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December 29, 2008
There are three very big ideas in this short passage. One is God’s unfailing love. I don’t have the words to develop that theme, but it calls to mind another Psalm in which it is revealed that God thinks about us, all the time. The second big idea is that no one thinks about God from the grave. It is an appeal that God would preserve my life. The third isn’t stated, but it is implicit: while we live, we should praise our God every day. December 27, 2008 Peggy Noonan sees an interesting development in our future. I think, because of the crash of 2008, she sees us slowing down our lives and entering "an age of greater quiet." From this comes her thought that we will read more next year for a sensible reason: it’s cheap. There is the public library, full of books that we can read for nothing. Most towns have used book stores where you can exchange books you have read for books you haven’t. Reading is also an escape from noise, and the past several years have been very noisy in so many ways. The whole country could use a little peace and quiet. The most striking thing she said, from my point of view is that "A lot of adults are going to be more in search of guidance and inspiration." I have heard that was true in times of crisis in the past, and see no reason why this time will be any different. Maybe 2009 will be a good year for the Bible. If so, we will likely be among the first to notice. At least, Ms. Noonan offers a good idea for all of us. Read more. It makes you a more interesting person. It allows you to quietly absorb the wisdom, experience, and knowledge of lot of bright people. And the Bible contains the wisdom of God which is far above all. Maybe you could make 2009 a year when you read the whole Bible, cover to cover, in the space of one year. If that is your goal, here is an online help: One Year Bible Online. Their aim is to help you read the whole book in as little as 15 minutes a day. November 6, 2008 I am posting a link here for a quiz connected to our Weekend Bible Study, on line at the CEM site at this link. November 2, 2008 We are studying Luke in our Weekend Bible Study, and I have posted an experimental quiz on the first few lessons. Take the quiz here. August 29, 2008 A thought for the day: The Christian faith is a
curious mixture of individualism and collectivism. We are saved,
individually and personally. Faith in an institution is cannot be a
substitute for faith in God. Yet are not to forsake the assembling of
ourselves—thus, we voluntarily join ourselves to a community of faith.
This is important for a lot of reasons. August 20, 2008 To the person who sent me, The Gifts of the
Jews, by Thomas Cahill, thank you very much. If you think about it,
you will realize I get a lot of books sent along that people think I
would want to read. Unfortunately, my reading stack seems to get higher,
as I have trouble getting to it all. So, sadly, I have forgotten who
sent me this remarkable little book, so I take this way of saying
thanks.
If I ever needed an explanation of Adolph Hitler and his stupid mistakes, I found it right there. This little Austrian corporal lacked the leadership skills to be promoted above that level (according to his superiors), but ended up in absolute power in Germany and became responsible for the deaths of some 30 million people. Cahill is not Jewish, but Irish Catholic, and an established historian. I strongly recommend the book. I have gained some key insights into the pre-history of Abraham and his descendents. And I am only halfway through the book. August 4, 2008 I fear I have been giving too much attention to my blog and not enough attention to developing my personal web site. Nevertheless, the study goes on and occasionally something merits passing on to other thoughtful folks. Just this morning I happened upon an important piece by Miroslav Volf titled, "The Church's Great Malfunctions." Theme is an longstanding idea. Christianity is not merely a way of thinking or believing, but a way of life. It is not a crutch or a ladder to heaven. It is a way of life and a matter of a developing character. I recommend the article strongly and would welcome your thoughts when you have had a chance to read it. July 2, 2008 In its day, the Temple of Solomon must have been an incredible thing to behold. Viewed from the heights of the Mount of Olives, it would have been impressive to anyone, but especially for one who believed in the God who had entered that temple. And