Interesting piece in the NY Times about the Democratic nominee, Sen. Obama, that is worth a full read, but which featured this quote:
One of the curiosities about Mr. Obama is his professed lack of interest in the writers who pore over that life, trying to deconstruct his fractured family and geography. He claims not to read profiles that pile high in his plane.
“It just encourages the narcissism that is already a congenital defect for a politician,” he says. “I find these essays more revealing about the author than about me.”
I wonder if anyone has done a rhetorical analysis of the candidate’s speeches in both parties from this election and examined the presence of themes of humility. That would be an interesting read.
At any rate, go read the whole piece, which features this picture that I just love:
Just a great picture.
*** Update ***
Speaking of rhetorical analysis, an observation from the Economist bloggers:
Presumably I’m late to the ball noticing this, but it’s just struck me how often Mr Obama falls into a rhetorical pattern of three anapests and a spondee.
Discuss.
4tehlulz
Obama has black children he’s finished.
Notorious P.A.T.
I done saw that too.
Pb
What, not three dactyls and an amphimacer?
P.S. What?
r€nato
Yeah, no shit, Captain Obvious. Tell us something we don’t all already know!
LONO in N.O.
John Rogers at Kung Fu Monkey has a sharp post about the primary regarding the narcissism of not only politicians but of their followers in and out of the blogosphere.
Great Stuff
smiley
Is anapest an anapest?
r€nato
I really think we are witnessing the rise to the top of our generation’s John F. Kennedy (without the philandering). He is going to make a fantastic president.
John Cole
Redundant when discussing Kung Fu Monkey.
cleek
it’s called “rhythm”.
he’s got the jigsaw jazz and the get-fresh flow. he’s where it’s at.
Davis X. Machina
Two anapests and a spondee, and he’s communicating entirely in limericks.
So I guess we’re lucky.
Marcus Wellby
Amen, and with that I will be wasting even more work time this morning.
Davis X. Machina
‘Anapest’ is a dactyl.
‘Anapestic’, however, begins with an anapest.
‘Spondee’ is a spondee
‘Dactylos’ is a dactyl, but only in Greek.
Notorious P.A.T.
Yes, according to Wikipedia.
jibeaux
And two turntables and a microphone.
Man, cute kids in the White House, how cool is that going to be?
PK
anapests? Spondee?
No idea what that means and am too fricking lazy to look it up.
SGEW
I’ve been very cautious about framing my support for Sen. Obama in racial terms, as I believe that his policy positions are a much more legitimate argument for his candidacy, and that the “vote for him because he’s a multi-racial minority!” rhetoric is counter-productive (at least).
But there’s just something about the idea of those two little girls growing up in the White House that makes me weep for joy. Maybe I am a little racist (I ain’t white, btw), but I’m with Michelle. When Obama’s inaugurated, and I see the media images of a black first family, I may finally be really proud of my country for the first time in my adult life.
Matthew B.
“Anapest” is a dactyl. At least in English.
Lupin
According to the UN, a child dies from hunger every 3 seconds.
Hungry Haitians eat mud.
We could squeeze a little time away from our narcissistic candidates to cover the growing hunger epidemic.
wasabi gasp
I can overlook a couple of anapests, but as soon as someone snots a spondee on the salad bar, I’m outta there.
Enceladus
Well, so what: McCain can’t get through three iambs and two trochees without shouting, “I want my pudding!”
FupDuck
Is that like two dribbles and a sweet jumper?
Llelldorin
For the non-English-majors amongst us, it means he does this a lot:
bumbumBUMbumbumBUMbumbumBUM-BUMBUM
when he speaks. It’s more or less the precise opposite of blithering and it’s part of why he sounds eloquent.
Dariaclone
I’ve just been a lurker until now, but the attempts to portray Obama as arrogant have bugged me for quite awhile, so I want to jump in to agree about the humility aspect.
First, his speeches are about what “we” can do and that we are right for wanting something different. He empowers people and convinces us that we can change the country; not that he alone can do it. Listen to how the Clinton supporters had to distort his slogan: “Yes, she can.” Or for the better comparison, Cheney and Bush’s condescension for what anyone other than their circle thinks.
