It's been another long hiatus. But, I have finally had a few minutes of free high-speed online time, so I thought I'd put up a new post.
For this post, I want to forward a recent editorial, "The Two Obamas," by David Brooks (on Barack Obama). I don't always agree with Brooks, but I always find his columns well-written and thought-provoking. In this editorial, I think Brooks has hit the nail on the head regarding Barack Obama and recent developments in the election campaign.
I've been really interested in Obama ever since his 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention. His fresh perspective on religion and politics perked my interest yet again back in 2006. I was excited in 2007 when he announced his candidacy for president, and I was pleased when he won the nomination a few weeks ago.
However, the weeks following the end of the nomination fight have shown that a politician is a politician is a politician. Especially a politician from Chicago. Obama has, thus far, turned down two definite opportunities to run his campaign in a more populist manner and in a way that reflects his slogan of "change." The recent announcement that he will not participate in public campaign finance is, I think, a little more open to debate than Brooks would have it -- the Obama campaign makes a strong argument about the source of its fundraising (93% from small donations of $200 or less).
Obama's refusal of McCain's offer of ten town hall-style debates was a bigger disappointment to me. Rather than give us a campaign interested in an in-depth discussion on the very real problems currently facing the country, Obama has (so far) given us a presidential campaign-as-usual. Rather than give us a campaign that encourages education and elucidation on the issues and the candidates' differing positions, we will get (it seems) more sound bytes, more scripted talking points directed at cameras, more of the same old, same old.
But what can we justifiably expect from politicians? Especially politicians from Chicago (or New York)? No candidate is perfect, and "change" only comes by piecemeal. But at the same time, I can't help but wish Obama's opening moves were a little more reflective of a politician who was genuinely interested in exploring new possibilities for voter involvement and candidate accountability in presidential campaigns. So far, Obama has apparently been content to cede that image to McCain.
Whatever you might think about recent campaign developments, Brooks' editorial is worth a read.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Sun Is the Same, In a Relative Way
Well, friends, I must apologize for taking such a long break between posts. The last couple of weeks have seen me pack up my earthly possessions and fly once more from the place I had called "home" to hover, for a summer, in suitcase mode, until I settle down in Bloomington for what I am calling my "long march to the sea" (i.e., the end of my formal education).
I'm spending the summer just outside of Nowhere, Michigan (I mean Carson City), with my grandparents. To give a brief sketch of what life is like here, I will only say that my internet connection here is a 28.8kbps modem, and that yesterday I was passed on the road by a truck with a Confederate flag hanging from the rear cab window. This followed my witnessing a brief flirtation between two twentysomething townies, in the check-out line at the local Spartan supermarket, in which they compared stab wound scars.
One of my goals this summer is to organize and catalogue some of my grandparents' things that are currently scattered around their enclosed porch, garage, and pole barn. This morning, I spent some time cataloguing books, and ran across one particularly interesting volume: Sanders' School Reader, Fifth Book ("Designed As A Sequel to Sanders' Fourth Reader"), published in 1863. The book is divided into three parts: one containing instruction on "elocution" (the art of speaking), and two separate sections of readings from famous essayists and poets. There are fascinating things to be found in the printed pages themselves, to be sure, but I often find the marginal notes and scribblings on blank filler pages the most interesting aspect of old books such as this one. In the back of the book, there are two four-line poems, written in pencil, presumably by the book's original owner, "J.C. Stetson, Wis., Sep 30 1866."
On the inside of the back cover:
"Wouldst thou from sorrow find a sweet relief? [yes]
Then read this good book leaf by leaf -
In it thou wilt surely find
Relief from sorrow and sweet peace of mind"
And a couple pages before, a poem whose sentiments I would echo today:
"When you with other friends are found
And in their presence sit around
Though sweet their company may be
Will you not sometimes think of me?"
The poem seems to be signed with symbols from some kind of code, so who knows who actually wrote it, and under what circumstances. In any event, I'm sending it along (as the Beatles would say) with love, from me, to you. More marginalia to come, perhaps, in the future...
I'm spending the summer just outside of Nowhere, Michigan (I mean Carson City), with my grandparents. To give a brief sketch of what life is like here, I will only say that my internet connection here is a 28.8kbps modem, and that yesterday I was passed on the road by a truck with a Confederate flag hanging from the rear cab window. This followed my witnessing a brief flirtation between two twentysomething townies, in the check-out line at the local Spartan supermarket, in which they compared stab wound scars.
One of my goals this summer is to organize and catalogue some of my grandparents' things that are currently scattered around their enclosed porch, garage, and pole barn. This morning, I spent some time cataloguing books, and ran across one particularly interesting volume: Sanders' School Reader, Fifth Book ("Designed As A Sequel to Sanders' Fourth Reader"), published in 1863. The book is divided into three parts: one containing instruction on "elocution" (the art of speaking), and two separate sections of readings from famous essayists and poets. There are fascinating things to be found in the printed pages themselves, to be sure, but I often find the marginal notes and scribblings on blank filler pages the most interesting aspect of old books such as this one. In the back of the book, there are two four-line poems, written in pencil, presumably by the book's original owner, "J.C. Stetson, Wis., Sep 30 1866."
On the inside of the back cover:
"Wouldst thou from sorrow find a sweet relief? [yes]
Then read this good book leaf by leaf -
In it thou wilt surely find
Relief from sorrow and sweet peace of mind"
And a couple pages before, a poem whose sentiments I would echo today:
"When you with other friends are found
And in their presence sit around
Though sweet their company may be
Will you not sometimes think of me?"
The poem seems to be signed with symbols from some kind of code, so who knows who actually wrote it, and under what circumstances. In any event, I'm sending it along (as the Beatles would say) with love, from me, to you. More marginalia to come, perhaps, in the future...
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