FDR's "cult of personality."

[ClassWarrior]

CUNY Professor France Fox Piven, a guest on Democracy Now!'s Super Tuesday roundtable this week, had this to say about another charismatic candidate:

You know, in 1932, FDR didn’t run with a good program; he ran with the same program the Democrats had run with in 1924 and 1928, and that wasn’t a good program. But nevertheless, his rhetoric encouraged people who were suffering as a result of the Depression — working people, the unemployed — and helped to fuel the movements, which then forced FDR to support initiatives which he otherwise would not have supported, including the right to organize. And I think you can see the same pattern in JFK, LBJ...

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/6/super_tuesday_roundtable_with_bill_fletcher

NGU.

[rug]

1. Or, the Depression proved the Republicans were wrong.

[ClassWarrior]

2. Do you have applesauce?

What are you talking about?? :rofl:

NGU.

[bunnies]

6. applesauce???

Is it MAGIC applesauce?! Cuz if it is... I want some. Just askin.

[rug]

7. You're already on it.

[bunnies]

10. oh.

Damn it. Im not even fucked up. sigh.

[rug]

8. Uh, the 32 election was about the Depression, not slogans and personality.

[ClassWarrior]

9. No doubt. But the professor's point was that FDR WAS about...

..."slogans and personality" - and that inspired people in a positive, Progressive way, and that in turn forced FDR to live up to his rhetoric.

And that that's a pattern that we can see repeated throughout history at pivotal times like the Depression.

NGU.

[rug]

11. FDR was about a proven Democratic platform that was years in the making.

And Hoover was about as formidable as McCain will be. The personality, while helpful, didn't make the election, if that was your point.

[ClassWarrior]

12. The professor's point was that people discount charisma as worthless and phony...

...when it has actually been an excellent tool for positive Progressive change.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

17. And we shouldn't lose the fact that the "agent of change" is merely the catalyst.

It is only we the people who can make the actual change happen.

NGU.

[TexasObserver]

3. FDR, Gandhi, JFK, MLK, RFK, Obama - those pesky cults of personality

[Big Blue Marble]

13. Churchill was another one of these suspicious types as well.

He saved Great Britain from Hitler, he did with that inspirational thingy and the force of his sneaking personality manipulations as well.

[ClassWarrior]

23. All bluster, he was!

LOL

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

24. .

[incapsulated]

29. One of those things is not like the others

All the others have a RECORD that makes them heroes.

[IndyOp]

4. Another Fox Piven statement from the same interview that I liked:

And one of the reasons it’s going to happen is that the pattern of turnout is changing. Usually primaries have very low turnout. This primary has very high turnout, 50 percent, twice as much as the historic pattern of turnout, much of it among the young, and many of them Barack Obama voters, which leads to another way in which this election is historic. Young people in the United States have shown by their votes that they’re not much affected by race. It’s as though the changes in the popular culture over the last few decades have slowly worked their way on our collective mind so that you can’t do a Southern strategy on young voters in the United States. You can’t tar the opposition by calling them black or calling them welfare or calling them crime. That’s very healthy, very wholesome for American politics.

[RuleOfNah]

18. Those wacky Republicans.

Fighting this years elections with last centuries campaigns.

[surfermaw]

5. Did he mention by the 30's the nation had two more terms of republicans

This nation was on it knees, army in disaray because we had three republican president, Harding administration plundered the nation seaaling everything that wasn't nailed down. I lived thorugh the FDR years and some thing I see to day that is similar to what was called the Hoover days, ( great depression.

[OzarkDem]

14. Leap of faith for Obama? Why bother?

When the other Dem candidate in the race has better policies. :shrug:

[ClassWarrior]

16. If that's what you believe, then you should vote according to that.

I just thought it was an interesting observation, considering that I've never understood how some people can so completely diminish the value of inspiration and passion and hope.

:shrug:

NGU.

[Faygo Kid]

15. Excellent post. The ability to inspire counts.

As noted elsewhere here.

[Strelnikov_]

19. “When I Heard Obama speak, I cried. He reminds me of FDR”

On this weeks Iowa Public Radio “Dr. Politics” program (Mon. 2/4/08, 1 hr.) all of the callers (5-6) were Obama ‘supporters’. Most were of the ‘most electable’ vein, one was of the ‘former Republican wanting to vote Democratic but can’t pull the lever for Clinton’ vein, but the two most memorable were the ladies in their 80’s.

Both of these great (great?) granny supporters noted how much Obama reminds them of FDR in the inspiration and sense of purpose they feel when listening to Obama’s speeches. One noted that Obama brings her to tears because it reminded her of the hope she felt listening to FDR as her husband was in the Pacific fighting. The other noted that Obama is ‘young’ (inexperienced), but that the ability to instill hope and a sense of purpose is more important during trying times based on her living through the FDR years.

[ClassWarrior]

20. Wow. That's powerful.

Thanks for sharing.

NGU.

[newmajority]

21. Living Colour's Cult of Personality

Look in my eyes, what do you see?
the Cult of Personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I've been everything you wanna be ohh
I'm the Cult of Personality

Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I'm the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality

Neon lights, Nobel Prize
When a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You won't have to follow me
Only you can set me free

I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your T.V. ohh
I'm the Cult of Personality
I exploit you; still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three ohh
I'm the Cult of Personality

Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi ohh
I'm the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality
the Cult of Personality

Neon lights, Nobel Prize
When a leader speaks, that leader dies
You won't have to follow me
Only you can set you free

(Guitar solo)

You gave me fortune, you gave me fame
You me power in your God's name
I'm every person you need to be ohh
I'm, the, Cult, of, Per, Son, Al, Ity

I am the Cult of (x8)
Personality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTjKWq9Gges

[ClassWarrior]

22. Tasty track. Haven't thought of them forever.

B-) Thanks.

NGU.

[suston96]

25. FDR? My parents worshipped him, but I remember the depression.....

...and it didn't really stop until just before we got into World War II and started manufacturing war supplies for England.....

Yeah, I remember. Getting into that war gave my parents lots of hope - and most important - good paying jobs.

[Tom Rinaldo]

26. FDR had a prior solid record of accomplishment as Governor of New York

Voters could review for themselves how FDR delivered on him promises to the voters of New York, after he became the Chief Executive of what was then the most populous State in the Union. There is an interplay between an ability to inspire and an ability to inspire confidence in one's ability to get things done.

[ClassWarrior]

27. So you agree. Inspiration is important.

NGU.

[Tom Rinaldo]

28. Yes, certainly. It is an important element of good leadership

Not the only one but an important one. And Obama scores well with that criteria. I've always said that about him.

[incapsulated]

30. People loved FDR because of what he DID for them

Not for his "inspiring speeches".

[ClassWarrior]

31. According to the good professor, the people pushed him beyond...

...his comfort zone to do what he did for them. And that was because of the inspiration he generated in them. And that that is a pattern throughout our history. It's an interesting perspective.

NGU.