Second, the big speeches are about confidence and getting the crowd “fired up.” But, he always mentions how he is imperfect vessel. I’ve seen him in smaller settings (beginning back at his IL Sen primary run) and he seems uncomfortable talking about himself. Some of the worst talks I’ve seen him give are some of the fundraising ones where he attempts to talk about himself and why he was the best candidate. He only gets back on track when he talks about the people who support him
I could totally be wrong, but that’s just been my impression.
Zifnab
What does all that mean in English?
Ed Drone
And 1000 gigadactyls are a teradactyl, right?
Ed
D.N. Nation
Yeah. It’s…preacher-y. And it also works.
Brachiator
I think, therefore iamb.
Teak111
John, take it easy, Obama is no savior, just a good candidate and good speaker, and he might make a decent President, maybe. I’m voting for the guy, but keeping my expectations low.
rob!
OT, but…when the hell is somebody gonna open ObamaIs44.org?
JWeidner
I don’t comment here often anymore, not because I don’t like to, but because I rarely have the time to do much besides quickly read the posts and some of the responses. Such is the life of an animator under a tight deadline.
But this:
FTW, Ed….FTW
smiley
As the daughter of two parents with great smiles, it’s not surprising that Malia has a great smile too.
ThymeZone
Inspiring. Thanks.
I’ll be right back, I need to wet down this blanket.
jake
But I’m going to burn up 1,000 words doing just that anyway!
Wow. Are we allowed to have a president who says things like that?
JGabriel
DariaClone:
I noticed that too while watching the speech last night. It made me think, “Nice. Way to go Clinton supporters, reinforcing that complaint that it’s all about her.”
Clueless.
.
cleek
i’d do it, but it’s already taken.
JGabriel
So, how soon before someone from the Family Research Council starts complaining about a presidential candidate who uses the word ‘genital’ where children might hear him?
.
ThymeZone
I thing the noise machine can have that one out there in time for today’s evening news cycle …….
Sasha
Chris Johnson
Why, yes- yes we are. :)
NR
It’s on. McCain will not be easy to beat.
LONO in N.O.
BUMbumBUMBUM-bumBUMBUM
-Bo Diddley RIP
Scotty
It will take us all a little while to get used to a president who is not retarded.
Ed in NJ
I think Rasmussen uses a 3 day rolling average in their daily tracking poll, so the full effect of last night’s events will be seen in the next couple of days. Should be interesting. McCain has had quite the head start.
jake
Right, where are the pit bulls? Bring the scorpions over here. Grab a cattle prod everyone.
NR, nothing personal but there’s a penalty for failing to embed links …
JGabriel
NR:
The polls, and especially Rasmussens’s (or anyone’s)running tracking poll, haven’t had time to measure the impact of Obama being declared the presumptive nominee, or the contrast between his and McCain’s speeches last night.
I’d check back in a week, or maybe by Friday of this week.
.
Thom
I’ve never heard those terms before, but it immediately made me think of Bush’s early presidency, when he was still getting lessons on how to talk. Part of the reason, and just a small part, I hated to listed to him was because of the obvious falseness of his meter. I’m sure it’s related to what that guy was saying. It was three sentences, or clauses, in a particular cadence, then a finisher – over and over again.
RSA
British political writers are strange. This is not even the first time I’ve read such a term in the context of American politics; back during the Gulf War, some magazine (Punch, maybe?) was describing the chant of protesters somewhere in the Middle East (“something Boosh!” “something Boosh!”) as a series of spondees. Okay. . .
w vincentz
Looks like the Obama campaign is considering the townhall format. They want longer than proposed. I suggest that Barack choose the venues, as he stated in his speech last night. Barack, please bring him to south Chicago, Phillie, and San Fran.
Sasha
Why do I consider this picture of the Obamas’ chosen method of affection expression so endearing?
passerby
renato said:
Thank you for that Renato.
