Play the legend
Notecards for an essay I never got around to writing.....
"It's not about what he knows. It's about how he feels."
— Sandy Cohen, The O.C.
---
Baltimore City Councilman Tommy Carcetti: "And what it shows people is that I know my business, that I will hold people accountable based on the facts. This is about what's right."
Political operative Theresa D'Agostino: "There you go again. Do you think politics is only about winning the argument? That whoever has the right fact at the right moment wins? Clinton had facts. Kennedy had facts, yeah. But Reagan? He couldn't have summoned a fact if his life depended on it. It's not just facts, it's how you use them. And, Tommy, when you get hold of a fact or two, you go smart-ass and start beating on people.
"Clinton and Reagan, when they got up to speak, they gave everyone in the room comfort and confidence. You liked those guys, you were happy to think that they even liked you."
...
"You're smart, you're ambitious. And you've got a sharper tongue than most. You can hold court. And you can tell a good story. And you can win the argument if you want. All of that shows, Tommy, and at a Baltimore City Council meeting it shows well. But if you want to be mayor, or senator, or governor one day..."
Carcetti's wife: "...show 'em something more."
— The Wire*
---
"And by and large, our message has been we can manage problems, while the Republicans, although they will say we can solve problems, they produce a narrative. We produce a litany. They say, 'I'm going to protect you from the terrorists in Tehran and the homos in Hollywood.' We say, 'We're for clean air, better schools, more health care.' And so there's a Republican narrative, a story, and there's a Democratic litany."
— James Carville.
---
"The Democrats, after doing a lot of soul searching and introspection, have decided to become the party of soul searching and introspection. It's what they do best, John. Their hope is to reach out to like-minded Americans — or their therapists — and see if anybody wants to ... you know ... sit around, talk about what went wrong. Kind of a Coalition of Regret."
— Ed Helms, The Daily Show
---
Passed along by my Uncle Mike:
"(Kerry) views the world as if we’d never been attacked on September 11.”
— Vice-President Dick Cheney
---
In True Grit, some say Wayne played himself, but then he always did, in whatever movie he appeared. ... But the character of portly, one-eyed, hard-drinking Rooster Cogburn, as he charged single-handed, like a knight-errant of old, into a band of outlaws, made the association between man and character unforgettable. It was the epitome of tough, independent-minded honor and chivalry that the movie character John Wayne invariably portrayed, and with whom generations of Americans invariably identified. If he always played himself, by the same toke he also played what millions deemed to be the quintessential American. Not only on the fragile celluloid of the of the movies does Rooster Cgoburn as Joh Wayne ride, but he rides forever in the extraordinary painted bronze statue created by the sculptor, Harry Jackson. In fact, like some equestrian hero out of real life, who might adorn Central Park or the Washington, D.C. Mall, equestrian bronzes of John Wayne dominate the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, as well as previously mentioned Wilshire Boulevard, the latter courtesy of the Great Western Financial Corporation. You will find no similar statue of Texan movie star Audie Murphy, World War II's most decorated hero. Instead we cast the legend which has become the reality."
— William H. Goetzmann and William N. Goetzmann, The West of the Imagination
---
"Let me close with a word to the people of the state of Texas. (Applause.) We have known each other the longest, and you started me on this journey. On the open plains of Texas, I first learned the character of our country: sturdy and honest, and as hopeful as the break of day."
— President George W. Bush
And that's about all I have to say about politics for a while. If that didn't make sense, see here, here, and here.
(*I just want to state for the record that, some many years from now, The Wire will be considered a turning point in television if not entertainment as a whole ... I hope. I plan to write a post on this topic, but given my recent blogging record, don't hold your breath.)
"It's not about what he knows. It's about how he feels."
— Sandy Cohen, The O.C.
---
Baltimore City Councilman Tommy Carcetti: "And what it shows people is that I know my business, that I will hold people accountable based on the facts. This is about what's right."
