Sarah Palin and the Americam Myth

Sarah Palin and the American Myth

1 - Sarah Palin comes from a little town in Alaska. A typical american town, where people use to live peacefully, living the american dream – to own a house, a car, having a gorgeous family, to go hunting or fishing, really living a good life that represents the middle class and the american dream. That’s the image used by the Republic Party since Ronald Reagan won the elections. Until then , the image of the american dream was not good. The war in Vietnam, racial problems in the most important and crowded towns, drugs, etc, have given their contribution to deteriorate the american myth.
Sarah Palin has been choosen by specific reasons: to restaure the idea of the american myth, to show to the whole country that the american dream still exists. Sarah palin represents it. Her husband is a “hunk” -elegant man- and she has gorgeous children. She has a good image, just that.

2 - Small towns represent the essence of the american dream. People live their “little lifes” without having economic problems. They reperesent the typical american middle class.
They just ignore the dificulties existing in NY or LA, or in other big american cities: social and racial problems or unemployment.
The Republican Party uses that image to show the “inexistant” American Dream. It is more a myth, but a good image sells more than a bad one.

3 – Barack Obama has african and american origins. He represents the new America that has not been mythologized yet. He represents a new Main Street with it’s multiracial and multicultural characteristics. A country looking for more justice, and creativity, and prosperity. But it has never been proved before. That’s is greatest dificulty.

Antonio Barros

AL 29876 LRE / E. Culture