yet, there is an almost inadvertent acknowledgement that it would not always be there. "Walk around Zion," he said. "Take note of everything so you can tell it to the next generation." The next generation, who might not ever see it. This psalm could have been written by the disciples of Jesus who were awed by the second temple, pointing out things to Jesus. And the Lord might have said them, "Take note of everything so you can tell it to the next generation, for not one of these stones will be left that has not been thrown down." The temple, and its eventual restoration looms large in the minds of Jews and Christians to this day. And yet two temples have been destroyed, and it may happen to a third. At the very end of all things, when the new Jerusalem comes down, the tabernacle of God will be with men, not a temple. The word, tabernacle, is skene, a tent. Maybe there is a lesson in there for us. God allowed Solomon to build a temple because David his father wanted to, not because God himself wanted one. Jesus told the woman at well in Samaria that the time was coming, rather, was already here, when men would not worship in a place, but in spirit. God is not place limited. July 1, 2008 I spotted two headlines on the Drudge Report this morning that caught my attention: 1. McCain to Mexico. What a stunningly simple solution to our problem. Ship McCain to Mexico and Obama to Canada and start over. All in favor, say aye. I'm off to record a radio program this morning titled "The Politics of Religion." To hear it earliest, subscribe to the CEM Email Newsletter. June 26, 2008 The Weekly Standard this week has a priceless cover photo and article titled, "When Bubba Meets Obama." The cover alone goes further in explaining the problem than anything I have seen to date. And it underlines an issue that dominated the news about Senator Obama this week: Race.
The irony of all this is an obvious fact that almost no one wants to talk about. Senator Obama would not have survived the first round of primaries if he had presented the same credentials as a first term white senator. When Geraldine Ferraro stated the obvious, she was trashed in some quarters as though she were a female Don Imus. Yet no one has seriously suggested that she was factually wrong. She just shouldn’t have talked about it. Well, good luck, folks. The Democrats themselves, for whatever reason, are going to talk about it. Maybe some good will come of airing it out. Or not. June 25, 2008 Tom Friedman has the answer to our gas prices. He thinks we should raise them higher. He opined that if the president had a real energy plan, this is the speech he would have given:
Well. He may be right that a higher gas price would stimulate the development of energy. But we are a generation away from having wind and solar energy make a significant difference. Maybe one of the presidential candidates should advance this idea. We can all be put into smaller cars (what do we do with all the cars we have now?), we can raise our thermostats in the summer and lower them in the winter (wait, wasn’t it Jimmy Carter that told us to wear a sweater?), we can all just lower our standard of living closer that of, say, Kenya. What do you think the response of the public would be to this proposal? True, Bush isn’t on the ballot next year (something a lot of people keep forgetting), but congress could do it, couldn’t they? But then, the Democrats are hoping to gain seats this fall. Would this plan do the job? Oh yes, and one more thing. The government doesn’t set the price of a barrel of oil. The market does. And the market is a lot bigger than congress. But congress can tax us. How about putting a higher tax on gasoline? People will vote for that, won’t they? Read Tom Friedman here: Mr. Bush, Lead or Leave. Funny thing, I thought Bush was leaving later this year anyway. June 24,
2008
This column brings a valuable perspective on the media/political circus. I’m glad there is someone out there who is still sane. I’m starting to pay more attention to the Republic of Texas gang. June 6,
2008 Perhaps the most astonishing thing about this psalm is the simple truth that God thinks about
us all the time. Did you catch it? “I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me.” And earlier:
“Many, O LORD my God, are your wonderful works, and your thoughts which are toward us: they
cannot be reckoned up in order unto you: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than
can be numbered.” May 21, 2008 Stop Complaining about Gas Prices!