T
passerby
passerby
I seem to have lost my block quote skills.
T
crw
Also, national polls are just as meaningless as the popular vote metric for the primary. That is not how we elect presidents. Sites like Poblano’s Five Thirty Eight. Also, polls this early on are meaningless. They showed Dukakis beating Bush, sr at this point in the ’88 election cycle. We wont really know how things shape up until after the conventions, when more people wake up and start seeing Obama and McCain side by side.
passerby
Llelldorin,
wonder if you could give us an example of the bum bum BUM thing in English, either from an Obama speech or just in your own words.
This is fascinating to me. Obama’s got rhythm.
T
cleek
Condi Rice !
cleek
[ any chance one of the admins here could clean up the long URLs in here? ]
Sasha
Kinda:
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
(hel.lo.MY.name.is.IN.i.go.MON.to.ya.YOU killed.my.FA.ther.pre.PARE.TO.DIE.)
Sasha
In retrospect, Inigo’s speech is iambic. Never mind.
uri
Would Yes We Can fit the pattern?
It’s been kicked around with different emphasis (most notably in the song), but I’m fairly sure that when he uses it the emphasis is at the end.
AkaDad
From that link:
We need to work on changing these numbers. Shouldn’t be too hard.
JGabriel
CRW:
Thanks, CRW. You’re right, of course. I was going to point that out too. But then I decided, hey, there is change in dynamic here.
Might as well look at the polls in a few days and see how that’s playing while we for the conventions.
.
Krista
That IS endearing. I think it’s because it’s evocative of a deep friendship underneath their marrage. They’re a team, and that little fist-bump sort of shows that.
At any rate, I think Barack’s all kinds of awesome, that Michelle is going to be probably the coolest First Lady ever, and that those kids are freaking adorable.
autoegocrat
Good God, even if he loses everything tomorrow, he’s still the luckiest man in the world. Those are some beautiful kids.
Tax Analyst
So, I wuz in dis here bar, ya see, an’ dere wuz dese three anapests in dere…boy wuz dey yakkin it up. Just woodent STFU, ya know, well I got no no’s for no trubble, ya knoews? So I just chill an’ tayke my brewski to da far corna an’ try an’ reelax an’ wach a ballgame so’s I doen’t havta here dese freekin’ anapests. Well, about haffwaz troo de furst quater in cumes dis guy by hisself…dunno wy I evin notices him…wuzin’t big or nutthen – seemed like de quyyet tiepe ta me. An’ he ordirs hisself a brewski tooski, an’ he’z just sittin’ dere, mindin’ hiz oan biznez an’ tryin’ ta enjoy da ballgame, Celltiks, ya noe? I goz whay bakk wit dem…Red Hollaarbak…I yoosta shine hiz shooz afta da game – heh…ya noe, Red nevver payd me…nott evin freekin’ wonce…heed sey, Katz ya tamarrowe kid an’ den poak hiz finngir in hiz noes an’ flip a boogar out at me…wat a kairacktir, rite? But, enywayz, bakk to da damm anapests…yeh, so dese damm lauwdemowthed morron anapests still woen’t STFU. So anywayz, finely dis guy haz had just about enuff an’ he getz up an ‘sponds to da anapests by azkin dem to just pleese STFU, woodya? But dey woodent, so nex ting ya knowz hez just kikkin dere stupit azsis all ovir da freekin’ joint.
I wuz glad he ‘spondeed to dem, cuz I reely hadd juzt about enuff ove doese fukkirs.
Davis X. Machina
‘War in Iraq’ and ‘War on Terrorism’ is pollster-speak for “will kill brown people in case lots for me.” The GOP can point to real, extant hecatombs of infidel dead. All the Democrats can do is promise.
One can point to polls showing low levels of support for the war in Iraq, or approval for the handling of ‘terrorism’ or ‘national security’, but half of the 60%-70% who ‘disapprove’ are as likely to have wanted more indiscriminate killing, more unilateral adventurism, than less.
