Politics
Entries related to things political.
"There's a trick to being strong…"
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 03/22/2007 - 09:26During my vacation, I found some time to start reading an advance copy of Jeffrey Feldman’s upcoming book, Framing the Debate: Famous Presidential Speeches and How Progressives Can Use Them to Change the Conversation (And Win Elections). It is a great book that I hope anyone interested in politics spends some time reading.
We would do well to spend more time reading speeches of former leaders. The first speech analyzed is George Washington’s first inaugural address. He spoke about being called by “the voice of my country”. Feldman talks about the “humble servant” frame, of great leaders responding to a call by the country and a recognition that they it takes much more than just a great leader to solve our country’s problems, it takes the strength of the American people.
When my wife ran for State Representative in 2004, she reflected upon this theme in an address to the local Democratic Committee.
Perhaps I’ve been more involved than many people my age. I have always made it to the voting booth. However, other than voting, I never thought too much about my responsibility in the political process.
Then George W. Bush became president, and suddenly the America I grew up in seemed to be losing itself. A booming economy slowed to a trickle, and environmental legislation seemed to go backwards. September 11th happened, and then it seemed possible, for a brief moment, that we would come together as a nation and rally once more. We had the world’s sympathy and support. But that only lasted for a moment, and then we slipped even further into economic downturn and world isolation.
As I’ve watched the current presidential campaigns, I’ve wondered if anyone will embrace the humble servant frame. For the past forty years, our candidates have seemed to shun this frame. They have been caught up in the hero worship and the idea that if you vote for them, they will solve all our problems.
Act Different
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 03/20/2007 - 09:38On March 5, ParkRidge47 posted the video Vote Different on YouTube. The next day, xxxgrimREAPERx posted it as 1984and since then, people have been around the URL in emails and IM messages. Then, on Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about the video and it crossed over into the traditional mainstream media.
Everyone has to share their comments about how important this video is. It will become, people argue, the iconic video indicating the transition from a broadcast era of politics to a new era of politics. Instead of being a half million dollar advertisement, it is something that anyone could produce. It represents a fundamentally new style of politics.
Well, whenever such grandiose claims come along, someone always needs to present a different view point. Let me take a crack at that. First, using Apple advertisements to communicate a political message online isn’t anything new. Back in 2003, a bunch of grassroots volunteers created the I Switched to Dean online video campaign. People shared the URL, bought the DVD. YouTube wasn’t around at the time, and it didn’t cross over into the traditional mainstream the way Vote Different has, so they haven’t become the icon that people are predicting Vote Different will be.
As to being something that anyone could make, well, I think that might be an overstatement as well. I spend time talking at various conferences encouraging people to start making their own videos. Many people have cellphones that can shoot video. Others have digital cameras that can shoot good video, and others have gotten digital video cameras that can shoot great videos. Yet when I speak at conferences, very few people know how to shoot a video with their cameras and then get it online. Those who do rarely have any idea about how to do more than the most rudimentary video editing, and those who can edit, rarely are well versed in framing a political message. I know very few people that could have pulled off a video like Vote Different.
Will the video encourage others to learn how to shoot video with the devices they already have, learn how to upload, learn how to edit, and learn how to frame a message? I hope so. If that happens, then the video could end up being incredibly important.
Fiona and the Peace Snowman
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 03/17/2007 - 21:25
At the end of the Peace Rally in Hartford Connecticut this afternoon, Fiona posed with her sign next to the Peace Snowman.
Click here to see the whole set of photos from the rally.
Anti Iraq War Rallies
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 03/17/2007 - 09:34This weekend, there will be rallies against the Iraq War around the country. Over at MyLeftNutmeg, CTBlogger has a great flashback from last year’s rally.
For those who want to put things into perspective about some of the real costs of the war to individuals around the country, please check out the case of Suzanne Swift, who is
facing a redeployment to Iraq while serving under the command of the same individuals that allowed her to be raped and sexually harassed, suffered a breakdown due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and went absent without leave rather than subject herself to the horrors she experienced during her first tour of duty
(Hat Tip to Michael V. Brown for pointing me to this site.)
When you start talking about PTSD of returning soldiers, I want to point out Ilona Meagher’s book Moving A Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops. I’ve met Ilona at a couple conferences. She is a great writer and I’ve managed to get a review copy of her book. I highly recommend it to anyone concerned with the fate of our servicemen and women.
She mentioned that her publisher has sent out press release about the book on Thursday. You can get more information there.
So, please, get out to a rally, but don’t stop there. Contact your elected officials to bring the troops home now to the heroes welcome they deserve, and make sure that they are given the support they need upon their return.
The U.S. Attorney General
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 03/15/2007 - 21:08From Wikipedia:
As attorney general, ..[he] believed that the government's need for "law and order" justified restrictions on civil liberties. He advocated the use of wiretaps in national security cases without obtaining a court order and the right of police to employ the preventive detention of criminal suspects. He brought conspiracy charges against critics of the ... War, and demonstrated a reluctance to involve the Justice Department in civil rights issues. "The Department of Justice is a law enforcement agency," he told reporters. "It is not the place to carry on a program aimed at curing the ills of society."
Who is it? Here’s another quote:
the first United States Attorney General ever to be convicted of illegal activities and imprisoned.
No, we are not talking about the current U.S. Attorney General, Alberto R. Gonzales. John Mitchell has earned his place in history as the first U.S. Attorney General to be convicted of illegal activities. People have commented about how wily Gonzales is. He may be smart enough to avoid committing conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury as he tries to wiggle his way out of the investigations into the Justice Department that appear to be coming, Or, he might be a little bit too smart for his own britches and find himself earning his own place in history.
The Gavel Blog has House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales
