entertain us

A strange comment from Michael F Bishop, of the National Review, in reviewing a Karl Rove book about his favorite president, William McKinley.

Indeed, as Rove observes, “politics during McKinley’s lifetime was practiced with an intensity difficult to comprehend today.”  Readers may be surprised that issues as seemingly abstruse as the tariff and the currency could inflame the passions of millions of Americans.  But in an era before the Super Bowl or stadium concerts, politics furnished not just an arena of ideological combat but entertainment as well.

Cue Frank Zappa commentary about politics just being the entertainment branch of industry.  And look ashunder at the current rise of Donald Trump, who, you know, has a bit of the political legacy Zephod Beeblebox about it — the politics of celebrity.

Debate as it may how much of it is just a show.

In regards to the article as a whole longing for McKinley and rhyme scheme with the past (noted the “past is a foreign country: they do things differently there” warning in the article)… after failing to get George W Bush into the McKinley role… You get the feeling it falls to Hillary Clinton to be the small c conservative candidate as against the Bryan hailstorm of Cruz or Trump.

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