Book reviews- January

A Godly Hero- The Life of William Jennings Bryan- by Michael Kazin-  WJB is the most famous person to come from my hometown and there's not a lot of books out there about him, so I had to pick this up.  It starts on page 1 describing his birth  town(he didn't stay long) and says you have to drive 25 miles to go to the nearest movie theater.  Ouch!  WJB probably doesn't get much credit as he falls in a period in which there is not much going on in terms of great wars, but instead the main issue seems to be the gold vs silver standard.  WJB is nominated for President by the Democrat Party three times and fails each time.  To a certain extent, though, what he supported in the last 19th Century did eventually become part of the platform for Woodrow Wilson (who named WJB Secretary of State) and even moreso FDR and the New Deal,  WJB may not have ever gotten enough votes to be elected, but what stands out  is how much his supportewrs loved him.  It's hard to think of anyone in this day or age that drives that amount of passion.  Ron Paul probably comes closest in this era.  WJB supporters wrote long letters and named children after him.  WJB may also be the father of partisianship.  Before him, people supported political parties according to their region, race, religion and how their families (you know, nothing like today) and even Democrat Grover Cleveland would fit well into today's GOP.  Bryan put his liberal views out there, gathering support across many different crowds.  At times, WJB did the politically expedient thing, so you don't see him taking on the racist part of the party (whereas Bryan often spoke for the poor and the Brotherhood of Man) or even compromising his views on war and prohibition.  Of course, WJB was known for his oratory which drew strongly from Jesus and Jefferson.  It's hard to imagine that type of person now, but he spoke strongly of Social Justice and God's plan.  Bryan never was able to get elected (He couldn't beat McKinley's money or Teddy Roosevelt's charisma.  Bryan never ran against TR directly, but it was TR's campaigning in 1900 and TR's handpicked successor Taft in 1908).  However, in many ways he was an advocate for ideas that gave him a stage he would not have had as an incumbent (indeed, as Secretary of State, Bryan had to choose between his ideals and best practice).  We don't hear much about Bryan the poulist, which is likely because Bryan dies right after the Scopes Monkey Trial, which has become his defining moment.  When Ralph Reed says WJB is his political hero, it is this WJB he is referring to.   WJB would probably not agree.  Even Bryan at his most liberal, had critics to the left like Eugene Debs and  famously criticzed by HL Mencken.  Had Bryan not died right after the trial, perhaps his legacy would be focused elsewhere, but he did and it did, and Hollywood has helped cement that anymore.   Kazin's book is a pretty good read.  It is a little dense if you are not interested in Bryan, but it's a fairly good read, and I was interested in Bryan.  I have been reading some really excellent political history books lately, and I love political history and biographies, but if they are not your thing. then this may be a bit tough.

One cannot read it with wondering how a character (and if, at all, someone) like WJB would exist in 21st Century politics.  Someone espousing such a strong Christian justification for living, but using it to espouse left-of-center ideas.  Maybe if Joel Osteen ran for office as a Democrat.  Bernie Sanders has the political ideology while you dont have to go to Pat Robertson or Gary Bauer to find someone on the right who quotes the Bible.  So why are the two so mutually exclusive?  Kazin writes an excellent epilogue that explains that.  Indeed, my hometown area has strongly been a Conservative Democrat area and only in the last 10-16 years has saw any thing different from that- liberal minded with a social conservative streak.  In the last few years has the GOP had any kind of success.  Kazin postulates that there is no real place for someone with these two stands (with the notable exception of minorities which are probably the only examples you can think of - King, Jackson, Sharpton, Chavez,etc).  While certainly people like Mario Cuomo and John Kerry have strong faith, even these examples from a post-Reagan landscape are people you think of as political and not religious leaders.  Kazin does state some of the obvious moves by the right which have been well-covered, probably most famously and most well done by Thomas Frank, but he also understands it is because the Left as well.  The Left and the Democrat Party seems to marginalize ideologues.  Surely as guilty of this marginalization as the Right.  It's an interesting theory and one hard to dispute.

