Blog Post #5 Topic #2

Searching for an article that used the term crusade in it was not only easy but quite time relevant as well. Choosing a proper article was actually a lot harder than simply finding an article within the last few years. It makes me question if the term crusade is potentially losing some of its historical relevancy, and becoming all too common in the polarized political society we live in today. I tried to find a fair source that tries to steer away from bias and I came across an article from ABC News titled “A conservative’s crusade: Loyalty to Trump defines the GOP rivalry in Mississippi’s Senate special election”. I looked up what the actual definition of crusade is and it turns out, as a verb, it is very relevant in describing campaigns.

I figured the elections were as relevant as anything going on in our country and the article centered on the idea of President Trump going on a “crusade” of his own to try and maintain a republican dominated house and senate. Specifically, this article looked at Cindy Hyde-Smith, the first female senator from Mississippi. She is expected to win the race, given that Mississippi is a majority republican state, also with help from the White House, and her supporters showing out at the polls. By campaigning in states across the country, people are calling Trumps advocacy for his republican counterparts a crusade. He is travelling and promoting candidates of his party to try and secure political dominance for the rest of his presidency. Ultimately his goal is to eliminate opposition to his reign as president. Given the definition as a verb, I think it is a fair word to use in describing Trumps actions during the time leading up to the elections.

While crusade is a fair word for this article, after learning about the real crusades in class, I think there is potentially a better word. To use a word with as much magnitude as the crusades, is a little bit of a stretch. It certainly is an attention grabber, but to describe a political campaign in the same context as a war for land and freedom, where so many people died, it seems like an over exaggeration. Considering there were tens of other articles using the word crusade in their headline, it puts into question the weight of the word itself. If used enough, it has the potential to lose its historical value, and there may come a time when people hear crusade and ignore its historical significance and recognize it solely for its political implications. While interesting and relevant to the time we live in, the article could have chosen another word and been just as effective in sending its message. (457)