Welcome to this month's reading group selection. David Von Drehle mentions The Melting Pot , a play by Israel Zangwill, that premiered on Broadway in 1908. At that time theater was accessible to a broad section of the public, not the exclusive domain it has become over the decades. Zangwill carried a hopeful message that America was a place where old hatreds and prejudices were pointless, and that in this new country immigrants would find a more open society. I suppose the reference was more an ironic one for Von Drehle, as he notes the racial and ethnic hatreds were on display everywhere, and at best Zangwill's play helped persons forget for a moment how deep these divides ran. Nevertheless, "the melting pot" made its way into the American lexicon, even if New York could best be describing as a boiling cauldron in the early twentieth century. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America takes a broad view of events that led up the notorious fire, noting the gro
I needed those speeches to get me fired up again!
ReplyDeleteDitto.
ReplyDeleteReally encouraging -- and never were their two visions (both on t.v. and for the country) more different. I'll be signing up this weekend to start volunteering. We have to get every single voter to the polls this year.
I liked Castro's relay message, and Michelle Obama's comment that we don't close the door on others after we've achieved success. Plus I just liked looking around the floor of the convention -- that's a party that represents America.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I found so startling different was the lack of a sense of entitlement last night. The Republicans all had their up-from-the-bootstraps comments, and the grandfathers who came on the boat, etc., but there was a sense that they had made theirs and if people had any sense they'd borrow money from their parents and have theirs too.
And finally, I can't help but comment on the optics. I don't know what it is about republicans but they seem to think they have to make women, even someone like Anne Romney, look like high-priced hookers on t.v. Must be the Fox News influence:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/09/foxy-ladies/309054/
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/558581_10151148921281749_150993597_n.jpg
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
The Republicans have gone out of their way to promote sex appeal in their politics in recent years in an effort to appeal to younger viewers. You have older men with "rugged" good looks like Bob McDonnell and little hotties like Michele Malkin. They even managed to recruit Scott Brown, who was a former model,
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.reidreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/scottbrown-cosmo.jpg
Suffice it to say, very superficial.
I don't think I will click on that link of Brown -- I assume he's in the nude...
ReplyDeleteI noted when he won the Senate race the first time, his wife and daughters were all dressed up like they were going to the senior prom. Something slightly off-color about that. I always wonder what they think they are really selling.
So far no reports about black female reporters getting peanuts thrown at them and being called animals, no Hispanic representative being shouted down, no one objecting to the presence of other Latinos working nearby. All very respectful - big contrast to the RNC.
ReplyDeleteAm listening to dreamer Benita Veliz from Texas now -- not what you hear at Republican conventions either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big Clinton fan like some Democrats but he sure can give a great policy speech. I could have listened for 45 more minutes.
ReplyDeleteBill sure knows how to light up a crowd. Great speech!
ReplyDeleteSeems like responses were generally favorable to Obama's speech,
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/voters-react-president-obamas-speech-heartfelt-disappointing-053400699.html
I've yet to find a complete version that doesn't stick, but from the first 9 minutes my impression was that he gave another carefully measured speech, which has become his hallmark, but that it wasn't overly inspiring.
I think we are past "experimentation" at this point and that he has to lay out a solid strategy based on precedents to finish the deal. The Stimulus Plan was a good start, but since then it feels like we have been treading water economically with the Fed trying one or another method to keep the economy afloat.
I fully understand that he has been stonewalled at every turn by the Republicans, but this is the time to appeal directly to the people and pressure Congress into coming to the table and deal. I don't think he succeeded in inspiring that confidence, but of course the alternative is much worse.
I am afraid that the Republicans' stonewalling will continue until they lose major seats in Congress. That could happen at the next mid-term elections if Obama is re-elected and if his margin of victory is fairly large.
DeleteI don't think the Romney/Ryan ticket is a winner; in fact, it may turn out to be a big loser. Apart from his wooden demeanor, Romney has an advisor problem. His advisors are not ready for prime time. As for Ryan, he is in way over his head, and as Sarah Palin learned the hard way, no one is going to throw him a lifeline.