Unfamiliar Fishes- by Sarah Vowell  I have read a lot of Vowell by now and am a fan, and while I might not normally pick up a book on Hawaiian history, so here we are.  Vowell usually nails it, but she is a bit off on this one.  I am not sure why but that Vowell seems to put a large focus on the Missionaries who came over, and seems to get bogged down with it.  Is there too much exposition that by the time the book does get interesting, it's almost over.  The last 50 or so pages are interesting and the usual Vowell stuff you expect.  It just takes awhile to get there, and if I wasn't a Vowell fan already don't know if I would have the patience.  Part may be that the discussion on the Missionaries coming from New England seems too similar to what we have already read in the Wordy Shipmates.  It may be neither of those reasons, maybe it just is.  Indeed, even some of her trademark humor falls flat in that section  of the book.  Hawaiian history is interesting but it may just be too complicated for Vowell to tackle it all in 230 pages.  I think Vowell is great, and there's enough here to say its worthwhile, but also just know this is a long slog until you reach the end.  i would say just read the first 50 pages and the last 50 pages but I dont know that would work either.

2016 Campaign Starts Now- Lets call it quits before we break one another into bits. Lets call a tie

You know, Iowa is about over, and so I am going to leave this here.  There are two weeks to go, and anything can happen, but I think it is safe to say, this will be the final rundown of TV ads in Iowa.

Donald Trump-  The Donald's ads talk about cutting the head off Isis (see what he did there) and are very us against them.  Trump got his theme from Reagan, and these well-produced ads are a throwback to the USA vs Soviet Union heyday of the 80s.  Trump is switching out the USSR for Isis.  They look old school Presidential and are a better play than his radio ads which feature him barking about all the things he stands for.  It should be noted Trump's support has a ceiling, but it also a basement.  It's hard to think of him in terms of Bernie or Ron Paul, but indeed, some people will vote for Trump no matter what.

Ted Cruz- So Ted Cruz wins Iowa.  Even if Trump wins, I don't see any way that Cruz doesn't come out the winner.  He has done the right things and it is paying off.  So Cruz doesn't really have to run ads.  Like at different times in this election cycle where Trump and Carson did not run ads, Cruz gains nothing by running ads.  That is modern day politics, you are only running ads if you are running behind.  Now Cruz has run ads and they are Cruz looking Presidential.  Agree or disagree with the guy, he's run a good campaign here.  Now, what does that say for the Nomination, I am not sure.  Huckabee and Santorum won Iowa and both seemed like they might have a shot and failed at a nationwide scale.  How does it go from here, I don't know.

Mike Huckabee- Despite lagging way behind, Mike has run some ads.  Huckabee is the guy who drunk texts.  Remember how we loved each other eight years ago.  Well, I still love you.  Don't you?  Remember how good we were?  You still love me right?

Ben Carson- While the GOP ads almost to a man talk about Isis and talk about Obamacare and the issues of the day, Carson's ad is about "Hands'.  These hands work and these hands give and these hands hug and in Carson's case, these hands heal.  This could be a Coke ad.  This ad was born of Benetton not Rove.  Touchy feely is a Democrat thing.  This "Come together" approach is totally Hillary/Barack, not Trump and fearmongering.  Which you know gives me an idea.  There is one way and only one way Carson will be President, but i think it will work.  Carson has a life altering experience (he can fake a campaign bus crash), comes out and says he was wrong about Obamacare, wrong about everything and has been reborn a liberal.  Laugh if you want, but this is the only way you are getting elected, Ben, so you can thank me later.

Bernie Sanders-  Bernie ads are pretty much what you expect.  I don't know what else to say

Hillary Clinton- Hillary's ads are now aimed at whoever the GOP candidate will be.  Her ads feature quotes from Trump, Cruz, Christie, Jeb, and Marco which scare liberals.  It's clear, right?  Ignore Bernie.  Remind people you are the 'electable' one.  I think Hillary shouldn't count out Bernie (who one poll said was trailing by 2 points in Iowa).  i know this seems like a good idea (to assume you have the nomination) but is it?

Marco Rubio- I have a pretty good idea how Iowa will play out.  Cruz and Trump will be 1 and 2.  Carson will have something, though I think his momentum has not only stalled, but stopped; he will get something.  Someone will get 4th and someone will surprise.  Everything seems to indicate Rubio would be the 4th major player.  I am not saying he won't be. Indeed, nearly all polls show Rubio in third at this point.  Still, I have doubts.  Of course, what I am saying is not unfounded.  Indeed, conventional wisdom suggests that there will be a voice for the "moderate" candidate.  Which is why Jeb is attacking Marco hard.  It is also why Jeb is going after Marco and not Trump or Cruz or Carson.  My guess is Christie will be the surprise.  He has not done much here, but he did get the endorsement of the state's Republican governor.  Even then, it could of course by Rand or Carly who end up being the surprise here.  I doubt it.  Perhaps, John Kasich will have a last minute surge. 

