Tuesday, May 6, 2008

I'm not political- not partisan anyway, and not at all activist- and I don't intend to take the pulpit or beat a drum in this space, so join me instead in marveling at the power of formulaic language.
Listening to Terry Gross and Al Gore chat today, I heard the man some describe as our former vice president even as others consider him their president in exile give tongue to something very like the following:

On the eve of the Iraq war Senator Robert Byrd stood on the floor of the Senate and asked .. blah, blah, blah, blah.

Note the senatorial phrase Mr. Gore employs in this anecdote, and appreciate the imagery it evokes- even over the radio, I could see Senator Byrd- or at least someone (someone like Colonel Blimp holding forth in the bath) of senatorial and unmistakably grave posture and countenance, to say nothing of voice. So what, you ask? Well, nothing earthshaking, only that it's good to recognize how easily our imagination can be manipulated.