Think of Shakespeare’s “Tempest” as an allegory for the current state of American politics, especially the presidential primaries. It contains visionaries and cynics, orchestrators and disrupters. If Prospero is the island “establishment,” then he enjoys some success but it is qualified.
Tag Archives: Ted Cruz
Prospero and the Presidential Primaries
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Bernie Sanders, Democratic primary, Donald Trump, GOP primary, Hillary Clinton, politics, Tempest, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Cruz’s Contortion of Cristianity
Bill Moyers has called Ted Cruz a “fundamentalist charlatan,” and he cites an 18th century satiric poem to help him make his case. Cruz, he says, is contorting a beautiful religion to garner votes.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Swan Tripe Club in Dublin", GOP primaries, politics, Presidential race, William King Comments closed
Could Fascism Happen Here?
Sinclair Lewis’s “It Can’t Happen Here,” about the election of a fascist in a 1930s presidential election, seems suddenly relevant again. The novel turns 80-years-old this year.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged American values, Donald Trump, Fascism, It Can't Happen Here, Marco Rubio, Sinclair Lewis Comments closed
Ted Cruz–Dark and Satanic?
When NYT columnist David Brooks called Ted Cruz “dark and satanic,” he was referencing a Blake poem. But although the allusion is apt, it struck most people as weird or offensive because they didn’t recognize the source.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Jerusalem", David Brooks, electoral politics, GOP primary, Marco Rubio, politics, William Blake Comments closed
Style, Not Truth, the Important Thing
Truth was missing in action in the GOP’s Wednesday night debate. Oscar Wilde and John Gay would have understood.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged 2016 election, Beggar's Opera, campaign rhetoric, Donald Trump, GOP, GOP debates, Importance of Being Earnest, John Gay, Marco Rubio, Oscar Wilde Comments closed
Cruz as Beowulf? Try Grendel
Thursday Normally I would be delighted with a New York Times article that matched up presidential candidates with works of literature, such as Ted Cruz with Beowulf, Hillary Clinton with Persuasion, and Bernie Sanders with Around the World in 80 Days. This piece, however, strikes me as so uninformative that it’s all but useless. I’ve tried […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Around the World in 80 Days, Beowulf, Bernie Sanders, Carla Fiorina, Charles Dickens, Democrats, Donald Trump, Election 2016, GOP, Hillary Clinton, Huckleberry Finn, Jane Austen, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne, Mansfield Park, Marco Rubio, Mark Twain, Mike Huckabee, Oliver Twist, Persuasion, politics, Rand Paul, Tale of Two Cities Comments closed
Ted Cruz’s Starring Role in “The Crucible”
Can you guess what role Ted Cruz played in “The Crucible” when in law school? And what does the play have to do with the color of the dress?
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Arthur Miller, color of the dress, Crucible, politics, religious diversity Comments closed
The Little Texas Senator that Could
What should we make of Ted Cruz’s use, in his quasi filibuster, of “Green Eggs and Ham” and “The Little Engine that Could”?
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Don Quixote, Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham, Little Engine that Could, Miguel de Cervantes, politics, Wally Piper Comments closed