I want to spend some time talking about Rubio's ads.  Rubio is the GOP's Hillary Clinton.  His ads press how Presidential he is.  Indeed, he has the look, though it takes more than that to convince.  Rubio has been running as the candidate who will beat Hillary.  Indeed, the same strategy as HilRod, "I am just going to ignore all else" mentality.  Interestingly, Rubio has been running ads during football games (and this time of year, there's a lot of those) which make it look like they have called him into the studio to ask him some football themed questions (No, really.)  It's like those fake news ads that they run about "Doctors announce a breakthrough today" and it really an ad for a laxative.  The interesting follow up is Cruz's PAC has run a disingenuous ad which compiles footage of the news of the day-  With ISIS on the move, Iran and Russia acting out, Syria in peril, what would Marco Rubio do,  and then cuts to a clip of Rubio saying "I know I got this debate, but I got to check on my fantasy football team.  Oh snap!

Jeb Bush- Jeb has spent a lot of money trying to be where Rubio is.  His PACs have hit Rubio hard on being a flip-flopper.  The fact that Rubio has worked with Chuck Schumer on an immigration "amnesty" bill has drawn straight fire from the likes of Limbaugh and Mark  Levin and anybody who thinks they have a shot at the White House.  Bush has spent money on a billboard campaign which includes quotes of Jeb.  I have not seen the Donald Trump one, but these are all over Des Moines, and have been mocked all over the internets.  I can name a few reasons while this isn't working, but you probably already know.

Bush's campaign is a slight variation on the Hillary strategy and again, is a pretty textbook one.  With his record as a governor, he has a claim on being the candidate with most administrative experience.  Indeed, what he is trying to stress is that he could govern from Day One.  Although I dont know that this was going to be successful, it did seem like a good angle.  Then, I saw the next ad in the series.  Jeb claimin to be the right person in the White House to make decisions on terrorism.  Jeb is the right person to decide what we need to do to take action.  I am going to slow down a bit- a Bush in the White House being the man to make the decision whether we should go to war overseas or not.  Yeah, maybe shouldn't have went with that angle.

2016 Campaign Starts Now: Bullwinkle for Veep

A hazard of living in Iowa is that you might get hit by a campaign bus.

Which is not to imply I was ever in any danger (I wasn't) but my interest was piqued when I saw the Rocky2016 bus.

As professional looking as (and even cleaner than) Ben Carson's.  It worked.  I went right home and googled Rocky 2016.

Ok, let's not get ahead of ourselves.  I am a bit of a fanatic about such things, but I did google him, and ran across what looks like a rather reasonable campaign website.

Rocky is San Diego businessman Roque de la Fuente, and I suppose he has a point that the guests at the famous Brown and Black Dinner, which ostensibly is to talk about minority issues, was headlined by three white candidates.

Rocky is a self-described Conservative Democrat with these zingers:

"As far as I’m concerned, Hillary was the housewife of the Governor of Arkansas, then she basically was the first lady and then a poor guardian to the White House. Then, she basically cut a deal with Obama to become Secretary of State,"

I’m way better looking than Trump," De La Fuente said. “He is just functioning on shock value.” On Carson: "Most doctors know how to save your life. Which is needed, but they do not know how to solve 1000 different problems," said De La Fuente

Most of the obscure candidates are kooks.  Rocky seems like he has got it together, though he did mix a few metaphors

"I’m Rocky inside the Trojan horse and I’m going to be fighting Goliath,” said De La Fuente. “I plan to beat Goliath which basically means an independent thinker in the White House that’s going to get things done. Not blame one party or the other. I’m not worried about any of them… I think I’d have them for lunch.”

Of course, usually it's worth going to the people who know the candidate best, and in this case San Diego Reader has some problems with someone they report the FDIC has called "dishonest" and "should be banned from banking".

So, there you go.