Much is being written about “tribal America” and how politics has made people choose the circle in which the stand. But tribalism has always been a feature of our culture, way before the Age of Trump. I was reminded of this by a article in yesterday’s Washington Post about the premiere of the new season of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” It was not the critic’s take that caught my attention (he thought the show had run its course), but the reader comments. Much like Seinfeld’s iconic sitcom, many argued you either got it or you did not.
The article took me back in time to an era when my commute from Annapolis to Washington, DC was made easier by listening to pre-SiriusXM Howard Stern. One morning Stern went on a tirade about “lame Garrison Keillor” and his stupid radio show. As a regular listener of A Prairie Home Companion I wondered why anyone would think you had to choose between Stern and Keillor. (NOTE: You have to appreciate the irony it is GARRISON KEILLOR who has been become a persona non grata as a result of the #metoo movement.) And as Trevor Noah reminded us, support for Black Lives Matter and police is not a zero-sum game. Why can’t you do both?
Madison Avenue preys on our natural desire to be absolutists. You must either drink Coke OR Pepsi. You listen to the Beatles OR the Rolling Stones. You use an iPhone or an Android device. Preference is one thing. Exclusion is another. Totally avoiding a restaurant because it does not serve your favored soft drinks seems a big extreme. And yes, there are people who do that.
You can make a a very good living selling a product to a limited demographic. By playing to your base, even if it is a minority, you can even swing enough electoral votes to secure 1000+ nights sleeping in the White House. Guy Kawasaki, a member of the Apple team that created the iMac and now CEO of Garage.com, reminds us no one can please all of the people all of time. He counsels clients to build something that garners passion among your customers even if others hate it. Call it commercial tribalism. Create passion, not mediocrity.
There is only one problem. When you become so tethered to one brand you can miss offerings from competitors which are a better fit or are more responsive to your needs. You may even act in ways that are against you own best interests. (Ask any soybean farmer in Iowa.) Especially when the brands to which you are already loyal do everything in their power to convince you to stay put. And their success lies in capturing more from an existing base than broadening their audience.
Maybe what we need is a better metaphor for our times. It need not be “oil and water” but “oil and vinegar,” something that when combined is a better tasting and healthier topping for the mixed salad America has become.
FOOTNOTE: E PLURIBUS SCROTUS
Tonight we get a chance to see the extent to which Donald Trump is more interested in tribal politics than governing. Among the four remaining candidates to replace Anthony Kennedy, the most contentious is Amy Coney Barrett. Trump has been warned by several GOP senators that she might not be confirmed based on her previous rulings and writing related to abortion and legal precedence. If that is the case, the only reason to pick this fight is to energize Trump’s base in the mid-term elections. You can hear the campaign spiel now.
The Democrats say we are anti-female. But who voted against the next woman justice on the Supreme Court? Democrats believe a woman must be pro-abortion. This proves it. The Democrats say she does not feel bound by legal precedence. But given the chance, they would jump up and down if a liberal Supreme Court overturned Citizens United. A Democrat House and Senate will obstruct everything you voted for in 2016 when you elected me. DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN. (Hugs the flag.)
I am one of the many who believe a chief executive who may rely on the Supreme Court for decisions related to executive privilege, impeachment or indictment should not pick those who must eventually rule on these issues. But if the confirmation process goes forward, Trump can either pick the least objectionable of the four finalist (probably Thomas Hardiman) or christen the latest poster child for the culture wars.
You have to admit, you need pretty big pelotas to publicly express the level of racism, xenophobia and sexism Trump spews on a daily basis. The ballsy chose is Barrett. That’s where my money is.
For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP
Yet again, you’ve shared your ability to move beyond the noise and get right to the issues – and beyond that to rational and respectful discourse.
I don’t think Trump is a racist; he doesn’t have enough conviction or concern to be anything more than a self-serving narcissist – who will say or do anything to advance his “brand” (i.e. power and wealth).
People really do need to better understand the power of “Oil and Vinegar” thinking – because we are moving too rapidly toward the tipping point.