It's from David Gregory's interview with Michele Bachman, winner of the Iowa straw poll:
MR. GREGORY: From the economy, I want to move on to another topic that's deeply meaningful and important to you, and that's your faith in God. This is something that not only motivates you as a person, inspires you as you try to live a virtuous life, but it's also been very important to your political identity as well. And I want to ask you about, not only the role God plays in, in your life but to what extent he's a motivator for decisions that you make. One example that's gotten some attention is some remarks you made back in 2006 about your career path, which you've talked about here, and I want to play a brief clip of those remarks.
(Audiotape, October 14, 2006)
REP. BACHMANN: My husband said, "Now you need to go and get a post-doctorate degree in tax law." Tax law! I hate taxes. Why should I go and do something like that? But the Lord says, "Be submissive, wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands."
(End audiotape)
MR. GREGORY: Is that your view for women in America? Is that your vision for them?
REP. BACHMANN: Well, I--during the debate I was asked a question about this, and my response was is that submission, that word, means respect. It means that I respect my husband and he respects me.
MR. GREGORY: Right. Congresswoman, I didn't even have to check with my wife and I know those two things aren't, aren't equal.
REP. BACHMANN: What's that?
MR. GREGORY: Submission and respect.
REP. BACHMANN: Well, in our house it is.
MR. GREGORY: OK.
What does this have to do with political science methodology, you might ask. Aren't I just asking you to think about current events?
Actually, what we're seeing here is a really interesting little controversy about the politics of language. If you notice from this exchange, David Gregory is telling Michele Bachman that she used a term, "submission" that clearly has only one meaning, particularly (presumably) in evangelical politics. If he was to look up that definition, he might point to this definition from The Free Dictionary online:
sub·mis·sion (s b-m sh n) n. 1. a. The act of submitting to the power of another: "Oppression that cannot be overcome does not give rise to revolt but to submission" (Simone Weil). b. The state of having submitted. See Synonyms at surrender. 2. The state of being submissive or compliant; meekness. 3. a. The act of submitting something for consideration. b. Something so submitted: read three fiction manuscripts and other such submissions. [Middle English submissioun, from Old French submission, from Latin submissi  , submissin-, a lowering, from submissus, past participle of submittere, to set under; see submit.] |
In Gregory's mind, submission is basically a synonym for oppression, and it's also a synonym for subordination -- in the sense that something (or someone) that is being submissive is basically acting from the position of someone lower who enjoys less power than the one who is dominant. Gregory presumably believes that if Bachman has what he perceives as a Christian marriage, then clearly Bachman is required to be: compliant, in a position of being less or being subordinate -- and probably that she is veing oppressed. What's interesting is the way that he turns the question back on her, and notes that "everyone knows" (including his wife) that Bachman's definition is not 'what is meant by being submissive'. Actually, I don't know what's stranger about the whole conversation -- a secular TV reporter blundering into a discussion which is essentially theological, the fact that he's referring to a Bible quote but that he never says this in the exchange, or the fact that he claims to have some form of superior knowledge about what the word (and perhaps the Bible quote) means.
It's also interesting to note Bachman's response. In this conversation, David Gregory acts as a positivist -- he says "this is what the term means -- either because I have defined it this way or because that's the common meaning of the term." Bachman then parries -- as a reflexivist -- noting that "that's not what the term means to me" or to her husband, and indeed to many other Evangelical women today. Rather, she probably had this meaning in mind, which I have cribbed from Bible answers.com:
What is the definition of submission? It is yielding to another's desires without resistance. Submission to another's wishes is an attitude of the heart done willingly, while surrender is yielding by being forced to do so. Our first submission should be unto the Lord. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind'' (Matthew 22:37). God never forces someone to follow Him nor does He want us to be forced to follow or yield to another human being. He wants us to lovingly submit to Him and to each other
In other words, Bachman most likely believes that everyone should 'submit' -- in the sense that they should put their own desires lower on this list than the desires that God has for them and the best interests of their family. Turns out, she didn't actually say, nor did she actually mean "Women should be oppressed."
What struck me was the way that -- in allowing that the term could only have one meaning -- Gregory is actually the one who comes across sounding like a fundamentalist.
On the whole, I'd accuse Gregory of practicing bad science. He pulls a quote out of context -- doesn't give the audience any background in terms of where she is speaking or the fact that the term is actually somewhat contested (even among Evangelicals) -- and then claims to know absolutely what it means.
I call your attention to this exchange because it illustrates why content analysis is so difficult in political science. And as we become so technologically advanced that pretty soon there will be written evidence and transcripts of much more that every politician has ever said during the course of his career -- this tendency to pull things out of context and authoritatively pronounce about the meaning of those snippets will probably increase.
What did Bachman mean? What did Gregory mean? Is he right in saying that she's not being honest when she says that's not what she meant? Is it fair for her to say that "the term normally means this, but I've always understood it to be that" and why do secular news analysts care so much about this Biblical controversy anyway? Any thoughts?
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ReplyDeleteFar too often, language has a deceptively fluid nature. This concept of fluidity is often exhibited in political discourse. If I claim that I have created 10,000 new jobs, but in reality, 3,000 of those are merely positions that I terminated a year before and have now reintroduced, technically I did create 10,000 new jobs but I am sure someone would argue that I merely created 7,000 new jobs? Entire debates can be built out of two different understandings of a word, phrase, or concept.
ReplyDeleteRep. Bachmann does quickly point out a difference in her definition or understanding of the word "submission," but she does not do a very thorough job of grounding her definition or establishing her reasoning for a differing definition than is normally accepted (in this case, the dictionary definition).
If someone offers me a banana but refers to it as an apple, I will likely think they are just being funny or are crazy. But if that person goes on to explain that in their home country a banana is actually called "apple," I develop a new understanding for their terminology. Their seemingly strange approach to language seems much more grounded.
Rather than explaining herself, Rep. Bachmann simply states, "Well, in our house it [submission] is [equal to respect]." Without further explanation, this statement makes it seem as if Rep. Bachmann and her household live sequestered from the rest of society. Perhaps not the best tactic for a woman running for public office.
Rep. Bachmann may well have established more credibility for her understanding of the word "submission" just by providing more reason for holding a different definition of "submission" than is normally recognized.
I was furious, not to mention surprised, with the way Rep. Bachmann was ambushed by the Fox News commentator at the Iowa debate. It struck me as little more than a parlor trick designed to get people fired up from a position of secular ignorance that "religious" people have enough trouble with themselves. I think she answered well under what had to be immense pressure. I took Gregory's badgering as playing to a crowd more than seeking answers. Rep. Bachmann has her work cut out for her if she wants to be taken seriously as a candidate amidst a public that is resistant to being "educated" by someone they are likely to see as an outsider.
ReplyDelete"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting to the Lord" THEN it says "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them" (Colossians 3:18-19, NIV) When one submits to another's best interest one shows love. Therefore, both partners are really called to submit to one another. In any marriage both partners have to submit and respect one another in order for a loving marriage to work. This type of love ultimately parallels Christ's love for man. When Christ died on the cross he submitted to weaker earthly authorities to show his unconditional love for his creation. There is no compulsion in love. I really feel like Bachmann is equating submission and respect with love.
ReplyDeleteIt’s easy for people to take snippets from the Bible and not take into account the broader context. I think a lot of the secular world like David Gregory mock the Bible because it’s the politically expedient thing to do in a world of political correctness. The secular left also struggles over the term equality because they have such a shallow meaning for the word (ex: political, social, economic equality, etc). If one believes God is the ultimate source of truth and justice, then regardless of one's position in life one is content with their life and bringing glory to God.