Is there a greater insult to our intelligence than political “talking points” – those utterances of utter banality uttered endlessly through the udders of utterly uxorious campaign surrogates. [Oh, stop. -ed. Okay.]
Well, they were out in force last night before and after the Hillary Clinton speech – first telling us what she should say and then what she did (or didn’t.).
Who cares? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, political genius or even Stanislavsky himself to understand the “subtext” of Hillary’s speech last night. She hates Obama’s guts – and undoubtedly his wife even more. Barack stole from Hillary what she thought was rightfully hers. Fortunately for her, he may well go down in flames himself, leaving her an opening in 2012. Everything she said was predicated on that – just enough to stay friends with the Democratic Party but not so much as to help get Obama elected (assuming she could). She did a fine job of that.
Now everybody knows that – though almost nobody came out and said it. American politics is all about all pomp, circumstance and “talking points.” Nevertheless, it is endlessly fascinating as pure spectacle. I got an email from Dutch novelist Leon de Winter, visiting California for a year, who said he was transfixed by the convention as “anthropology.” Veyr Euro of him, but I see his point.
As for me, it put me in mind of that other great piece of American Tradition – the musical comedy – specifically Rodgers and Hart’s The Boys from Syracuse and its great “Oh, Diogenes”. Sing along… “Oh, Diogenes/Find a man who’s honest/Oh, Diogenes/ Warm him up for me….” And so it goes. [I thought you weren't doing any more John Edwards posts.-ed. ]
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15 Comments
1. Terrye:I have not watched any of the Democratic Convention. I just can not bring myself to do it.
Aug 27, 2008 - 5:42 pm 2. Promoguy:I will not watch the convention. I don’t understand what anyone who is essentially opposed to everything the left stands for, who gain from wasting that time.
But I did love hearing today from three nice older women who suggested although they may not vote for McCain they definitely will not vote for Obama. Two from Sherman Oaks and one from Tarzana. Two very strong Demo areas in the good old barrio of San Fernando Valley.
Aug 27, 2008 - 6:21 pm 3. Dee:I thought Hillary’s speech was the first campaign speech for 2012.
Watching the convention has been boring with moments of great hilarity. Man, do politicians lie!
Aug 27, 2008 - 6:28 pm 4. srlucado:I’ve enjoyed a couple of Zombie’s photojournalism reports (thank you, PJM), but that’s as much convention coverage as I can stomach.
Watching it is bad enough, but having to listen to the commentators rephrasing the speakers’ lies is way too much.
People who think that American soldiers are the war criminals, that government “creates” jobs, that extracting our oil is bad, that business are evil…well, there’s less fantasy and delusion at a Star Trek convention. A lot less.
Scott
Aug 27, 2008 - 6:34 pm 5. david foster:Well, it reminded me of a musical comedy, too..part of one, anyhow–specifically, some lines from The Mikado:
“Sent to hear sermons from mystical Germans
Who preach from ten till four”
The whole format seems as obsolete as the lengthy speech Edward Evertt gave just before Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address.
Aug 27, 2008 - 7:51 pm 6. Lem:Obama coming on tonight takes away some of the aura from mile high tomorrow.
Big mistake.
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:02 pm 7. Lightnin' Hopkins:Musical comedy’s nice, but this: http://tinyurl.com/5wxpc4 puts me in mind of Aristophanes and what he might have written about Barry’s little turn on the catwalk tomorrow night — although it probably would have seemed beyond parody in Ancient Greece as well.
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:28 pm 8. Captain Hate:Is there a greater insult to our intelligence than political “talking points”
Only when delivered by Keith Olbermann
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:57 pm 9. buddy larsen:TS Eliot previsioned it in the opening of Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock:
LET us go then, you and I,
Aug 28, 2008 - 12:10 am 10. Jamie Irons:When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherised upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question …
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.
Ah, Buddy. Yes, what a wonderful poem Prufrock is.
I never thought of it before in a political context, but it does fit nicely, doesn’t it.
Jamie Irons
Aug 28, 2008 - 8:43 am 11. david levavi:…and undoubtedly his wife even more…
Was there a bit of election-season drama I missed or is a catfight between females assumed?
Aug 28, 2008 - 8:52 am 12. Xixi:Why should Hillary hate Michelle more than Barack?
I might make popcorn and tune in to see THE ONE speak from Mile High Stadium, but only to see if a swarm of locusts followed by heavy rain descends upon that multitude.
Aug 28, 2008 - 1:13 pm 13. Lem:Obamus Maximus
Aug 28, 2008 - 3:32 pm 14. Roderick Reilly:Oh, I thought the “Diogenes” reference was to the Greek Temple from whence “The One” shall speak to us.
Aug 28, 2008 - 4:01 pm 15. buddy larsen:Jamie –the next two lines fit pretty well on Hillary & Michelle together, too –unable to say what seems by all appearances to be what’s really on their minds, har har –
Aug 28, 2008 - 5:51 pm