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Running Brewer
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 Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:22 Post subject: More on History vs. present
After reading some of the speeches and documents from the Revoltary war period, I just can't help but to think that the founding fathers wrote so much more eloquently than politians today. It seems to me that they could stir emotion and keep people wanting to listen to more. When I hear a moden day speech I just can't get past the boredom and the double talk. (by either side)
What do you think on this?
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elkid
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:25 Post subject:
People placed a higher value of education in those days. Also remember who was actually in the political circle, and who was allowed to vote. Now that the voter and constituency base has been so broadened, you need to dumb it down a bit. We're nowhere near as educated as a society today as we were back then, simply because we don't value it as much.
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:28 Post subject: Re: More on History vs. present
| Running Brewer wrote: | After reading some of the speeches and documents from the Revoltary war period, I just can't help but to think that the founding fathers wrote so much more eloquently than politians today. It seems to me that they could stir emotion and keep people wanting to listen to more. When I hear a moden day speech I just can't get past the boredom and the double talk. (by either side)
What do you think on this? |
Not to mention that someone like Hamilton (forgive me for constantly bringing him up, but i'm in the middle of that biography) wrote all of his own speeches and could pretty much give a speech on the fly that was well constructed.
I wonder if it has to do with the fact that they were constantly writing letters (no telephone, no e-mail) to each other that they got to work out policy and these deep political thoughts in their correspondance that by the time they had to really put it out into public they had formed their thoughts fairly well.
Side note: George Washington's second inaugural address is reported to be two paragraphs long.
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Running Brewer
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:30 Post subject: Re: More on History vs. present
| Pug wrote: |
Side note: George Washington's second inaugural address is reported to be two paragraphs long. |
Sometimes I wish history would repeat itself. Two words would be sufficent for me. Thank you.
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:30 Post subject:
| elkid wrote: | | People placed a higher value of education in those days. Also remember who was actually in the political circle, and who was allowed to vote. Now that the voter and constituency base has been so broadened, you need to dumb it down a bit. We're nowhere near as educated as a society today as we were back then, simply because we don't value it as much. |
Not to mention that with the country being much smaller you didn't have to flavor your message as much to a broader audience. And like you said, it was very homogenized. Adams didn't have to campaign for the latino vote.
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Running Brewer
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:31 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: |
Not to mention that with the country being much smaller you didn't have to flavor your message as much to a broader audience. And like you said, it was very homogenized. Adams didn't have to campaign for the latino vote. |
That's probably a good thing because Sam Adams doesn't sell that well in Mexico! 
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andydp
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 12:44 Post subject:
Interestingly, it was not uncommon for political speeches to last a couple of hours even into the 20th century. Historical aside: William Henry Harrison died 30 days into his term after giving a 90 minute speech in sleet and freezing rain. He was succeeded by William Tyler. The Europeans keep this tradition going by having "marathon" lenght speeches in their elections.
I don't think its a dumbing down effect. Its a very important need to get your ideas out there so it can fit into a 30 - 45 second sound bite. I personally would prefer longer explanations. In the current campaign one candidate is seen as pompous for using "too many" words. (Is he really ?)
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coachmarkos
my boys could swim
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 13:13 Post subject:
good stuff in here.
the voting populous being what it was...white, male, tax-paying, land-owing christians....
They really didn't have to "speak to the masses"
They spoke to other people like themselves.
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gretriever
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 13:18 Post subject: Re: More on History vs. present
| Pug wrote: |
Side note: George Washington's second inaugural address is reported to be two paragraphs long. |
Here it is, in all its glorious brevity.
Washington's 2nd Inaugural Address.
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 10/22/04 - 13:20 Post subject: Re: More on History vs. present
That's it? That's even better than i imagined! Four sentences!
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