Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 12.31.2021
Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro Israel.
Democrats and election defeats in 2000/2004 – compare them with Trump
I have had an interesting dialogue with a conservative Facebook (and real life) friend who wanted to argue that Trump's efforts to stop the electoral college from certifying the 2016 election results were the same as what Democrats did when they lost in 2000 and 2004, trying to stop the election from being certified. This led me to go back to those battles. In 2000 Democrats had credible worries about some of the Florida ballots that gave Bush his very narrow win there (and hence the election). They did raise those worries. But when the Supreme Court ruled against Al Gore, he announced he would accept the decision, and when a motion was made not to certify the results, Gore, as the presiding officer of the Senate, ruled the motion out of order. In 2004, when Senator Boxer announced a challenge to the Ohio election results, a symbolic effort since the outcome did not depend on Ohio, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry publicly disassociated himself from the effort. Actually, what these incidents reveal is just how strong the acceptance of democratic norms has been in our country -- and how much Trump's vile efforts are an attack on our democracy. Never accept and never forget.
No BMW ads on Spanish-language TV
On Spanish language Unavision TV in Miami seeing a fair number of Cadillac ads, none for BMW's. These immigrants prefer “real” American.
When did the idea of progress emerge?
An interesting observation in Why the West rules -- for now: Only with the Renaissance did people begin to believe that current times were better than ancient times.
New world, new foods
Ian Morris notes in his book I am reading, Why the West Rules -- for now, that the main initial impact of European exploration in the New World on Europe was the introduction of new foods -- corn, potatoes, and peanuts -- from the New World into European diets.