About Benj Demott

Rachel Swarns, American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White and Multracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama (New York, 2012) When Alex Haley published Roots thirty-six years ago, it proved to be a sensation for black and white Americans alike. For African Americans, Roots made the search for ancestors and ancestral stories one which could affirm … Read more

Michael Grunwald, The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era (New York, 2012) “But we also believe in something called citizenship.” As thunderous applause rolled across the Charlotte arena, President Barack Obama insisted that citizenship was at “the very essence of our democracy…that the country only works when we accept … Read more

The presidential nomination convention season always reminds me of tripping over Governor Lawrence. David Leo Lawrence, the 71-year-old governor of Pennsylvania, headed the state’s delegation to the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. He, Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley and Governor Pat Brown of California, were the old school political bosses whose control of 231 uncommitted … Read more

Let us score last night’s debate the way our profession mainly does, not analyze whether what candidates say is true, but whether their “narratives” (or lies) are working. Obama’s problem last night was not that he looked down, or tired, or distracted, or even failed to push the hapless Jim Lehrer around as well as … Read more

Obama’s performance in the lst Debate was disappointing because he chose to trade numbers with Romney in some pitiful defensive stance rather than attack the fundamental principles of Romney’s candidacy. Most people barely understood the back and forth about numbers, but they certainly understood that Romney was clearly more confident and aggressive pushing his far … Read more

James Brown once wondered at anti-war protestors who headed for Canada in the 60s – they wanted out of the U.S.; J.B. wanted in. I’m reminded of the distance between him and them, when I try to take the measure of “hard” left disdain for Obama. Especially in the wake of last month’s momentous Healthcare … Read more

What follows are (slightly adapted) excerpts from Harrington’s play about “the unquiet presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson.” Cast of Characters Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States Jack Valenti, Special Assistant to the President Richard Russell, Senator from Georgia Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense J. William Fulbright, Senator from Arkansas Rev. Dr. Martin Luther … Read more