The Cult Of The Hero

The New Republic: Heroism's Grip On American Political Subconscious Has Kept McCain Afloat

(The New Republic) 
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell's extensive study of myth and religion, he writes that "everywhere ... the really creative acts are represented as those deriving from some sort of dying to the world; and what happens in the interval of the hero's nonentity, so that he comes back as one reborn, made great and filled with creative power, mankind is also unanimous in declaring." McCain, of course, is not Aeneas, and his experience in Hanoi was not the stuff of myth. But much of his story's appeal comes from the same psychological sources that drew ancients to their culture's prevailing myths, and--ironically, given that conservatives have frequently accused Obama of presenting his candidacy in messianic terms--the same sources that still draw believers to the story of Christ's heroism and resurrection today.

McCain's story, like those of ancient heroes, hinges on his brush with death--what came before, during, and after. First, there is his pre-heroic period: McCain as carefree adventurer and lover. Like Odysseus (who tried unsuccessfully to feign madness in order to avoid fighting in Troy) or Buddha (who spent his first 29 years luxuriating as a prince) he did not seem clearly possessed of the qualities that would later distinguish him. "In high school and the Naval Academy, John earned a reputation as a troublemaker," recounted Fred Thompson in his convention speech, before going on to note that "in flight school in Pensacola, he did drive a Corvette and date a girl who worked in a bar as an exotic dancer under the name of 'Marie, the Flame of Florida.'"

Second, there is the period of "dying to the world," characterized by withdrawal--in McCain's case, into prison--and by the threat of death. Here is Thompson describing McCain's early days in the Hanoi Hilton: "His other broken bones and injuries were not treated. John developed a high fever and dysentery. He weighed barely a hundred pounds. Expecting him to die, his captors placed him in a cell with two other POWs who also expected him to die." In McCain's own speech, he said, "I was dumped in a dark cell and left to die." (McCain's speech contained eight references to individuals, including himself, dying or facing death. Obama's speech in Denver contained one.)

Third, there is the period of McCain's rebirth and re-emergence. After McCain returned home a "national hero," Rudy Giuliani said in his convention speech, "he had earned a life of peace and quiet, but he was called to public service again, running for Congress and then the Senate as a proud foot soldier in the Reagan revolution." Note Giuliani saying that McCain was "called to" public service, as if he ran for office not out of ambition, but in response to a summons from on high. McCain himself described his captivity as being "blessed by misfortune." It transformed him. As he put it in his convention speech, "I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. ... I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's." McCain, like the great religious figures, had abandoned his mortal self. It became merged, however, not with a people or a religious group, but with a nation.

The difference between McCain and other recent war heroes turned politicians lies in the continuity he has established between his acts of heroism and his later political life. McCain has successfully portrayed his brush with death as the foundation of his selflessness. "I do believe that when you look back at my history, it's just remarkable that with all the things I've been through that I'm still here," McCain told Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes" last month. "And I interpret that as an opportunity to serve a cause greater than my self interest. " In other words, the man willing to lose his self became the selfless politician who put "country first."

In the 2004 election, John Kerry attempted to parlay his own heroism in Vietnam, for which he received a Silver Star, into political success. Like McCain, Kerry was a death-defying moral exemplar. Like McCain, Kerry dedicated much of his convention to telling his story. But, ultimately, Kerry's strategy did not work. Most Democrats assumed later that Kerry was thwarted by the scurrilous Swift Boat ads that questioned his heroism. But the real problem lay in Kerry's inability to establish thematic continuity between his heroism and his political life. His antiwar activity after returning home (which, at the least, required explanation) and his justifiable reputation as a political flip-flopper (which suggested a lack of courage) posed problems in this regard. As a result, Kerry's heroism didn't resonate the way McCain's has.

To be sure, McCain's recitation of his own heroism is contrary to the ethos of heroism. The hero, exemplified by George Washington, is supposed to be modest in retelling his exploits. In Revolutionary Characters, Gordon S. Wood quotes a Frenchman marveling about Washington: "He speaks of the American War, and of his victories, as of things in which he had no direction." The hero--again typified by Washington, who astonished his compatriots in 1783 by abandoning public life--is also not supposed to take advantage of his renown. To do so would be to exploit his reputation for being above self-interest to achieve a self-interested objective--a blatant contradiction. But McCain published an autobiography in 1999, which he and his staff promoted at campaign appearances during the 2000 primaries; and, during this year's Republican primaries, his campaign featured a twelve-minute video highlighting his captivity and survival, as well as appearances by his fellow POWs.

McCain has tried to get around this problem by sometimes downplaying his heroism. "A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did," he said in his convention speech. And he has continually insisted that he speaks reluctantly of his own experience. When an ABC News reporter asked him this summer whether his time as a POW qualified him to be president, McCain "bristled" at the question. Later, he explained to the reporter, "I kind of reacted the way I did because I have a reluctance to talk about my experiences." Historians, surveying McCain's career, are unlikely to be convinced by such protestations, but the public seems to have accepted them. It has focused on McCain's heroism rather than on the fact that he and his campaign are using it to their advantage.

Last April, Gallup ran a poll that asked people about McCain's heroism and how it affected their view of him. That poll, taken well before the campaign had begun massively advertising, confirms that much of McCain's appeal lies in his reputation as a hero. Sixty-six percent of respondents thought McCain was a "war hero," including 58 percent of Democrats. Thirty-eight percent said that McCain's military service made it more likely they would vote for him, and 15 percent said it was a "major factor" in their support. Those who said it was a "major factor" included 14 percent of independents and 10 percent of Democrats.