After all. It is a small price to pay for this handsome fellow and his cow. No, drilling in the far north will not endanger their lives, but it will ruin their view. So every time you fill up and it costs you 70 bucks (or 1,000 if you are a trucker), think of this guy and how much he enjoys his environment. Isn't it worth it? For his sake? May 17, 2008 Israel, at 60 The saga of the nation of Israel goes painfully on. How people live in that climate of violence is beyond most of us. The president, speaking at the celebration of the birth of the nation of Israel looked back over the history of the Jewish people and commented on how the policy of appeasement played out in WWII, and what a tragic mistake it was. The response in this country to his speech displayed an appalling absence of a sense of history. Here it was seen in purely political terms, the insertion of internal politics into foreign policy. Yes, talking instead of fighting is, in principle, the better choice. But when Chamberlain flew to Munich to meet with Adolph Hitler, he sealed the fate of millions of people. Few are aware that the German General Staff were plotting a coup to get rid of Hitler. When they learned Chamberlain was coming to Munich, they called it off. The visit was seen in Germany as a coup for Hitler and confirmed him as a leader. Chamberlain is the poster child of appeasement. In a way, his error is understandable. Britain still suffered from the wounds of the first war. No one was ready to start another one. But resistance, even armed resistance, when the Nazis occupied the Rhineland, would have stopped Hitler in his tracks. Churchill called this terrible war one of the most easily preventable wars in history. Charles Krauthammer's column on this anniversary of the state of Israel brings a little perspective. Read it here: The Miracle, at 60.
May 9, 2008 Political Pundits The most valuable thing about political pundits is not their opinions, it’s how they came to them. They know people. They lunch with the movers and shakers, and they hear things the rest of us don’t know and might not understand if we heard them. The older a pundit gets, the more information he can string together to create information otherwise not discerned. For Example, if a certain senator knows A, but does not know B, while a congressman does not know A but does know B, and a pundit has managed to talk to both of them, then the pundit may be the only person who knows A and B. By putting two isolated facts together, Ms. Pundit now knows C and writes to the world about it. So, Pundits should be read, not because they are always right, but because they know stuff. You or I may be able to put C together with something we know and gain considerable understanding. A useful example of all this appears in Peggy Noonan’s column this week. The issue, predictably, is Hillary Clinton’s ongoing campaign for the presidency when all is already lost. Ms. Noonan speaks of conversations by insiders that seep through the cracks and reveal juicy little items that together speak volumes about where we are politically. The Democrats should be celebrating their nominee, shouting from the balconies.
May 8, 2008 Psalm 36 The transgression of the wicked
says within my heart, "The transgression of the wicked suggests to me" that he doesn’t fear God at all. I don’t know that the person characterized as wicked even thinks about God, much less fears him. This is not an ordinary sinner, a person who sins through weakness, fear, or impulse. This is a person who falls in the category of what we today call evil. He is the kind of person who cannot rest peacefully, but devises mischief upon his bed. He lies awake in the dark of night calculating how to do harm. It’s what gives him a reason to live. I suspect the new atheists do not fall in that category. Rather I think of them as men whistling past the graveyard. The atheist hopes there is no God and lives in fear that God is there. They are trying hardest to convince themselves, and they are angry with Christians because our very presence and faith is a threat to their worldview. May 4, 2008
Guilt by association or, Perhaps the most common defense of Barack Obama’s long association with Dr. Jeremiah Wright is that his opponents are using guilt by association. It is true that there is an association fallacy that runs along these lines: A is a B. An association fallacy often cited as an example is: All dogs have four legs. On the other hand experience has taught us that "A man is known by the company he keeps." So is it fair to associate Barack Obama with Black Liberation theology because of his long, close association with Dr. Wright? I think it is, because human experience has long since taught us that we can make assumptions about a man by looking at the crowd he runs with. Those assumptions may be wrong, but it is stupid to ignore them. They raise questions that demand an answer, and that answer must be satisfying. So far, a lot of people seem to remain unsatisfied with the answers Senator Obama has offered. The old adage was commonly invoked regarding marriage, and a woman considering marriage to a man should pay attention to the company he keeps. If he hangs out with a crowd of thugs, that tells a woman something about the character of a man. And that character will not be changed easily. The country is not exactly marrying Senator Obama if he becomes president, but we will be stuck with him for four years for better or for worse. Some marriages don’t last that long. May 3, 2008 Expelled Allie and I went to see the movie, Expelled, this week, and I strongly recommend it to everyone. If you only go to one movie this year, see this one. It is hard to define Ben Stein’s purpose