Comments on: Win the Future?

By: Cautiously optimistic | Kelly J Baker

Cautiously optimistic | Kelly J Baker — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:47:15 +0000

[...] Historiann, my favorite blogger, might we problematize hope rhetoric? (Here’s one example). [...]

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:57:06 +0000

Maybe she should write a screenplay about a well-spoken Indian man who teaches Jefferson to overcome his public speaking phobias and call it The President’s Speech?

(I saw The King’s Speech earlier this month, and while it was a fun period drama with all of the regular English players we expect to see in period dramas, I don’t think it’s worthy of all of the awards and fawning-over it’s receiving. It was odd to see Anthony “Sebastian Flyte” Andrews play Stanley Baldwin. Or rather, it was odd to realize that he’s old enough to play Baldwin.)

By: Western Dave

Western Dave — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:54:26 +0000

And I just read, on Cracked.com so you know it’s true, that Jefferson started the tradition of sending written missives because he suffered from terribly anxiety in public speaking and couldn’t bring himself to address Congress. Does anybody know Gingy Scharff (or is she here somewhere) and can verify that story? Or another Jefferson scholar, but it seemed like a nice way to give a plug to Gingy’s new book… http://www.amazon.com/Women-Jefferson-Loved-Virginia-Scharff/dp/0061227072/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296507506&sr=1-1

By: Indyanna

Indyanna — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:05:59 +0000

When I was back there in colledge (I’ve never tried to check up on this empirically) I had a prof who told us that early in his first term Washington just grabbed a folder from his desk and strolled a block over to the State House in Philadelphis and walked in on Congress to deliver the constitutionally-required “Information of the State of the Union.” And, further, that the honorable body freaked out as if the intruder was King Charles with a pack of hounds, coming into the people’s house to extract some ranters, levelers, and other assorted troublemakers. And, finally, that this was the backstory to the contemporary ceremoniality with the Sgt. at Arms’s announcement and the slow march of the executive guest down the carpet to the rostrum. He didn’t mention anything about celebrities in the gallery or Supreme Court justices preening for the occasional screen-shot. But, true or false, this would make a great premise for a short film to take up to Sundance.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:09:32 +0000

Western Dave is right–SOTU addresses are pretty forgettable. Obama has had a steep hill to climb, and speeches can only get him (and the rest of us) so far.

The national press is only interested in the horse race, as though the fate of the republic depended on one man (or another’s) political fortunes. I suppose I get caught up in that crap too, but it’s not as important as the implementation of good policy. It’s related to it–but it’s not the same thing.

By: quixote

quixote — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:11:48 +0000

Profane, I can see the new buttons now:

“WTF! In my guts I know he’s nuts!”

By: Multanemo

Multanemo — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:08:56 +0000

We want good jobs, not platitudes. Sorry, but it is just that simple when you are jobless or horribly underemployed.

By: Bardiac

Bardiac — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:17:28 +0000

I’m pretty sure I still have a WIN button in a bag of buttons from high school, somewhere…

By: Profane

Profane — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:05:47 +0000

In my guts I know he’s nuts.

By: Western Dave

Western Dave — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:51:10 +0000

@koshem Bos. Are there any good SOTU speeches or letters you can point to? It’s a pretty banal genre.