extolling the electability of Newt Gingrich in a presidential election, having identified a thirst amongst the electorate for "an Abnormal Man for an Abnormal World"; yet it was four years ago. The original column at NRO was depublished some time after April 14 2014 and before April 6 2015,* perhaps because the debt to William Tenn's story was too apparent.
Pendulum swings both ways, seeks pit
Since then the pendulum has swung to the other extreme, and the peizoelectric quartz crystal has oscillated, and [Insert rhythmic chronological metaphor of choice]. A different tenured mouth-breather at NRO is extolling the electability of Scott Walker, having recognised a thirst amongst the electorate for tedium and unremarkable mediocrity:**the Republican party might consider borrowing a slogan from a century ago and offering the public a 1920s style “Return to Normalcy.”
[H/t Roy at Alicublog]
"Borrowing slogans" is a special case of "stealing intellectual property in general", which is the Republican Way.
Golden Age: Only when it was too late did we
realise that clothes were a terrible mistake
realise that clothes were a terrible mistake
Whatever the newsworthiness or otherwise of "Right-wing duckspeaker says something stupid", C.C.W. Cooke provides an excuse to fire up the N-Gram machine and plot the cultural popularity of "normalcy" across the decades -- in itself, or as a return destination -- and check whether the public's craving is as fervent as he believes.
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* The column being syndicated, copies continue to reverberate across the Intertuba; the moving finger can no more be called back than can the nude selfie or the buttocks upon the photocopier at a regrettable office party.** For values of "mundane man-of-the-people" which include "fuckpuppet for billionaires".
I find the "return to normalcy" meme highly amusing. After all, what's the most recent period of peace, prosperity, and generally not invading other countries and torturing people, etc., that most Americans can remember? That's right! The 90s! Under Clinton! As much as a the prospect of a Bush v. Clinton gives me the depressing feeling that I live in a sort of dueling monarchy, I can only imagine that the associations for the average USian with the latter surname have got to be a bit more positive than with the former.
ReplyDelete"Fuckpuppet" is an excellent word. I shall be using it. Incidentally, I live across a big lake from Scott Walker's state, and I have a friend who grew up in his hometown in Wisconsin. In fact, said friend's dad taught at the high school there, and has informed me that Scott Walker has always been a dumbass and a douchebag. I suppose that is no surprise, though.
"Normalcy" here requires no definition for it serves to convey a mood rather than a meaning, a general sepia-tinged sense of longing for something in retrospect... a vanished Golden Age, or the womb, or a dog's favourite vomit.
ReplyDeleteOr a white man, or simulacrum of such, in the White House.
Or a white man, or simulacrum of such, in the White House.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about that angle somehow.
I live in a sort of dueling monarchy
ReplyDeleteI approve of this idea and encourage them to use not just swords and pistols in their attempts to kill each other, but also artillery field-pieces, and possibly tactical nuclear weapons.
Smut...As long as they do it on their side of the planet.
ReplyDelete