in film. There are so many interlaced themes, ranging from academic freedom, to intelligent design to the ultimate destination of Darwinism. Ben Stein comes across as an ordinary fellow trying to sort out what has happened to freedom in higher education. Normally, I don’t go to see films in the theater, but wait until they come out on DVD. I didn’t want to wait on this one, because I knew that the sooner I saw it, the sooner I would have the information. There is also a value in seeing it in the theater—you are free from the distractions of home. The phone doesn’t ring, and you don’t have to get up and let the dog out. But this film is much more than information. It conveys, what shall I say, a feeling? More than that, it creates awareness and understanding. It underlined something I had come to see some time ago. The theory of Intelligent Design (ID) has struck fear into the hearts of biological scientists. There is no other way to explain the barriers that have been put up to prevent it even being mentioned in science classes. I don’t know if it is permitted in philosophy or not. Ben Stein may be a voice crying in the wilderness, but it is a voice that deserves to be heard. He is probably thanking Yoko Ono for the lawsuit. Free publicity is always welcome in movieland. The ads and promos don't do the film justice. April 30, 2008
Reflections on the Wright/Obama clash
April 24, 2008
24 Hours on the Big Stick I can't tell you how happy I am that that this article has shown up on the web as quickly as it has. I would have likely missed it if it hadn't shown up in my mailbox. Written by P.J. O'Rourke, it is about the USS 'Theodore Roosevelt' which is one of the newest and finest of America's aircraft carriers. P.J. got to go there by invitation, and he went, not so much to write about the carrier as to understand John McCain. And with all the reservations some of us have about McCain, the significance of his military career cannot be dismissed. Read the entire article at this link. It is well worth the time. 24 Hours on the Big Stick March 29, 2008 Peggy Sharpens the Focus Peggy Noonan wrote The Case Against Hillary Clinton in 2000, and has been a careful observer for longer than that. This week, she arrives as something of a conclusion about Hillary.
March 28, 2008 One of the greatest errors a man can ever make is to misinterpret God’s silence. Evil men and seducers, said Paul, will wax worse and worse, and God says nothing, and appears to do nothing. And that category of men the Bible characterizes as "the wicked" assumes that there is no God, or that he doesn’t care, or doesn’t notice—or even that God thinks like they do. But there is a day of reckoning:
March 24, 2008 In reading through the 50th Psalm this morning I was struck by the short section that begins with verse 5: "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself." I think the sense of v. 5 is "Those who have made a blood covenant with me," and the Christian covenant is surely a blood covenant. The blood was not that of animals, but of the Lord himself. The concluding statement calls to mind an old controversy. Jesus said plainly that the father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). If we take this literally, then the God spoken of in the Psalm is not the Father, but the Son. What must be kept in mind when reading the Old Testament is that the God who acted there was not the Father, but the Son. With a few possible exceptions, the Father was unknown until the Son revealed him. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him (Matthew 11:27 NIV). March 23, 2008 When the world starts seeming a little crazy, it is good to have someone come along, think clearly and speak plainly about what is going on. Mark Steyn provides just this service in yesterday's article, "Post, 'Post Racial Candidate.'" He begins this way:
If you want to know what Mark Steyn really thinks
about this, you can read the whole article by
clicking here. Frankly, I am becoming a little worried about this
years election. The Republicans are in a grump about their candidate,
but at least they have one. What the Democrats have is a nasty fight
that looks like it could get even worse. Pray for someone to make a
little sense. Yes, Mark Steyn has, but we need a few more. March 21, 2008 Peggy Noonan’s column today is helpful. It takes a completely different look at Obama’s speech—Her’s is a speechwriter’s look, or rather listen. Ms. Noonan made her bones as a political speechwriter, and has been a columnist for the Wall Street Journal for some time. I rarely fail to read her column, because she inevitably takes an independent look at what is going on. Strongly recommended. March 20, 2008 Black Liberation Theology I’ll confess that coming face to face with black liberation theology was a real shock. I think it was for a lot of people. I think the reaction of the public to the sermons of Pastor Wright came as a shock to Barak Obama. Listening to his speech about his pastor did not satisfy very many people because they could not fathom how he could sit there in that church for 20 years and not realize the significance of what he was hearing. In reading on black liberation theology, I came across an interview that shed some light on the subject. It gave me a glimpse into the common defense of pastor wright that said we needed context for what he said. Frankly, I don’t think there is any context that can justify the words of pastor Wright, but I do think I can understand Obama’s insensitivity to what he was hearing. Make it a point to read this interview from Christianity Today with Thabiti Anyabwile, author of The Decline of African American Theology, about the appeal of black liberation theology.
