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Journalism of Courage
AL Gore8217;s selection of Senator Joseph Lieberman for his running mate is a good decision, yet not good enough. By selecting the first Jewish vice-presidential candidate in American history, Gore punctured the pro-minority plank being adopted by his Republican rival George Bush, right through the middle. While Jewish Lieberman represents an influential minority, the Republican vice-presidential candidate Richard Cheney is as white as you can get. Also, with multiculturalism increasingly becoming the new ethos of 21st century America, Lieberman8217;s selection, if properly projected, is likely to become a rallying point for most other minorities. The reasoning is that if Gore were to win then it is possible for a minority in the near future to occupy the highest office in the US. This is bound to be perceived widely as a swift left jab by a boxer who had until now been ducking under the blows of his more muscular rival. This bold stroke will surely boost Gore8217;s chances, especially given that he has been trailingbehind his competitor in popularity polls by double digits.
So far so good. But is Gore8217;s decision to select Lieberman a splendid one? Is it good enough to help him score over his rival? Perhaps not. There are three reasons. First, Gore8217;s left hook could have forced a second round with all advantages to him, if he had considered picking up an African American for a running mate. If minorityism is going to define the agenda of US elections 2000, then why not go the whole hog. After all, the entry of African Americans into presidential polls has been on the anvil for quite some time. Both Democrats and Republicans have tried it in the past.Remember how Jesse Jackson8217;s candidature in the presidential primaries had forged the strategically important rainbow coalition for the Democrats in 1988. Colin Powell8217;s possible candidature in the presidential primaries had ignited Republican passions even much more during 1996. Next, if power in a democracy lies in numbers, the black population is much higher than Jewish population in the US. Also, other numerically dominant minorities, such as Hispanics and Chicanos, identify with black power much more than with the Jewish lobby.
