On March 15th, 2020 Former Vice President Biden and Senator Sanders met for their first one on
one debate in the 2020 democratic debate cycle. In a predictable fashion the debate started with the then
“threat” of the coronavirus. Bumping elbows and avoiding skin contact the two men took to their
distanced podiums and began a harsh critique of President Trump’s handling of the global pandemic; each
making themselves seem as though if in power they could stop the spread. What image does that put in
the viewers head?
It seems like a pretty heroic idea to me, another old white man who has the answer; however, for some the condensated collection of symbols used by the candidate paints together an iconicity that appears hopefully. Both Bernie and Joe used their rhetoric in discussing the pandemic to appear as though they could have been the saviors we needed to stop the furthering dire situation. I believe these tactics are extremely influential to both swayable viewers and already devoted followers. This idea of iconicity coupled with both candidates social power is what truly gives both Biden and Sanders the influence and persuasion needed to take the nomination. Importantly, social power is unequally distributed like all forms of power and stem from social performances in which they are enabled and constrained accordingly (Mast, 13). And the access one has to the various forms of social power completely alters the size, scope, and reach of their performances; in this analysis while both men are on the same stage their audiences are as different as they can be while still staying within the democratic party (although both stretch that definition). The effectiveness is determined by their own charisma and authority, not by the fancy stage or flashing CNN graphics behind them. They paint their own image with an aesthetic surface that denotes and connotes moral depth together (Lecture Notes, 4/23/20). By the effective use of social power the candidates can transform themselves into the icon they wish to be perceived as. Both Biden and Bernie should work to develop themselves with iconicity because icons are largely fundamental in communicating and experiencing public life (Lecture Notes, 4/23/20).
As performers, Biden and Bernie are subject to contingencies and must be prepared to handle them. The debate moved past Covid-19 and transformed into one of the least entertaining debates of the season. Slandering each other as liars and ineffective rolled on until Biden announced and promised his Vice-President, if nominated, would be a woman. A calculated move in my opinion, Biden worked to alter his use of social power and iconicity to appeal to the broader audience and create the notion of equality within his campaign. The rest of the debate was well scripted and quite predictable with topics like climate change, gun control, free college, and of course the Iraqi War that is never left out of any good political debate.
In my own assertion, as this is the last post, I worry for the future. In looking at several pieces of cultural pragmatics and iconicity it feels as neither candidate provides enough of the right qualities to realign a disenchanted America and a fragmented democratic party. It is more than the presidency and even politics. The future of liberalism feels as though it is in jeopardy and now more than ever we need a candidate who understands this pressing notion and will address it, correctly. Therefore, the practices and elements we learned throughout this course must become real, and I hope more than the 20 odd so of us in this course understand the same fundamentals we do and can apply them into the necessary institutions that can make a difference.
Citations Mast, Jason L. 2012.
The Performative Presidency Crisis and Resurrection during the Clinton Years. Cambridge, Ma: Cambridge University Press. Lecture Notes, Courtesy of Professor Villegas, 4/23/20
It seems like a pretty heroic idea to me, another old white man who has the answer; however, for some the condensated collection of symbols used by the candidate paints together an iconicity that appears hopefully. Both Bernie and Joe used their rhetoric in discussing the pandemic to appear as though they could have been the saviors we needed to stop the furthering dire situation. I believe these tactics are extremely influential to both swayable viewers and already devoted followers. This idea of iconicity coupled with both candidates social power is what truly gives both Biden and Sanders the influence and persuasion needed to take the nomination. Importantly, social power is unequally distributed like all forms of power and stem from social performances in which they are enabled and constrained accordingly (Mast, 13). And the access one has to the various forms of social power completely alters the size, scope, and reach of their performances; in this analysis while both men are on the same stage their audiences are as different as they can be while still staying within the democratic party (although both stretch that definition). The effectiveness is determined by their own charisma and authority, not by the fancy stage or flashing CNN graphics behind them. They paint their own image with an aesthetic surface that denotes and connotes moral depth together (Lecture Notes, 4/23/20). By the effective use of social power the candidates can transform themselves into the icon they wish to be perceived as. Both Biden and Bernie should work to develop themselves with iconicity because icons are largely fundamental in communicating and experiencing public life (Lecture Notes, 4/23/20).
As performers, Biden and Bernie are subject to contingencies and must be prepared to handle them. The debate moved past Covid-19 and transformed into one of the least entertaining debates of the season. Slandering each other as liars and ineffective rolled on until Biden announced and promised his Vice-President, if nominated, would be a woman. A calculated move in my opinion, Biden worked to alter his use of social power and iconicity to appeal to the broader audience and create the notion of equality within his campaign. The rest of the debate was well scripted and quite predictable with topics like climate change, gun control, free college, and of course the Iraqi War that is never left out of any good political debate.
In my own assertion, as this is the last post, I worry for the future. In looking at several pieces of cultural pragmatics and iconicity it feels as neither candidate provides enough of the right qualities to realign a disenchanted America and a fragmented democratic party. It is more than the presidency and even politics. The future of liberalism feels as though it is in jeopardy and now more than ever we need a candidate who understands this pressing notion and will address it, correctly. Therefore, the practices and elements we learned throughout this course must become real, and I hope more than the 20 odd so of us in this course understand the same fundamentals we do and can apply them into the necessary institutions that can make a difference.
Citations Mast, Jason L. 2012.
The Performative Presidency Crisis and Resurrection during the Clinton Years. Cambridge, Ma: Cambridge University Press. Lecture Notes, Courtesy of Professor Villegas, 4/23/20
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