March 1, 2008
Reflections on Psalm 1 The law of God is not a yoke of bondage, nor is it shackles and chains. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. The law of God is a descriptor of what works in life. The man who internalizes it gains an edge. Men will study books day and night that they think will give them an edge in the stock market. They do it for money. The law of God gives a man an edge in everything. The law can be a painful study because we break it so often. It is not that we can’t keep the law in any one of its parts or on any given occasion. We can do that. But keeping it perfectly all the time is rather beyond most of us. Superficially, the law seems complicated, but that is only because the law is about life. It is life that is complicated. So when we study the law, and “meditate on it day and night,” we routinely come across mistakes we have made. There is no gain in agonizing over past mistakes. The gain is in recognizing them and correcting them. The grace of God is what allows us to use the law without being discouraged by it. The stock market makes a good analogy; we do not feel guilty when we make a mistake investing. We cut our losses and try not to make the same mistake again. When we study the law of God, we do feel guilty. Yet, what God is after is not guilt, but change. What he wants us to do is learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. It’s called repentance.
February 18, 2008
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked says within my heart,
“The transgression of the wicked suggests to me” that he doesn’t fear God at all. I don’t know that the person characterized as wicked even thinks about God, much less fears him. This is not an ordinary sinner, a person who sins through weakness, fear, or impulse. This is a person who falls in the category of what we today call evil. He is the kind of person who cannot rest peacefully, but devises mischief upon his bed. He lies awake in the dark of night calculating how to do harm. It’s what gives him a reason to live. That first stanza is a grim assessment of the wicked, and there are so many in this world who are just like that. I suspect the new atheists do not fall in that category. Rather I think of them as men whistling past the graveyard. The atheist hopes there is no God and lives in fear that God is there. They are trying hardest to convince themselves, and they are angry with Christians because our very presence and faith is a threat to their worldview. February 18, 2008 Things are getting curiouser and curiouser. Following on the heels of the link below, today we get this from Armstrong Williams:
I have to confess that it has been so long since we have seen a brokered convention that I had almost forgotten what it means. Williams makes it clear in this piece. From where I sit, I can see the super delegates (explained in the piece) holding the balance of power and not caring much for either candidate. I think in the smoke filled rooms, they don't think either Obama or Hillary can beat McCain no matter what the polls say today. They have a good idea what the race will look like when the McCain campaign tees off on either candidate. Now don't think that politics have just turned dirty. Politics has always been a dirty business. One thing is for sure. This campaign is worth watching, if only for entertainment value. By the way, speaking of entertainment value, this would be a good time to see again the movie "Primary Colors." It is supposed to be based on the Clintons, and might offer insights into what to expect from them in the next few weeks. But be sure and read William's column. It's a dandy. By the way. This website is a product of my hands only (with the help of Microsoft FrontPage). And I don't have time for much proof reading. Sorry about that. February 17, 2008 Item in the New York Times yesterday:
Seeing the name Al Gore in this process called to mind some earlier, seemingly off-the-wall, urgings for a "Draft Al Gore" movement. It is not hard to see the appeal of this. How would it work? Well, if the convention is deadlocked on the first ballot, the delegates are then released from their pledged votes on subsequent ballots. And it seems I recall that delegates have occasionally bolted from their pledge. If senior Democrats can manage a brokered convention, then they are not necessarily stuck with either of the relatively inexperienced candidates they now have. They plainly see their vulnerability and Al Gore doubtless looks like a better candidate to throw up against McCain. He would surely look better to moderates and independents than either Obama or Clinton. One might keep an eye on this development, and if Al Gore is somehow nominated at the convention, all bets are off. I thought Al was staying aloof from the campaign, but seeing his name in this article tells me he is not what he seems. February 16, 2008 The Problem of Unanswered Prayer How does God work? When he makes a move to answer prayer, what does he actually do? We know what he can do. You could pray that God would give you something to eat, and when you open your eyes, you could have a steaming bowl of lentil soup and a loaf of fresh baked bread right there on the table. The soup could even have the right amount of black pepper sprinkled across the top. God could do that, but we know all too well that he does not. My question is, since that is not how he does it, how does he do it? (Read the rest HERE)February 10, 2008 In Defense of the Holydays To those
