Mediaboss Marketing

When President BidenJoe BidenGOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips Five House members meet with Taiwanese president despite Chinese objections Sunday shows preview: New COVID-19 variant emerges; supply chain issues and inflation persist MORE visited a General Motors factory last week to test-drive one of the new electric Hummers, scheduled to debut next year, he wasnt just highlighting the comeback of the automaker. He was putting a personal stamp on his presidency.

These suckers are something else! Biden said as he took the SUV for a couple of laps, including a burnout.

Anyone wanna jump in the back? On the roof? he asked.

Biden is a self-proclaimed car guy who owns a 1967 Corvette Stingray and frequently shows it off, including on CNBC's "Jay Lenos Garage." Along with his tales of riding Amtrak to and from Wilmington Del., Biden has used cars to tell his own story.

Biden has got some serious automobile cred, said Robert Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. He took off with that thing like a 15-year-old with his learner's permit," he added of the Hummer joyride.

And cars, Thompson pointed out, are firmly implanted in the American heart and soul.

Cars are everything from the stability of the economy to romance and youth and independence, he said.

Bidens predecessors also tried to mark their time in the White House with their cultural interests. Former President ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaHow a biased filibuster hurts Democrats more than Republicans Stephen Sondheim, legendary Broadway songwriter, dies at 91 With extreme gerrymanders locking in, Biden needs to make democracy preservation job one MORE frequently reached into television, music and books to telegraph his persona. Each year, for example, he invited an ESPN crew to the White House to unveil his March Madness bracket.He and former first lady Michelle ObamaMichelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaPoll: Harris, Michelle Obama lead for 2024 if Biden doesn't run Son gives emotional tribute to Colin Powell at service Biden, ex-presidents gather for Colin Powell's funeral MORE also hosted hundreds of performers including Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Lin-Manuel Miranda to showcase the artsas well as their own stylistic choices.

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpStowaway found in landing gear of plane after flight from Guatemala to Miami Kushner looking to Middle East for investors in new firm: report GOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips MORE, one of the most divisive public figures, puta stamp on the presidency in a way that others hadnt.

Trump reinvented presidential communication with his regular Twitter use and shunned White House traditions such asthe White House Correspondents Association dinner and daily press briefings.

Trumps presidency often involved inflaming the nations culture wars. The former president publicly battled with the NFL over players kneeling and rejected NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag. Trump also loved to create spectacles,including his July 4, 2019, salute to the armed forces at the Lincoln Memorial and his norm-busting 2020 Republican National Convention speech held on the White House lawn. He also memorably took the presidential limo for a spin around the Daytona 500 track in February 2020.

Former President George W. Bush, a lifelong fan of baseball and onetime owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, made it a point to incorporate the sport during his time in office. After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, wearingaNew York City Fire Department jacket, he threw out the first pitchof the 2001 World Seriesat Yankee Stadium as the crowd chanted, USA! USA! He also threw the first pitch at NationalsPark at the teams inaugural game.

The thing you learn about presidents when you spend time with them, when you work with them, is they're a lot like us, said Tony Fratto, who served as deputy press secretary to Bush. People want to feel like they have some personal connection to their president. It humanizes them.

And because presidents live in a so-called bubble, Fratto said, they are vulnerable to the criticism that they are out of touch, and they must find a way to reach out of the bubble.

Because of the nature of the job you are untouchable, he said. So seeing signs of those things that are very relatable to us is very important.

The test drive in Michigan earlier this month was just the latest example for Biden.

He also regularly weaves advice from his father into presidential addresses. His willingness to talk about his family and particularly his experiences with loss in the deaths of his first wife and daughter and his son Beau has long been a hallmark of Bidens public life.

He hands out cookies to guests in the Oval Office, a nod to his love of sweets. And one can often hear Biden quote poets W.B. Yeatsand Seamus Heaney in his speeches, references that hark back to his Irish heritage.

This personalization of his White House and his administration is just a continuation of his kind of soulful approach to life. You just feel it, said Moe Vela, a former Biden adviser who served in the Obama White House. The man never waivers from who he is at his core.

