Here’s a book reviewer I quite like, Scott McLemee, reviewing a writer I quite like, Lou Masur (who is also an editor I quite like). When a reviewer I like takes on a writer I like, it’s a bit like Batman v. Superman, or Stanford v. Cornell; I hate to see either side scoring too many points. Putting my sensitivities aside: both the reviewing and the reviewed texts meditate on this picture.
The history encapsulated in that photo may well be the reason Obama won’t win the primary in Pennsylvania. It’s probably also the reason for this:
Overall, 20% of white Democratic voters say they would vote for McCain if Obama is the Democratic nominee. That is twice the percentage of white Democrats who say they would support McCain in a Clinton-McCain matchup. Older Democrats (ages 65 and older), lower-income and less educated Democrats also would support McCain at higher levels if Obama rather than Clinton is the party’s nominee.
Which doesn’t, in that poll or others, mean Obama would lose—that poll shows him winning (and take all such polls with grains of salt; many things could happen between now and November). But it does suggest he would win with a different mix of votes than Clinton. In choosing a nominee, primary voters and convention delegates are choosing between different historical and future versions of the Democratic party, in which different mixes of people identify as Democrats, going forward.
And as with all Batman v. Superman matchups, the question is inevitably, which one is more powerful? Why?
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March 21, 2008 at 8:39 am
Vance Maverick
McLemee writes, of Masur’s more farfetched interpretive moves,
They are distracting yet take nothing away from the lasting power of the image itself.
– which falls short, doesn’t it, of what one would have liked to hear. He doesn’t say that these gambits take nothing away from Masur’s own book….
March 21, 2008 at 8:44 am
Vance Maverick
And speaking of hermeneutics, I wonder about your use of “quite”.
March 21, 2008 at 8:48 am
eric
I am quite American, Vance.
March 21, 2008 at 8:58 am
The Constructivist
Heh, one of my first posts on the postcolonial listserv back in the early ’90s was a Batman (Spivak) vs. Spider-Man (Bhabha) analogy. What should I take from your DC-only one?
March 21, 2008 at 9:00 am
eric
What should I take from your DC-only one?
A culturally impoverished upbringing?
Also, seriously: Batman could totally beat up Spiderman. (Cue billion-comment Usenet thread.)
March 21, 2008 at 9:16 am
Michael
In terms of how the vote would look if Obama or Clinton runs vs. mccain, I see a certain cognitive dissonance. Approximately 70% of us are opposed to w’s policies, especially concerning Iraq, and want things to change. On the other hand, mccain gets the nod from nearly 50% of the people if he runs. mccain promises to continue w’s policies and openly says that the wars will go on. In addition, he shows that he is really clueless as to who is opposed to whom in Iraq and Iran. This all seems to mean that at least 20% of us would continue in economic turmoil and wars that will wreck our country (we can’t keep paying for the occupation of Iraq and the tax cuts for the rich) rather than vote for a woman or a putative black man (we know the old one drop….).
March 21, 2008 at 9:20 am
eric
I don’t want to argue against cognitive dissonance, Michael, but aren’t some people both disillusioned with the president’s Iraq strategy and for McCain on the grounds that he wants a more aggressive Iraq strategy? They aren’t going to vote for a Democrat, but may sincerely be unhappy with current policy.
March 21, 2008 at 10:28 am
The Constructivist
You’ve been reading your Frank Miller, I see. Or have you?
March 21, 2008 at 10:29 am
KRK
The fact that the Democratic nomination is still open and hotly contested has to make McCain’s current polling numbers pretty worthless. Some portion of those are people who are currently so committed to their Dem candidate and so outraged at the other team (justifiably or not) that they can’t envision ever voting for the other Dem. Some (hopefully significant) portion of those people will cool off by November and conclude that McCain really is worse. Another set of false positives for McCain are Obama or Clinton supporters who falsely indicate a preference for McCain over the other Dem candidate in the general as a fairly meaningless but also effortless way to enhance their candidate’s perceived electability. I don’t imagine that these are the majority of poll respondents, but it all factors in.
March 21, 2008 at 10:33 am
eric
You’ve been reading your Frank Miller, I see. Or have you?