of us who have been keeping the holydays for years – in some cases, for
all of our lives – the practice seems so natural, so right. The
Scriptures supporting the practice seem so obvious. Why, we wonder,
doesn’t everyone observe the holydays?
February 8, 2008 Peggy Noonan's column today is seminal. She is absolutely one of the wisest observers of politics around (although her anti-Bushim grates a little). She concludes that Senator Clinton is losing and Senator Obama is winning. her big question is "Can Mrs. Clinton lose gracefully." Here is a key paragraph:
Don't miss this one. February 5, 2008
They that trust in their wealth, Not long ago, I
lost an old friend; I thought
he would surely outlive me. I went to his
funeral last year, and now he lies under six feet of east Texas soil and
no amount of money can ransom him from that cold grave. February 4, 2008 In its day, the Temple of Solomon must have been an incredible thing to behold. Viewed from the heights of the Mount of Olives, it would have been impressive to anyone, but especially for one who believed in the God who had entered that temple. And yet, there is an almost inadvertent acknowledgement that it would not always be there. "Walk around Zion," he said. "Take note of everything so you can tell it to the next generation." The next generation, who might not ever see it. This psalm could have been written by the disciples of Jesus who were awed by the second temple, pointing out things to Jesus. And the Lord might have said them, Take note of everything so you can tell it to the next generation, for not one of these stones will be left that has not been thrown down." The temple, and its eventual restoration looms large in the minds of Jews and Christians to this day. And yet two temples have been destroyed, and it may happen to a third. At the very end of all things, when the new Jerusalem comes down, the tabernacle of God will be with men, not a temple. The word, tabernacle, is skene, a tent. Maybe there is a lesson in there for us. God allowed Solomon to build a temple because David his father wanted to, not because God himself wanted one. Jesus told the woman at well in Samaria that the time was coming, rather, was already here, when men would not worship in a place, but in spirit. God is not place limited. February 2, 2008
I was reading the 46th Psalm
this morning and noticed something interesting in the subtitle (not
found in some versions). This is what it said: "To the chief Musician
for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth." January 25, 2008
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, The New Testament
writers tell us that Jesus was tempted in all points like we are, and
that he suffered every kind of pain that we suffer. One of the deepest
cuts of all is betrayal, and because we have been betrayed, so He had to
be betrayed by Judas. I don't think I understood this
for a long time. Judas is such a mystery. Why did Jesus choose him, in
the full knowledge that he would betray him? Did Judas have no choice? January 17, 2008
Verily every man at his best state is
altogether vanity. I’ll never forget
the first few weeks after I noticed this psalm. I began watching people
to see if I could guess what image they had of themselves. If you are
ever stuck in an airport, you can pass a few hours watching the images
that people present to world around them. If you can just remember this
little truth, "every man walks in an image," and think about the real
person behind the image, you can give yourself another edge in life. January 15, 2008
Delight thyself also in the LORD; "Delight yourself
in the Lord." The result that follows from
this is surprising in a way: "and he shall give you the desires of your
heart." I don't think he means that he will give you that new car you've
been wanting. But it does mean that he will share with you the planning
of your life. You still have to make decisions. God has a general will
for us, but he leaves the particulars to us. If you want to be a lawyer,
that's fine, but then comes the next part of the formula: "Commit your
way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
January 13, 2008
How priceless is your unfailing love! In reading this Psalm, I noticed that the Hebrew word here rendered "delights" is eden. The choice of that word is suggestive of a return to Eden, a restoration of a lost situation. Followed by "the fountain of life," is even more suggestive of the last chapter of the Book of Revelation with a river of life and the tree of life. Thus, the Bible comes full circle from Eden to Eden, and that which Adam lost is restored to all of us.