In many cases, Biden has used a personal touch to promote his domestic agenda.

He delighted in his love of trains back in April when he delivered remarks at a train station in Philadelphia to celebrate Amtraks 50th anniversary and push for funding to upgrade passenger rail. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which Biden signed into law last week, contains $66 billion to kick-start rail projects along the Northeast Corridor and expand Amtraks reach.

The infrastructure bill also contains funding to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations and transition to electric school buses, which he highlighted in remarks at the General Motors plant in Michigan.

And Biden has taken to reflecting on his experience trying to care for his two sons as a single dad and a senator in the 1970s as a way to advocate for the child care provisions in the roughly $2 trillion climate and social policy bill moving through Congress.

Still, political observers question if these personal touches actually move voters, however relatable they may be. Bidens approval ratings have sunk since this summer, and poll after poll shows sharp partisan divides in views of his administration.

I dont think its that effective, especially in such a polarized age, said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. Very little moves voters, and I am not sure those small cues more interesting to the media than most voters have significant impact.

Pointing to Bidens stop at the General Motors factory, Thompson agreed: He could have talked about an electric flying car and the people who like him would still like him and the people who don't like him still won't.

Excerpt from:
'Car guy' Biden puts his spin on the presidency | TheHill - The Hill

On shining examples

On Thanksgiving the annual Go!bbler family fun run was held at the old brick-and-mortar location of Go! Running in the Heights area of Little Rock. Many runners, dogs, strollers, and walkers showed up for a fun run through the Heights and Hillcrest area. The entry fee? Canned goods and non-perishable food items for the Arkansas Foodbank.

The gathering has occurred for over 10 years. The 2020 version was virtual and still managed to raise over 12,000 meals in food and cash donations.

I first met Gary and Erin Taylor when I got serious about running in 2015. Not only did they create a great store, but a great running culture prevailed in Little Rock. We had Thursday night runs, the Go! Mile annual race, and the Thanksgiving run. The physical store is no longer, but the coaching, the passion for running, the volunteerism, and the camaraderie remain. The Taylors are shining examples of truly giving back to your community and giving thanks.

COLIN HALL

Little Rock

Confusion on climate

Many people question the scientific consensus on climate change and human involvement with that change. Once again it seems that the culture wars became a big part of that, and when Al Gore became closely tied to the issue, many conservatives' kneejerk reaction was to take the opposite stand. Unfortunately for this country and the world, climate change, like pandemics, doesn't care about political leanings. Not long ago, one letter in this forum questioned why only "liberal" sources believed in climate change or human involvement. While this is not the case, unfortunately, it is the perception.

Recently the U.S. House held hearings with the CEOs of Big Oil, and let's hope it is the beginning of the end of climate denial. It did not get the publicity it should have. Below is the transcript of a small portion of that hearing. Chair Carolyn Maloney of New York made it easy for anyone. You can see if for yourself at about the 4:45 mark of the video at http://www.pbs.org.

Maloney: Mr. Woods, CEO of Exxon, do you agree that climate change is real?

Darren Woods: Yes.

Maloney: Thank you. Mr. Lawler, CEO of BP America, do you agree that climate change is caused by human activities?

David Lawler: Yes.

Maloney: Mr. Wirth, CEO of Chevron, do you agree that burning fossil fuels is a significant cause of climate change?

Michael Wirth: Chairwoman, we've been clear on where we stand, and we accept the current scientific consensus that the use of fossil fuels contributes to climate change.

The oil companies funded junk- science groups that denied and/or muddled the debate for years to protect their profits, they refused to commit to stopping this in the hearing also. Their own websites now tell a different story on climate change, but they fund junk science that helps confuse people. Don't be confused!

GREG ROUNTREE

Scott

Keeping people safe

Little Rock is not safe, and the mayor isn't doing enough to fix it.

While the number of murders in Arkansas during 2020 grew by an astounding 34 percent from the prior year--over 15 percent greater than the national increase of 29 percent--Little Rock's rate of increase in homicides surpassed the state's already high tally (to which Little Rock significantly contributed, of course), with a 36 percent increase for the same period. And that increase is layered on top of the upward jump from the prior year.