As I was saying to a friend, there might be more Republican drift this next two years given the godawful platform the RNC adopted. Republicans like Susan Collins and Scott Brown (should he be re-elected) are going to have a very hard time explaining these positions to their much more moderate constituencies. And, as you note Rick, a big loss by Romney and any loss in Congressional seats is going to make the RNC look pretty weak. It will be much harder to keep the troops in line.
DeleteYep, the alternative doesn't even bother to listen to the speech before commenting,
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-campaign-slams-obama-speech-hasn-t-kept-033624449--election.html
Beyond the utter lack of respect for the standing President, it is just dumb politics not to inform yourself as to what your opponent is saying.
I sure hope you all are right. I look at those red/blue election maps and wonder what are those people in red states (including mine) thinking?
ReplyDeleteI missed most of Wednesday's speeches, except for Clinton's at the end, but was wowed again last night. Obama's speech was effective but I was much more moved by Clyburn's talk about the Republican's attempt to strip what he considers our sacred right to vote. I also loved Joe Biden trying to be Bill Clinton. I thought he was wonderful.
I meant John Lewis.
DeleteThe other thing that struck me about the speeches overall is that people, e.g., like Biden and Clyburn and the President too to some extent, really seem to believe what they are saying. And they give you a sense that we are all in this together.
ReplyDeleteI watch clips of Ryan and Romney and they have a stiffness about them, with their chins up and an almost arrogant way about them, as they sort of lecture people. I don't think that's just inexperience since Romney in particular has been doing this for years. Very different culture.
Ultimately, this is why the Republicans will lose in November. They just keep repeating the same tired old refrains. There is no life in the party other than at the Tea Party level, but this isn't the kind of life you want to have. What they managed to embed in the platform is enough to make any well-intentioned Republican cringe. Huntsman was particularly harsh on the platform, and after the "teabagging" that Crist took in 2010 he decided to jump ship. I think there are a lot of Republican second guessing what's going on.
DeleteI hope the Democrats can keep hitting at that platform and the Ryan budget. Scary to think the country would willingly -- and with their eyes wide open --elect to go back to all of that. I'm volunteering.
DeleteI'll have to check out Joe's speech. Clinton gave him a rousing recommendation in his speech. You could see Joe beaming in his box seat. I think Clinton did a great job uniting the Democrats in his speech. Exactly what they needed.
ReplyDeleteVery emotional and direct. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteBiden also wandered way off his script and got called on it by the media but I thought he did a great job. Seems like we had some Biden supporters in 2008 here. Now I sort of get it.
ReplyDeleteDamn, Joe nailed what it meant to save the auto industry!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xBhT4FMndo&feature=youtube_gdata
Great! Glad you got to see it.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very good speech. Biden did a great job of tying GM and the hunt for bin Laden together in terms of Obama's personal resolve. This is what Americans want to hear. The Repugs have nothing to match it.
ReplyDeleteObama's speech was rousing but the clear policy outline I was hoping for was not there. Both Romney and Obama passed on golden opportunities to be the sole candidate of substance. Apparently, both have decided to pin their hopes for victory on assailing each other.
ReplyDeleteWhat a vacuous campaign we're in for. Trench warfare from now through November 6.
I'm not sure what you could expect from Obama, who has been attacked since Day One of his presidency. Perhaps he fears that he will appear weak if he doesn't go toe-to-toe with them. As for the campaign being vacuous, I think that has been going on for many years.
DeleteObama's post-DNC Gallup poll job approval rating is at 52%, a 15 month high. Romney got no bounce at all after the RNC.
ReplyDeleteNot surprising. That had to be one of the worst conventions in recent memory. There was absolutely no spark. Now, Romney is pitching his campaign as "America's Comeback Team." What a joke!
ReplyDeletehttp://exeter.patch.com/articles/romney-victory-rally-under-the-friday-night-lights
The fundamental disconnect between Romney and voters is enormous.
As I understand the Obama "bounce" it came as a result of the Romney convention based on polling times. He may still "bounce" some more after people respond to the DNC in polling. I thought it was a masterful convention.
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