They’re against the war because they’re tired of the war, because it has gone on too long, and didn’t finish with a bang, like a a Jean Claude Van Damme movie — against it not because it was illegal, immoral, stupid, pointless and futile, but because it’s become boring.
The GOP is about to nominate as its candidate the candidate who’s most up front about more wars, longer wars, deadlier — to all parties– wars. McCain can look at the camera and say “I will kill for you, to calm your fears, and stroke your ego’ — and people will buy it. Obama won’t, thank God.
There are things worse than losing elections, and trying to win a poker game played with the bodies of dead brown people who worship the wrong God is one of them.
Tax Analyst
On the serious side, that IS a wonderful picture of Obama with his kids. Jeezus, a politician who appears to have a warm and loving real-life relationship with his children.
Yeah, I know…only a fool would say that, because if I shed my veneer of cynicism I’m just a sucker who will be disappointed.
Well, fuck it…anybody want to pick up a used veneer real cheap? It’s got a lot of miles on it and I think I’m ready for a sportier model that might take me someplace other than in circles.
Xenos
What I like about the picture is how it reveals the kids’ personalities. The older one is like her father – outgoing, a bit of a cut-up. The younger one is thoughtful, serious and guarded like her mother. Not a kid to mess with – make a note of that. One bad comment by Limbaugh, and she is going to make mincemeat of him.
w vincentz
Davis X.
I agree with your position. Well said.
I’ll add, “Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Tax Analyst
Amen to that.
Still and all I’d like to try having a person in the White House who still seems to have some connection to the human race beyond just trying to put one over on everyone else. That guy in the picture with the two kids sure seems like he might be that sort. It’s sad that so many people have just totally removed that possibility from even being considered in their worldview. When you do that you have essentially given up and no matter how you euphemize and rationalize you are foreclosing on the chance of a better day. What’s left? Protecting the past? But hey, we could lose all this, right? Lose what? Our Potemkin Prosperity? The last tattered vestiges our of neutered Rights? Tell me, at what point did YOU write off the poor and downtrodden right here in our own country because if try to help them the money and effort spent might threaten YOUR hopes for a comfortable future.
Yeah, if we teach someone to fish there might not be any left when we cast our line out into the sea. Fuck that, right?
Yeah, the major opposition to Barack Obama in election is not John McCain and it was not Hillary Clinton, it’s Fear, along with a rather large side-order of ignorance and brought to a festering, pustulant boil with a good deal of active and intentional pandering and posturing from people who paint themselves as leaders and tell us (and perhaps themselves) that they are the “Good Guys” and that “50+1” isn’t a miserable and eventually self-defeating proposition as long as we are on the “+1” side. These folks ought to know better, but if they actually do they have decided they’d rather keep playing the same old song because it keeps them in charge. Their indifference and cynicism allows them to create minstrel-like parodies of our lives that they perform condescending performance art skits to for the so the media can pass along their sincere concern for our well-being.
It all makes surrendering to the cynicism seem almost merciful and maybe even necessary. All you really need to do is somehow cover up the stench it emits or perhaps just passively accept and get used to the decaying reek or, better still, decide to embrace and revel in the fetid festival.
Boy, did that feel good.
later…
ThymeZone
Get outta here. Those numbers are surprisingly close, and it’s June for crissakes. And this is after a very rough and tumble primary season for Democrats.
McCain has already peaked. Do you think Obama has peaked?
McCain knows this contest is over. If he doesn’t know it, the GOP sure as hell knows it.
Better bullshit, please.
The Populist
Any politician running for the highest office in the land who would call out their funny features (ears, name) and joke about it is cool with me.
horatius
Hehe. It looks like he’s pulling the same trick I pull on kids all the time. I indicate that I am telling them a secret. Then when they come close, I shout in their ear. It makes the little girls giggle and scream, and then they come back for more.
Mentis Fugit
Small correction:
“There are things worse than losing elections, and trying to win a poker game played with the bodies of dead brown people who worship
the wrongGod the wrong way is one of them.”God = Allah = Tetragrammaton, after all.