This year is even worse than last. Little Rock is now in the middle of the absolute deadliest year it has seen in almost three decades. And digging deeper only reveals cause for greater concern.

In 2021, 301 were people shot, stabbed, or seriously hurt in Little Rock, and, of course, the year isn't even over. That's three times the total seen in 2015. And just last week, a carload of thugs sought to carjack a couple in the tony Heights neighborhood, firing some 30 bullets at the victims. The mayor's disappointing response to one of the victims was to tell her that he's praying for her.

That's insufficient. We need our politicians actually working for us. To too many politicians, listing tangible items on a door hanger, like increasing the number of giraffes at the zoo, is more important than the seemingly more ephemeral quality-of-life issues that affect everyone's daily lives--safety and security first among them. The single most important function of government is to keep the people who elect them safe.

The mayor has lost sight of the fact that he works for, and is responsible to, the electorate--his bloated distance-creating security detail notwithstanding. The mayor is failing at his primary task of keeping the peace. Public safety isn't a right or left issue. It's a right or wrong issue. And, so far, the mayor is coming up wrong.

ROBERT STEINBUCH

Little Rock

See the original post:
OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: On shining examples | Confusion on climate | Keeping people safe - Arkansas Online

Lately, some Board of Education meetings are scenes straight out of Fahrenheit 451. At both Lindbergh and Mehlville, parents are demanding that books theyve deemed offensive be taken off the shelves of the school library.

Just like critical race theory, library books appear to be the latest boogie man for parents of school children to latch onto, convinced that these books will corrupt their childrens minds or teach them other unsavory things. Its just another chapter in Americas culture wars.

Its worth noting that the books being challenged are not mandatory reading for students. These are not books being assigned in a classroom or being read aloud by a teacher. These are books that are available for check-out from the library. No one is forcing anyone to read these books.

It also appears that these challenges disproportionately challenge books by Black authors and other people of color, or authors from the LBTQ community. Although Im sure thats just a coincidence.

Its certainly not my job to determine whether a book is too sexually explicit, profane or otherwise unfit to be kept on a library shelf, but thats also not the job of culture warriors or anyone else. Good literature can sometimes make people uncomfortable but censorship should not be the immediate response. Besides, once it starts, where does it end?

Putting blinders on children through banning books does more harm than good. It narrows their viewpoint of the world and what it offers, and can cause them to become ignorant towards people different than them. It also shuts down discussion on sexuality, diversity and racial injustices.

Books are supposed to teach or inspire. They cant harm you and if a parent deems that books maturity level is too high for their child, simply dont let them read it. Demanding that no one have access to literature that makes you uncomfortable harms everyone in the long run.

Doesnt the most learning happen when youre considering new ideas that take you out of your comfort zone?

Banning books is step in the opposite direction.

Even if we dont agree with them, books in our schools and our libraries need to be protected.

View post:
Banning books takes away from growth and learning - Call Newspapers

Amna Nawaz:

We're witnessing the newest evolution of the culture wars, a term first popularized nearly 30 years ago in a book by James Davison Hunter. He's also the executive director of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Culture at the University of Virginia. And he joins me now.

James Davison Hunter, welcome to the "NewsHour." Thank you for making the time.

So, it was 30 years ago you used this phrase culture wars. You were trying to capture sort of the national divides and debates over issues like abortion rights and LGBTQ rights and the role of religion in schools. How have the culture wars from 30 years ago changed? What's different today?

James Davison Hunter, University of Virginia: One of the most important differences is the ways in which the culture wars have now become class culture wars.

Progressives tend to predominate in the upper middle class, highly educated professionals and managers. And traditionalists, conservatives tend to cluster in the middle, lower-middle and working classes. The class differences are highlighting real differences in life chances and opportunities, the horizons of the future that mean so much to everyday life.

Read the original post:
Why cultural and political divides seem to be getting worse - PBS NewsHour

THERE is much talk in the media these days about culture wars, being woke and the dangers of cancel culture but they are concepts few people really understand.