There were no similar polling questions after the Republican convention. Instead, pollsters, who seem to take their cue from cable news, were obsessed with measuring Sarah Palin's effect on the GOP ticket. Perhaps as a result, few observers seem to have considered the very likely possibility that McCain's post-convention bounce was caused less by Palin--whose popularity, after all, is largely limited to right-wing Republicans--and more by McCain's relentless efforts at the convention to reinforce his image as a hero.

But, even if the perception of heroism was responsible for McCain's post-convention bounce, it's far from clear whether it will be enough to carry him across the finish line ahead of Obama. McCain's status as a hero is wrapped up with the kind of nationalism ("country first") most dramatically inspired by a quasi-religious understanding of foreign policy as a struggle between good and evil. And, since voters' attraction to McCain's brand of heroism is triggered in part by concerns about their own mortality, it is bound to be strongest when foreign threats are at the forefront of political debate. At the moment, however, foreign policy and the specter of terrorist attacks have been overshadowed by a financial crisis and an economic downturn. These constitute less favorable terrain on which a war hero can stake his reputation.

And yet that doesn't mean he can't try. When McCain recently suspended his campaign and announced he was returning to Washington to help solve the financial crisis, many commentators saw a desperate politician trying to reassure voters that he really did care about economics. But there was more to it than that. McCain was trying to change the subject of the presidential campaign from economic policy to leadership--from issues to character. By dramatically swooping into Washington as if he alone could resolve the crisis, McCain was doing exactly what had worked so well for him at the GOP convention: He was reasserting his heroism. He did the same thing at last week's debate, beginning his closing statement with the following words: "When I came home from prison ..." Will this gambit succeed? Who knows what will happen on November 4, but heroism as political strategy has so far kept McCain close in a year when no Republican should have had any shot at capturing the White House. And, in that sense, it has already worked.

[vafilly23]

Ok, first, McCain was ORDERED by his commander at the camp Not to accept early release. Second and more importantely he continously worked with the enemy. Which at the time was treasonous but understandable IF HE WAS TORTURED. Now if he broke then just imagine if He were President captured, Do you want him to have to keys to all our secrets in his hands to give up to the enemy?

[dredigga]

Joh McCain is genuinely an American hero. Having stated that, do I believe that should make him the President of the United States? No, it does not. If McCain didn''t demonstrate that he would say or do anything to win (picking Palin, lying about Obama''s record and policies, distractions, etc.,) I think despite the open hostility to the GOP by the electorate, he could win. But the Palin silly pick will not go away and I think that is the real reason his poll numbers are dropping faster than a rock.

[cbs_tom]

Posted by mswolfestock at 03:03 PM : Oct 13, 2008

Excellent article! Thanks.

[cbs_tom]

Character is of most importance. It is who you are! A hero is not one who does great things without fear. The hero is the one who has great fear, but overcomes that fear to accomplish the impossible.
What makes John McCain a hero is not his ability to fly or toughness in the face of death. But his willingness to put off an early release so as to follow proticol with other POW''s. He did this knowing that he would be greatly tortured.

[skysoldier75]

http://www.usvetdsp.com/mcianhro.htm

[skysoldier75]

Who says McCain isn''t EXACTLY like Bush?

Look at McCain''s latest economic "gimmick" proposals:

1) "Lower tax rates for investors" - the middle class (Joe Sixpack) is too damned broke, after 8 years of Bush, to have any money to invest, so this gimmick helps only the very rich.

2) "Lower the capital gains tax" - the middle class (Joe Sixpack) is too damned broke, after 8 years of Bush, to have any capital gains to tax, so this gimmick helps only the very rich.

3) "Lower dividend tax rates" - the middle class (Joe Sixpack) is too damned broke, after 8 years of Bush, to have any dividends coming, so this gimmick helps only the very rich.

Can you see the all-too-familiar pattern here? It''s the very same Reagan-Bush-McCain "trickle down economics" philosophy that has already devastated the middle class for decades and created the financial meltdown that we are in today.

Take even more money from the "Joe Sixpack" poor and middle class, and give it to the rich, who will continue to move that capital offshore, to places like India and China - or simply spend it on more yachts and million-dollar vacation homes, to add to all those they already own.

A vote for McCain is a vote for more of the same.

[nativewoman]

Posted by OneAmerican7 at 03:23 PM : Oct 13, 2008

Oppressive government?

Like arresting peaceful war-protesters at an RNC convention? The arrests included two women in their 70''s, one a 78 year old nun.

Like giving immunity to communications companies who participated in warrant-less wiretapping?

Like the DOD listing the Quakers as a terrorist organization?

High taxes?? Gotta finance Bush''s perpetual war and bailouts somehow, don''t we? Funny how the free market is touted by the GOP as the way to salvation. Except when it fails. Then the government steps in with a bailout essentially rewarding those who consistently make bad financial decisions affecting millions of people and then go off to a spa retreat.

An agenda devoted to the destruction of religion and the killing of unborn babies?

Please...turn the shrill hyperbole down a notch, shall we?

[mswolfestock]

OneAmerican7 -

What makes you think I''m a liberal, just because I can''t stand the idea that McShame is trying to portray himself as something he is not. He''s a liar, and he''s disrespecting all of the REAL heroes who will never flaunt their past glories for future rewards.

I''m a military veteran myself - THAT is why I cannot stand McShame''s self-glorification. HE SIMPLY DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE CALLED A HERO BECAUSE HE IS NOT.

[mswolfestock]

MC-SHAME IS NOT A HERO. I SAY AGAIN, HE IS NOT A HERO.

Read this link for the REAL 411 on a truly pathetic creature masquerading as a hero. It is a slap in the face of all the REAL heroes who would never chase after glory for its own sake.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

[wogerwabbit]

The McCain of old had charecter... now he''s just an empty shell.