January 11, 2008 Savage Politics I think it was Ann Richards who said that politics is not for the faint hearted, but we may be approaching a rough patch even in Ann's world. I had heard the stories making the rounds that the Clinton campaign had some dirt to dish about Obama, but it seemed fade into the background. Well, Peggy Noonan has a disturbing column today. She riffs about Senator Clintons tears and the new softer look, but here is the way she ends it:
You can read Peggy Noonan's whole column at the Opinion Journal. January 10, 2008 The Passing of John Vincent Coulter Easily Ann Coulter's finest column ever. It is a moving tribute to her Father and even if you don't like Ann, it is good reading. I enjoy her items because they are always good for a laugh. As I have noted before, Ann is a satirist, and if you don't understand that, you may misunderstand what she is saying. Alan Colmes never seems to get it, but then, I think he's paid to not get it. Read it here. January 9, 2008 On Political Speeches. I suppose I am justified in considering myself a professional public speaker. I have spoken on radio, and in person to audiences ranging up to 12,000 in one venue. I have been a public speaker for some 50 years and taught speech for at least 10 of those years. I say that as a prelude to what I have to say about a couple of political speeches I have heard in the last 24 hours. Last night, while driving home from out of town, I listened to the speech delivered by John McCain following his win in the New Hampshire primary. I will give him that he was probably tired. He certainly sounded tired, and he is nearly as old as I am. Cranking that into my evaluation of his speech, it was poorly written, cliché ridden, and delivered in cadences and inflections that can only be described as trite. And this from a man who makes "straight talk" his mantra. The speech was, in a word, pathetic. In contrast, I accidentally heard a speech this afternoon driving home from town (I have satellite radio in my truck) by Fred Thompson. Now I should add that when I taught speech, I always graded a student first, last, and always, on content. Did he have something to say? Was it worth saying? Was it clear? Was it organized? In all these categories, Thompson’s speech was first class. It was the very epitome of straight talk. His delivery was calm, there were no histrionics, the cadences were normal and the pacing and inflection were normal. As it happens, when grading a good speech, what I want to hear is "normal" enlarged to the size of the audience. I will not be endorsing Fred Thompson, but I will say this. If the speeches mean anything, Fred Thompson is the pick of the litter. You might not realize this in the two minute sound bites they are allowed in television "Debates" (FoxNews got it right when they called it a "forum"). You might have gotten a hint when Thompson refused to raise his hand on that one question. I liked that, and I think most people did. If you are planning to vote for president, either in the primaries or the general election, you owe it to yourself to try to hear speeches by the candidates. Well, better said, you owe it to the country. You are smart enough to know the difference when the candidates speak. You are smart enough to know when you are being conned. You just have to allow yourself to know. Watch this space. I am going to try to post more often this year, now that I have my book writing projects behind me.
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