Clinton hamstrung by her own meta-narrative

This a great little piece in New Yorker magazine about the over-arching stories told by the media about Obama and Clinton's respective campaigns. I realize completely the seductiveness of these simplistic, broad-brush profiles. Do I support Obama because of the swell of pride I feel in the media's portrayal of him? I hope not. Welcome to Elections 2.0

All these theories contain at least some truth, but it’s the last one that edges closest to what I think has actually gone on. Campaigns are, at bottom, a competition between memes: infectious ideas that gather force through sheer repetition. The most powerful of these memes are what Just refers to as meta-narratives, the backdrops against which everything plays out in the media. “Clinton’s meta-narrative,” she says, “is that she’ll do anything to win; she can’t be trusted, she’s ethically challenged; she’s manipulative, calculating, and programmed.” Obama’s meta-narrative is decidedly otherwise. “It’s the same, in a way, as John McCain’s,” says Just. “He’s authentic, honest, free of taint. Then you add in new, charismatic, and an agent of change.”

The Meme Prisoner Link

Thanks to K.B. for reminding me of this article.