In a Times Radio poll in February, respondents were asked what they think culture war means. Only 7 per cent came up with a relevant answer, 15 per cent got it wrong, and a whopping 76 per cent said they didnt know. However, just because people dont know what a culture war is doesnt mean theyre not in one.As long as you have a class system there will be culture wars: a conflict between the hegemonic culture of the elite and that of the oppressed classes. These simply reflect the conflict between class economic interests.Today, with the sharpening of the class struggle and an increasing awareness of the bankruptcy of capitalism, the global ideological struggle also becomes more acute.

Faced as we are by existential problems, the struggle for ideological and cultural hegemony becomes increasingly significant but also more acrimonious.

We have seen a highly effective protest by women around the Me Too movement, alongside Black Lives Matter and the global campaign demanding radical action on climate change. Such grass-roots movements are challenging widely held belief systems and traditional hierarchies.At the same time these are being challenged and dismissed by the ruling elite. Instead, minor issues are being blown up out of all proportion in order to sideline real protest. When the Queens photo was removed from the common room at Magdalen College, there was outrage in the media and the uproar over Englands football team taking the knee or the debate over the removal of the Rhodes statue in Oxford, are all only symptoms of a wider and deeper shift in attitudes.

A reportby the Policy Institute at Kings College London, based on a major research project about culture wars, found that while there are many important differences between Britain and the US, there are clear echoes of the US experience, where we could be at the early stages of a trend seen in the US already in the 1980s and 1990s.

The report says that many peoples views on cultural issues have become tied up with the Brexit debate, while peoples party-political identities, although not as strong, show similar alignments. This provides the conditions for more all-encompassing division, as compromise across these divides becomes harder when cultural perspectives become a core part of how we see ourselves.

Old-style political parties are struggling to articulate what needs to be done. This has presented an opportunity for right-wing populist politicians and narratives to fill the void.

The present battles within the Labour Party under Keir Starmer are also symptomatic of these culture wars, with claims of anti-semitism being instrumentalised by the establishment to bash the left. The divisions that have opened up within the Labour Party are to an increasing extent grounded in differences in cultural politics between its middle-class metropolitan supporters and its traditional working-class base.

The politics of culture wars, particularly as being waged by the present government, also have the potential to inspire fundamental bigotries leading to ever greater and more damaging divisions.

The attempts by the Tory government to get Paul Dacre appointed chair of media regulator Ofcom and the similar manipulation of key appointments in the public sphereare all part of a more extreme politicisation of culture by the elite. If the ruling class manages to successfully shift public focus towards more symbolic and emotive issues, its a change that can be more easily exploited and directed by the cynical.

The journalist Matthew dAncona says, Whats interesting now is the speed with which cabinet ministers or indeed No 10 respond. That to me signals were into a different kind of political game. One where a strategy is at work. (Quoted in an Observer report by Andrew Anthony, June 13, 2021.)

The culture wars suit the Johnson way of doing things, he says. Hes good at things that involve short, memorable slogans and showmanship.

Certainly if we look at the US, where the modern incarnation of the culture wars was first identified, the conflicts over abortion rights, gay marriage and the climate catastrophe have been fought, at least by one side, from an explicitly religious perspective.

The US sociologist James Davison Hunter gave popular currency to the term in his seminal 1991 book Culture Wars: the Struggle to Define America. He argues that they were about the orthodox versus the progressive. That division fits the situation in Britain, too, but without the religious element.

The left sees issues of identity those concerning race, gender and sexuality as battlegrounds of progress versus stagnation. They are struggles about liberating oppressed minorities from under the dominance of white male power. But as the battles have become more complex, particularly around transgender issues, there is a danger of identity politics getting in the way of solidarity and joint action. The ruling class is all too ready to exploit such divisions in order to maintain control.

On the left, we need to be constantly aware of how culture is key in the battle of ideas. If we wish to challenge and defeat ruling-class hegemony, we have to expose the inhumanity and banality of its culture industry, particularly in films, social media and television. The left has to challenge ruling class ideology in all its forms, not just in the workplace and on the streets.

Read more:
You can't be a pacifist in the culture wars - Morning Star Online