The other day I thought of Everett Dirksen, former Republican senator from Illinois. Probably hadn't thought of him in decades.#
As a kid, I found him endlessly entertaining. He was a funny looking guy and had a froggy kind of voice, but he told great stories, the kind of stories a pre-teen kid could get into.#
Here's a video of Dirksen telling a story about lobbying.#
Then I wondered what happened to the American politicians who could tell a story? There aren't many. Certainly not in Congress or the executive branch, or even the court. #
I think this is a bigger problem than it first appears. Because to be good at telling a story is being good at relating to other humans. #
But Trump is a good storyteller. People think that Trump resonated with his supporters because they're racists and narcissists, like Trump, but it could just be that he can tell a story. #
His stories always have him as the hero, and tend to blame immigrants, people of color for all the problems, but a Woodie Guthrie or Will Rogers for example might get the same people to vote Democratic. That is if you still believe in the basic goodness of most people, which I desperately try to cling to.#
Last update: Saturday February 19, 2022; 2:57 PM EST.
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