Listening to McCain tonight, I was thrust back to the election of 1952, Stevenson v. Eisenhower, the eloquent intellectual v. the patriotic hero -- because this is exactly how McCain wants to cast the election. If he succeeds, he wins because in this country, in such a contest, the war hero always, always defeats the intellectual.
Only two things can change this: the electorate is fundamentally different from what it was half a century ago in ways that change the anti-intellectual fungus in this country (college students in numbers could change this; they couldn't even vote in 1952 if under 21); or Obama succeeds in recasting the contest in a different way, such as the needy against the privileged. But as an intellectual, which of sorts he is, and McCain as a war hero, he has little chance.
May you live in interesting times.
1 comment:
When I was just past 50, I had the good fortune to be in a business class taught by W. Dwayne Richins, UO professor who came to Tektronix every week for 16 years. His 1st year class was was titled "Functions of Business" which was really a cover for the fact that his was a class in philosophy.
He was a joy to be with. He appreciated the fact that the people in his class were there to learn to think. That was seldom true at the university where kids took his class for a 'grade'.
Even after he retired, we stayed in touch with one another and I visited him in his home near Sisters until he died in Oct. 2005. Fifty may be a little late to learn to think, but that's okay, I've benefitted from those classes and that friendship for more than 30 years. When I stop learning, somebody better shovel dirt on me because I died.
Thank you for challenging me to think again. It happens so seldom.
MES
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