{"id":689,"date":"2007-10-17T09:30:40","date_gmt":"2007-10-17T13:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drslewis.org\/camille\/2007\/10\/17\/a-separatist-endorsement-for-a-separatist\/"},"modified":"2007-10-17T09:30:40","modified_gmt":"2007-10-17T13:30:40","slug":"a-separatist-endorsement-for-a-separatist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drslewis.org\/camille\/2007\/10\/17\/a-separatist-endorsement-for-a-separatist\/","title":{"rendered":"The Endorsement: A Shift in Style for Separatist Rhetoric"},"content":{"rendered":"

I don’t really do political stuff around here. But this issue intersects with so many other interests<\/a> that I can’t resist.<\/p>\n

So the separatist endorsed the other separatist<\/a>. Why? To “[beat] Hillary.” This is a shift in past political involvement for these sectarians — a dramatic shift.<\/p>\n

First of all, let’s\u00a0get the preliminary facts out\u00a0of the way. BJU or BJIII or their very politically-involved Dean of the COAS has never<\/em> officially endorsed a candidate. If the school were a typical tax exempt organization, this would be illegal<\/a>\u00a0(See recent brouhahas at another separatist school a few miles to the West<\/a>.). But since BJU is the only fully-taxed university in the country, they don’t fit within those expected boundaries. After gaining accreditation from TRACS and Title IV Federal Student aid, BJU needs to work harder at talking more<\/em>\u00a0like an educational instituation rather than less<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now, let’s get to the fun rhetorical criticism part.<\/p>\n

“This is all about beating Hillary,” Jones said. “And I just believe that this man has the credentials both personally and ideologically in terms of his view about what American government should be to best represent the rank and file of conservative Americans.<\/p>\n

“If it turns out to be Guiliani and Hillary, we\u2019ve got two pro-choice candidates, and that would be a disaster.”<\/p>\n

Asked whether Romney’s religion was a stumbling block for him, Jones replied, “What is the alternative, Hillary’s lack of religion or an erroneous religion?<\/p>\n

“As a Christian I am completely opposed to the doctrines of Mormonism,” he said. “But I’m not voting for a preacher. I’m voting for a president. It boils down to who can best represent conservative American beliefs, not religious beliefs.” . . .<\/p>\n

Jones, who said he has met with Romney several times over the past few months, said he is sticking to his belief that the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints isn\u2019t a Christian denomination, but he believes Romney\u2019s character is above reproach.<\/p>\n

“He\u2019s a very presidential guy. He has a loving family. He has, as far as I can tell, no scandal connected with his life. I can\u2019t say that about all of the candidates unfortunately,” Jones said.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019d be very concerned if he tried to make it appear in any of his statements that Mormonism is a Christian denomination of some sort. It isn\u2019t. There\u2019s a theological gulf that can\u2019t be bridged,” Jones said.<\/p>\n

“But as long as he says I am what I am and you are what you are and doesn\u2019t try to make it appear that we believe the same things, I can respect the difference.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Several new<\/em> things are going on here. A pentadic analysis\u00a0would look like this:<\/p>\n

Agent: BJIII, Romney, Bob Taylor
\n\u00a0\u00a0 Counteragents: Guiliani, “Hillary,” Democrats
\nAct: Aligning politically
\nAgency: Endorsement
\nScene: “rank and file of conservative Americans” who need to be represented
\nPurpose: To foil the “liberals,” to “beat Hillary”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Making his listeners (BJU alumni,\u00a0state-wide Republicans)\u00a0the scene<\/em> (a thing to be acted upon) rather than the (co-)agent\u00a0(persons who act), I believe, is exactly why Jones’\u00a0endorsement is failing. No one wants to be the passive receiver of any action, political or otherwise. By rising up and speaking out, his audience rejects Jones’ drama.<\/p>\n

His purpose of “beating Hillary” seems far from\u00a0the chivalrous talk I’ve heard from him before. While it’s a common patriarchal trope to slight a woman by flippantly using her first name (he uses “Guiliani” not “Rudy”), Jones is most often (and should be) a gentleman. How did his father used to joke? “I don’t hold the door open for you because you’re a lady.\u00a0I hold\u00a0the door open for you because I’m a gentleman.” Good advice and good politics.<\/p>\n

I’m most intrigued by his attraction to Romney’s image as a clean-cut guy. Most Mormons are well-scrubbed, scandal-free family men. So then, it’s not just the issue of abortion or the potential success at “beating Hillary” that appeals to Jones. It’s image (i.e. “character”). And it’s a nearly identical image that BJU tries to cultivate before its own audience. I would argue that this is the real deal behind the endorsement. Politics makes for strange bedfellows.<\/p>\n

Notice all the\u00a0dichotomies in Jones’ statement: “Hillary” v. everyone, liberals v. conservatives, pro-choice v. pro-life, lack of religion v. erroneous (but still existant) religion, Christians v. Mormons, conservative America v. conservative religion, preacher v. president, scandal-free v. potentially scandalous candidate. In presenting his view of the political landscape, Jones attempts to shape his audience’s view: there are a set of\u00a0clear either-ors, and you are either with him or against him.<\/p>\n

With previous forays into the political arena, Jones (and his father) used deliberately provocative and indcendiary rhetoric (previously calling the LDS church a “cult,” for instance) when talking with “outsiders” or arcane but “romantic” rhetoric when talking with “insiders” (or members of the “BJU Family”). This seems like an attempt at deliberative<\/em> rhetoric (what Robert Hariman<\/a> would call the “republican style”): it’s pragmatic (they must “beat Hillary”), it’s compromising (ignore religion; this is politics), and it’s familiar (using the political language of endorsements). He’s not talking like a fundamentalist. He’s not talking like a preacher. He’s not talking like an educator. He’s talking like a politico.<\/p>\n

And it doesn’t suit him. This is not playing well in Peoria\u00a0. . . er, Greenville where national pundits have assumed it would work.\u00a0So\u00a0as a rhetorical critic, my prescription would be for BJU to drop the deliberative stuff. You can’t do it and be a fundamentalist too. Go back to the romantic style<\/a>. You’re good at it, and it’s mysterious enough to appeal to all your audiences.<\/p>\n

Addendum: BJU’s recent clarification<\/a> that this endorsement is “personal” and not\u00a0corporate changes little in the analysis. This critic does chuckle, however, because just like Kenneth Burke described Protestantism as having a splintering effect, so these sectarians seem to be separating from themselves.<\/p>\n

[tags]Campaign 2008, Bob Jones University, Romancing the Difference, Rhetorical Criticism, Mitt Romney, Bob Jones, Bob Taylor, Kenneth Burke, pentadic analysis, Robert Hariman, political styles[\/tags]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I don’t really do political stuff around here. 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