Postmodern Plumber

“Writers from working-class backgrounds have argued that their experiences, their background, give them a particular standpoint, a perspective on culture. This is a ‘postmodern’ position. It refuses a universal truth about the value of different kinds of culture, but rather suggests that one’s experiences will play at least some part in how one makes sense of the public sphere …” (McKee 77).

This 'postmodern' view that McKee mentions can definitely be seen in the election this year. The example that immediately comes to mind is that of Joe the Plumber who disagreed with Obama's idea that the more money people make, the more they should be taxed. From Joe's perspective, he started out not making much money but expanded his business to where he is now above Obama's bracket. He does not want to pay more taxes than others possibly because he feels that he had a lower income at one point but pulled himself up by his bootstraps and is now successful. This issue points out Joe's experience of how he came into his money and how it is affecting his opinion on the subject of higher taxes. If, for example, Joe had not come up in his business but had gone into bankruptcy, he might think differently about the situation. It seems very natural now for people who are involved in the public sphere to take this 'postmodern' approach and relate their opinions to personal experiences.