|
August 14, 2010
Good Questions
In response to a Wall Street Journal article by Kim Strassel a Journal reader asks an interesting question. JIm Altfeld wrote:Any ideas? Cross Posted at Power and Control posted by Simon on 08.14.10 at 11:41 PM
Comments
JKB has some spot-on observations to which I could only add that the burgeoning newspaper industry also had an industrial mindset and hierarchy common to the era. As the City Desk went, so went the city. The availability of information at our fingertips may have brought more insight at the expense of our trust. I often wonder if our Internet isn't a modern-day Tower of Babel. It makes us seem god-like, as though anything is possible. And yet, the confounding of our trust and the compounding of our cynicism fractures social adhesion. It will not be pretty to watch. Joan of Argghh! · August 15, 2010 07:15 AM Not to be unduly harsh, but the premise of the question is false. Most voters are not genuinely anti-incumbent; as will be demonstrated in November when a large majority of politicians in both parties will be re-elected to office. The MSM is promoting the anti-incumbency meme in order to deflect attention away from the economy, which is the best that they can do to help liberal Democrats stay in office. As to FDR, he was the first president to buy votes en mass using the federal treasury. He proved that the common citizen can be bought off rather cheaply. TomA · August 15, 2010 11:39 AM Imagine the political world of today not only without the alternative media, but with the barest smidgeon of electronic media (three national radio networks, mostly devoted to entertainment), no "video" save a scant few minutes of carefully scripted newsreels a week and little access to out-of-state newspapers; that's what obtained back then. In his various memoirs of the 30's H. L Mencken frequently complains of many newspapermen that he knew and once respected who were totally in the tank for FDR and that even the most gentle criticism of FDR's worst policies was seldom heard in the land. This was a world in which, while FDR still frequently appeared in public in his last years, only a handful of people in this country knew that he was unable to walk or stand and had to be carried by attendants to and from photo ops. The news that he was confined to a wheelchair was not fit to print. His declining health was well known by all newsmen, but it was simply not reported. Not a word. JournoList got nothin' compared to the media co-ordination back in the day. Goyo · August 17, 2010 04:37 PM Post a comment
You may use basic HTML for formatting.
|
|
August 2010
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
August 2010
July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 AB 1634 MBAPBSAAGOP Skepticism See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
the new tea?
Fertigate, and how! (A dull and non-controversial issue...) Total Loss The "Personhood Amendment" -- just what conservatives need now! A Cell Phone Mandate I Am Israel Tipping Point The Jewish Burden of the Israeli Paradigm Hockey Stick Shattered For Good? It's not about rights
Links
Site Credits
|
|
I believe is was a combination of things. First, many people were fresh off the farm or out of the hills and were working in mass groups in the factories. This created a familiarity of following the boss. Secondly, and probably more important, was radio. The era was replete with politicians using radio to give people the impression of familiarity. FDR, Will Rogers, Father (whats his name) all used radio to enter people's homes or local meeting place, seeming more like a friendly neighbor than a distant stranger. People just weren't familiar enough with this to have their guard up. Look at it like some let strangers into their bedrooms via the internet today but believe they know the person. We can't forget Hitler used radio very effectively to ease himself in to the hearts of Germans.
So FDR wormed his way into peoples homes and had fireside chats. But also, he promised government largess when people didn't know what it was going to cost. In many ways FDR poisoned the well for Obama by selling the public on what are now failing policies.