Political operative Theresa D'Agostino: "There you go again. Do you think politics is only about winning the argument? That whoever has the right fact at the right moment wins? Clinton had facts. Kennedy had facts, yeah. But Reagan? He couldn't have summoned a fact if his life depended on it. It's not just facts, it's how you use them. And, Tommy, when you get hold of a fact or two, you go smart-ass and start beating on people.
"Clinton and Reagan, when they got up to speak, they gave everyone in the room comfort and confidence. You liked those guys, you were happy to think that they even liked you."
...
"You're smart, you're ambitious. And you've got a sharper tongue than most. You can hold court. And you can tell a good story. And you can win the argument if you want. All of that shows, Tommy, and at a Baltimore City Council meeting it shows well. But if you want to be mayor, or senator, or governor one day..."
Carcetti's wife: "...show 'em something more."
— The Wire*
---
"And by and large, our message has been we can manage problems, while the Republicans, although they will say we can solve problems, they produce a narrative. We produce a litany. They say, 'I'm going to protect you from the terrorists in Tehran and the homos in Hollywood.' We say, 'We're for clean air, better schools, more health care.' And so there's a Republican narrative, a story, and there's a Democratic litany."
— James Carville.
---
"The Democrats, after doing a lot of soul searching and introspection, have decided to become the party of soul searching and introspection. It's what they do best, John. Their hope is to reach out to like-minded Americans — or their therapists — and see if anybody wants to ... you know ... sit around, talk about what went wrong. Kind of a Coalition of Regret."
— Ed Helms, The Daily Show
---
Passed along by my Uncle Mike:
The 2 most important events in all of history were the invention of beer & the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization & together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into 2 distinct subgroups: Liberals & Conservatives.---
Once beer was discovered it required grain & that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human ancestors were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking & killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as "the Conservative movement."
Other men who were weaker & less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's & doing the sewing, fetching & hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as 'girleymen.'
Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy & group hugs & the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat & beer that conservatives provided.
Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, & French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.
Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood & group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat & still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, soldiers, athletes & generally anyone who works productively outside government.
"(Kerry) views the world as if we’d never been attacked on September 11.”
— Vice-President Dick Cheney
---
In True Grit, some say Wayne played himself, but then he always did, in whatever movie he appeared. ... But the character of portly, one-eyed, hard-drinking Rooster Cogburn, as he charged single-handed, like a knight-errant of old, into a band of outlaws, made the association between man and character unforgettable. It was the epitome of tough, independent-minded honor and chivalry that the movie character John Wayne invariably portrayed, and with whom generations of Americans invariably identified. If he always played himself, by the same toke he also played what millions deemed to be the quintessential American. Not only on the fragile celluloid of the of the movies does Rooster Cgoburn as Joh Wayne ride, but he rides forever in the extraordinary painted bronze statue created by the sculptor, Harry Jackson. In fact, like some equestrian hero out of real life, who might adorn Central Park or the Washington, D.C. Mall, equestrian bronzes of John Wayne dominate the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, as well as previously mentioned Wilshire Boulevard, the latter courtesy of the Great Western Financial Corporation. You will find no similar statue of Texan movie star Audie Murphy, World War II's most decorated hero. Instead we cast the legend which has become the reality."
— William H. Goetzmann and William N. Goetzmann, The West of the Imagination
---
"Let me close with a word to the people of the state of Texas. (Applause.) We have known each other the longest, and you started me on this journey. On the open plains of Texas, I first learned the character of our country: sturdy and honest, and as hopeful as the break of day."
— President George W. Bush
And that's about all I have to say about politics for a while. If that didn't make sense, see here, here, and here.
(*I just want to state for the record that, some many years from now, The Wire will be considered a turning point in television if not entertainment as a whole ... I hope. I plan to write a post on this topic, but given my recent blogging record, don't hold your breath.)
posted by Matt at 1:00 AM
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