The Hilary-youtube video
the higher education gap
the bill moyers interview on the loss of reason
I have also included two links discussing Obama's stance that he doesn't take money from lobbyists
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Bailey Hall
This is where the magic happens
Welcome
This blog will host a continuing dialogue regarding national politics and political communication theory. Its creation was inspired by the Spring 2008 Political Communication graduate seminar at the University of Kansas but will assuredly transcend this purpose and earn international acclaim for the insight contained herein. Enjoy the reading and post freely, even if you are not associated with the seminar. After all, what is political communication if not democratic.
Ben Warner
Ben Warner
2 comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FvyGydc8no&e
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/us/20mobility.html?_r=1&ex=1361163600&en=5faf60cc7a165222&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02152008/profile.html
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/09/pacs_and_lobbyists_aided_obamas_rise/
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/obamas_lobbyist_line.php
I have wanted to comment on this Moyers interview for a while. I am a bit disturbed by this author. First, I think she plays fat and loose with some of her claims. I am not sure I agree that "troops" is less personal than "soldier" and I hear "soldiers" being reported dead as much as I do "troops". Also, I think the use of words like "folks" is not a talking down to Americans, I think it is a strategy for identification and I think it probably works. Her focus on language is nice to see for someone like me who wants to believe that all politics is rhetorical, but it is sloppy and I believe misplaced. I also can't handle the disdain she seems to have for our culture. I fully agree that there is a big problem when 30% of American's still believe that Saddam organized the 9/11 attacks, but I do not believe this is a recent development (her romanticism for the 40s is alarming) nor do I think writing a book castigating American culture for being "dumb" is a particularly elegant solution. I did not think anybodies academic elitism would make me want to ignorantly grunt "love it or leave it" while spitting tobacco into a Kurt Bush mug, but she comes close. Perhaps I am now playing to loose with the term "academic". I find her particular brand of elitism to be particularly un-academic. She actually said "you don't need a scientific study to know" and then asserted something that you would need precisely that to say with any amount of confidence. I have not read her book so I should not judge her to harshly, but I can assure you that this interview did nothing to get that book in my Amazon shopping cart. Sorry Carl, I have a great deal of sympathy for your frustrations but this woman drove me nuts and I don't think her "insights" are any more valuable contributions to America than are the problems she criticizes.
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