The Glade 4.0

I agree that's a kind of round-about identity politics ("I'm not playing the race card; the white guys are!") However, I think there is legitimacy in acknowledging that Obama really didn't fit the traditional image of US Presidents, and that some Republicans were trying to capitalize on that in their campaign tactics. More importantly, though, I think the overall tone and message is what we have to consider. Sure, there are examples of Obama playing to people's sense of tribal identity, but overall, his message was very much about getting past those distinctions. He really didn't talk about race, religion, etc. in tones of grievance very often. Palin, on the other hand, seems to do so in pretty much every speech or interview she's given on the national stage. Hence my characterization of her as more like Sharpton than Obama.

Fair point. I honestly haven't figured out how I think class fits into the identity politics concept - in some ways it's a different kind of cleavage with its own dynamics and history, but in other ways it's impossible to separate completely from the rural/urban, white/black, religious/secular stuff.

Either way, though, you're right that class resentments are getting a lot of play from Obama and the Left in the healthcare debate, and I find it pretty distasteful too.

Moving goalposts.

You wanted to define the term, so you did. This was not in your original definition.

Furthermore, take these as further representations: "the big insurance companies are against this." "The luxury insurance plans are bad." "This is 'for the people's benefit.'" Etc, etc. All of those, in their original context, are identity statements, using your definition.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

I don't get it. The "we" in that is pretty hugely inclusive.

Aye, I suppose I was overinclusive in my initial attempt at a definition. I did include "class" initially, but in a subsequent post I clarified that I'm not really sure how class identification fits the model, since class involves more than simple income differences. Even if class should be in there in some form, though, it's important to keep in mind that Obama's use of class resentments doesn't involve putting himself out there as a representative of the class he's appealing to. He doesn't say, "Those rich guys are keeping us poor guys down!" Palin, on the other hand, does position herself as a stand-in for the broader identity group she's appealing to.

I don't know exactly how it all shakes out, but it seems pretty obvious to me that there are meaningful differences between Obama's political appeal and Palin's political appeal, and I think those differences have a lot to do with the kind of identity politics and resentments that I'm talking about here. Do you guys really perceive no difference between the two other than Obama's a Dem and she's a Rep?

He's better at it.

By which I mean, she's uncouth, brash, or whatever you want to call it. He's more subtle, but not so subtle that his base doesn't get it.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

I'm still not buying that Palin is appealing to an identity group except insofar as A) she's been placed in that identity group by others and has no choice and B) her political ideas are those that the demographics in question are likely to appeal to those demographics anyhow.

In any case, putting her (or Obama) in the same class of identity politics as Sharpton or Jackson is absurd.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

So what group identity and resentments do you think he's appealing to?

Black v. white.
"Working class" v. "management."
Poor v. "not poor."
"Big business" (specifically insurance) v. "the little guy."

There are others, but those are the only ones I think I could support without too much difficulty in research.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

Wall St vs Main St

Just about every one of Obama's initiatives involves class "warfare", and it he makes mention of it in most of his speeches.

I figured playing the retard card would be acceptable in this thread considering this is behavior she has recently defended. I suppose my sarcasm was lost on you in my post.

I don't plan to be a permanent pain in the *** in this forum, although I would like to be able to think I can express myself once in a while and not be immediately banned.

I am not really one to debate a topic for 6 pages, figure if you can't validate what you are trying to say in a few posts it is probably not going to happen.

Flames happen in Hell, I do think recent moderation was called for though.

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"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." Charles Mackay