“Been reading” is an exaggeration. I read The Dark Knight Returns back in 1987.
March 21, 2008 at 10:34 am
eric
And KRK, yes to all that: but I know enough people who feel strongly that they wouldn’t vote for the Other Dem that there’s probably something in it. Some of it may be pique that will fade; some not. And McCain’s (unearned) reputation as a non-conservative Republican helps him there.
March 21, 2008 at 10:52 am
KRK
No argument, eric. I just think it doesn’t make sense to talk about how many people are in those categories at this point in time. I realize that our esteemed news organizations don’t want us to be talking about much else.
March 21, 2008 at 10:53 am
KRK
And while Batman is much smarter (and cooler) than Superman, that whole superpower thing does give one pause.
March 21, 2008 at 11:04 am
eric
I just think it doesn’t make sense to talk about how many people are in those categories at this point in time
I think it doesn’t make sense to predict too much on this basis; I think it makes sense when thinking about what each candidate will have to do, moving forward from here—try to reach the other’s base without alienating his/her own.
March 21, 2008 at 11:05 am
eric
that whole superpower thing does give one pause
But—if you had to pick someone to be sufficiently prepared and resourceful to have a bit of Kryptonite on hand, don’t you think Batman would be that someone?
March 21, 2008 at 11:14 am
PorJ
if you had to pick someone to be sufficiently prepared and resourceful to have a bit of Kryptonite on hand, don’t you think Batman would be that someone?
Nah, I’d pick Jimmy Olsen.
This thread reminds me of one my lost lamented articles. If only I had the time, I’d write: ” ‘Condemned to Sadistic Lunacy’: Spy vs. Spy and Prohias’s Cold War.” Maybe its already been done. The “Condemned to Sadistic Lunacy’ title is from Paul Fussell’s memorable description of the plight of the American GI in Vietnam, by the way.
March 21, 2008 at 11:21 am
KRK
Well, I think we all know that Alfred would be the one with the Kryptonite connections.
March 21, 2008 at 11:43 am
Hemlock
My father (Independent), a Vietnam vet, supported McCain until military officials shipped his nephew off to Iraq. Most vets support McCain. However, his war platform dissuaded many potential veteran constituents from throwing all their weight to McCain…at least, that’s what his brothers-in-arms tell him.
Everyone liked the Dark Knight Returns. I put that book into the post-apocalyptic-protaganist-comes-out-of-retirement category (already maximized out). Miller’s noir Batman–Year One–portrays far more compelling characters. James Gordon’s friendship with Batman practically drove that narrative.
Isn’t Stanford more like Superman and Cornell like Batman? heh
March 21, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Ms. Fab
That is a horrifying picture. Does anyone know what happened to the poor guy who’s getting lanced?
March 21, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Vance Maverick
Wikipedia says he was hospitalized briefly for bruises and a broken nose, and went on to a prominent career in architectural education.
March 22, 2008 at 9:10 am
The Hackenblog » Is it November yet?
[...] Batman v. Superman matchups, the question is inevitably, which one is more powerful? Why?” Superman vs. Batman, Edge of the American West, March 21, [...]
March 23, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Martha Bridegam
Pennsylvania is more recently racist than people acknowledge now, and is more of a “border state” (in the sense that Kentucky is a “border state”) than its residents have ever acknowledged.
Well within living memory, blackface theatricals were a staple of small-town social life in Pennsylvania. Just think about that.
March 23, 2008 at 8:50 pm
New Batman Movie
Woot the new batman movie is finally coming out.
Ok i know it was all political but i think Batman would kicj supermans butt.
March 28, 2008 at 7:21 am
America adrift » The Edge of the American West
[...] week Eric posted, Batman vs Superman accompanied by this [...]
April 17, 2008 at 9:36 am
superman sucks
I think that you people need to get a life instead of talking about super heros you little girls. dont you have anything better to do on ur spare time
April 17, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Matt W
Superman does suck, but not for the reasons just given.*
Further wisdom from T-Rex reveals that Batman is the one with the Kryptonite.
And PorJ, you should be ashamed. Ashamed. How about if I send you to this link?
*I do not necessarily endorsed the sentiments just linked.