Monday, October 27, 2008

Commentary: How a Mid-sized City Still Shapes Joe Biden’s Message by Kasey Pipes






Nestled into the rolling hills of Lackawanna River Valley is Scranton, Pennsylvania. For years the city was synonymous with the anthracite coal industry. These days, it’s more commonly known as the home of the fictional characters on the television show “The Office.”

But Scranton also possesses important political roots. Indeed, the city’s namesake family produced an important Republican governor, William Scranton. Governor Scranton (who is still alive) was a progressive Republican and a close advisor and friend to President Dwight Eisenhower.

In recent months, Scranton has again made political news. After he was chosen as Barack Obama’s running mate, Senator Joe Biden wasted little time in proudly discussing his hometown. He did so for a reason.

In his speech on August 23 from the steps of the Illinois State Capitol, it took Biden three paragraphs before talking about the mid-sized city that produced him. “I was an Irish-Catholic kid from Scranton with a father who like many of yours in tough economic times fell on hard times,” he said to the crowd. “But my mom and dad raised me to believe…it’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how quickly you get up.” This is the language of resilience that politicians often try to employ. It helps if a town or a place can also be used to show that the resilience has been lived and learned.

As Biden entered the presidential race as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, he immediately sought to take the American people back to his roots, back to Scranton. At the Democratic National Convention, Biden talked about Scranton three different times in his speech. The most memorable line was early in the speech as he sought to connect where he hoped to lead the country with where he was from:

My mother’s creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. You are everyone’s equal, and everyone is equal to you. My parents taught us to live our faith, and treasure our family. We learned the dignity of work, and we were told that anyone can make it if they try. That was America’s promise. For those of us who grew up in middle-class neighborhoods like Scranton and Wilmington, that was the American dream and we knew it.

Interestingly, Biden and his family moved from Scranton when he was ten years old. Yet in the sentence above, Wilmington seems an afterthought. In his view, the seeds of his success were planted in Scranton even if they bloomed elsewhere.

In the weeks and months since his selection, Biden has returned to Scranton many times, at least rhetorically. Most recently, when “Joe the Plumber” made national news for challenging Barack Obama’s tax plan, Biden was quick to say plumbers in Scranton don’t make $250,000.

Biden’s use of Scranton makes sense politically. More than 76,000 residents now call Scranton home. And the median family income is $41,000. This makes Scranton a nice reference point for Biden as he seeks to articulate a message that speaks to people in Middle America.

Every campaign has a story and every campaign has a narrative. The narrative Biden tries to project is that he is everyman—a regular guy who speaks for ordinary people. Since Biden is a well-educated lawyer who has served in the Senate for 35 years, he needs Scranton to help show people he is anchored somewhere other than in the waters of the Potomac.

Thus far, it seems to be working. Most polls found that most Americans thought Biden won the vice presidential debate. In that debate, Biden was careful to cast himself as the defender of blue collar workers in the heartland. During a question about the economic downturn, Biden asked Governor Sarah Palin to “go up to Scranton with me. These people know the middle class has gotten the short end.”

Biden may have left Scranton years ago; but Scranton has not left him. He seems likely to keep talking about his favorite mid-sized city whether he’s in the Senate or the Vice President’s office.

News: Biden Visits Pueblo, CO, Site of Famous JFK Speech



[Via ABC News]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-follows-k.html

News: Jackson, TN Celebrates Jackson the President





[Via Jackson Sun]

http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20081023/NEWS01/810230301

News: Leaders Meet in Tupelo, MS To Discuss Appalachia


[Via Northeastern Mississippi Daily Journal]

http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=280882&pub=1&div=News

News: Muskogee, OK Teacher Wins National Award





[Via ktul.com]

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/1008/563586.html

News: Obama and McCain Fighting for the Heartland





[Via Reuters.com]

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49M5SF20081023