Know-Nothings still affect politics

"I know nothing but my country, my whole country and nothing but my country." This slogan appeared on the 1856 presidential campaign posters of Millard Fillmore, a candidate backed by a nativist group known as the Know-Nothings.

The Know-Nothings were notorious for their harsh limits on immigration and their tendency to offer simple and straightforward answers to difficult problems.

There is little to no sign of any thought behind their subsequent spontaneous actions.

It is no surprise, then, that the Know-Nothings provided the foundation for what would one day be the Republican Party.

Undoubtedly, the definition of what it means to be Republican has changed since the party's advent.

The definition of what it means to be a Know-Nothing has also changed, though some striking similarities between it and today's Republican Party remain.

Today, the term Know-Nothing can be applied to anyone who does not question.

These people believe whatever they hear from authority figures. They abandon reason to cling to their religious ideologies and oftentimes are simply uneducated and unwilling to learn more.

More plainly, a Know-Nothing is one who is anti-intelligence.

John McCain knew he couldn't win the election on the issues.

His only chance was to energize the base of the Republican Party, the Know-Nothings, into getting out to vote for him.

It was under these circumstances that Gov. Sarah Palin was let off the leash, and introduced to the world.

In Palin, the Republican Party found one who identified with all the Know-Nothings of America, and energize the campaign she did. Shortly after her introduction, the McCain-Palin ticket sped ahead in the polls.

There is no way McCain could have foreseen the economic crisis, his ultimate downfall and reason for losing the election.

However, the polarizing effect Palin had on voters undoubtedly helped. In each abysmal interview she gave, Palin's blatant, seemingly prideful ignorance offended anyone with half a brain.

In the interview with Charles Gibson, Palin showcased her complete lack of foreign policy experience and knowledge by flubbing a question about the Bush Doctrine. Her supporters blamed Gibson for being unfair and too hard on her.

Is it really unfair to expect a vice presidential candidate to know a thing or two about the current administration's foreign policies?

Palin's interview with Katie Couric was perhaps even more pathetic. The governor continually repeated campaign-provided catch phrases in all the wrong places.

As a result, her answers made absolutely no sense.

Intelligent people noticed. Know-Nothings most likely didn't see the interview, but if they did, they would have been proud.

During the vice presidential debate, Palin utilized such common-speak phrases as "you betcha," and "say it ain't so, Joe," which made intelligent people writhe with anger and frustration.

With every wink to the camera, brain cells all across America committed suicide, while mindless male conservatives became aroused.

With the economy going down the tubes, Sen. Barack Obama looking more and more favorable, and McCain dropping in the polls, the Republican campaign took a desperate turn.

Doing what Republicans do best, McCain and Palin resorted to some good old-fashioned fear mongering.

Raising questions of Obama's judgment and personal associations, mainly with former Weather Underground leader and domestic terrorist William Ayers, the Republican ticket incited both the fear and hatred of the Know-Nothings, who made their voice heard.

At one rally, in response to the question, "Who is the real Obama," the Know-Nothings shouted out such inflammatory words as "terrorist," "off with his head" and "kill him!"

These comments undoubtedly estranged those voters sitting on the fence and even moderate conservatives, and strengthened the resolve of those who had already made up their minds.

Obama was elected the next president of the United States. The negative campaigning tactics of the Republicans and the Know-Nothings failed miserably.

In fact, they failed so miserably that America now has something more than it ever had before, something the Obama campaign used to promote itself.

And that's hope.

Steed is a senior mass communication student at UNC Asheville.

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