the Plumber", Bristol Palin, and Carol McCain everyday names.
What we hope won't disappear is an engaged American public that demands change from their government, that eagerly watches televised debates by politicians, that understands that their vote affect the trajectory of their American, and their future.