In Florida, there was a Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat. I was rooting for Alex Vindman, whom I admire. But he lost to a Florida House rep named Angie Nixon. I know nothing about her, except that she’s a DSA-er—a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. I’m sure I disagree with her on pretty much everything.
But I like the way she talks. Let me explain.
Here is a video of Nixon in an interview. Her voice is redolent of the American South, and of the black American South in particular. Ms. Nixon was born and raised in Jacksonville.
By the way, here we have another Nixon in politics. Maybe she can dust off the slogan “Nixon’s the One”? I’m sure it’s not copyrighted.
I love English, wherever it is spoken—and there is a huge variety of “Englishes.” In our own United States. In Great Britain, of course. In India, Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere.
What is your favorite English, or your top three, say, “Englishes”?
I love the varieties of Irish English. Once, I interviewed Ann Murray, the mezzo-soprano. (Not to be confused with Anne Murray, the wonderful pop singer, who is Canadian.) Ann Murray is a Dubliner. She speaks the most beautiful English—it sounds a bit like singing.
But my favorite English—the English closest to my heart, I think—is that of black American southerners. (True, there are different types of such English, even as there are different types of English in Dublin, to say nothing of the whole of Ireland.) In the black American South, you find my favorite “English music,” so to speak.
What are your “Englishes”? If you’d like to let me know, please do—at mail@jaynordlinger.com. Might could do a piece afterward …
***
J. K. Rowling, the best-selling author in history, or right up there, is a presence on Twitter, or X. Her main cause is sexual identity, and facing facts. She kicks up ruckuses.
Some people think she is unkind. I think she is kind, but realistic and firm.
Someone had written, “Female is a divine identity beyond biology, nothing to do with sex.” JKR responded, “Say that to any woman currently in labour.”
A thought occurred to me: For someone renowned for fantasy—the Harry Potter books—Ms. Rowling is a bracing realist.
(I understand that there is realism within fantasy.) (Such writers as Salman Rushdie use the supernatural to illustrate the natural.) (Think of the second word of the term “magical realism.”)
***
Senator Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) did something miraculous. He made Republicans, many of them, return to propriety. How’d he do it? It was something he said.
“While he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks. See, he doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.”
It was the name “Natalie” that sent Republicans through the roof. “How dare you! What are you implying?” The senator was referring to Natalie Harp, the president’s close aide—who was stowed away with him on that catering truck in Ankara.
To be continued, I imagine …
***
By the way, the most “relatable” thing that Donald Trump does, in my book, is sleep through meetings. Every time I see it, I think: oh, me too, baby.
***
Apparently, the First Lady, Melania Trump, does not live at the White House. I could care less. But I think back to the Clinton years, and if Hillary … Or if Michelle …
***
Remember this about idioms: they’re idiomatic. That’s their job—to be idiomatic. (I am thinking of “I could care less” in particular.) If they adhered to logic, they would be … less idiomatic?
***
But back to Hillary Clinton. In a recent interview, the subject of Trump’s transformation of the White House came up. (Physical transformation, I mean.) Clinton’s interviewer, Kara Swisher, said that it reminded her of Saddam Hussein’s palaces. Clinton agreed.
“I had meetings in some of Saddam Hussein’s palaces, and they were quite reminiscent of what we are seeing in our own White House.”
I agree too. I was in one of those palaces once—Faw Palace, in Baghdad. It looked like … well, think of the White House now.
Let me quote from my journal (published in 2008):
Our group makes its way to the Faw Palace—one of Saddam’s pleasure palaces. Hideous debauchery and crimes took place here. It is painful to imagine. But what’s fun is the sight of American soldiers crawling all over the place, going about their business. This is headquarters—anti-Saddam, pro–Free Iraq headquarters.
The sight of those soldiers, in this setting, does my heart good—just as it would have to see them at Berchtesgaden.
In the rotunda of the palace—if rotunda is the word—there’s a famous chair/throne. Many visitors have had their picture taken on it. This gaudy piece of furniture was given to Saddam by Yasser Arafat, the Nobel Prize winner. It shows the Dome of the Rock and says, “Jerusalem Is Ours.” I’m thinking: The money for this chair probably came from EU taxpayers—or American taxpayers.
***
Nancy Kassebaum has died at 94. For the obit in the New York Times, go here. She was a senator from Kansas (Republican). Her father was Alf Landon, the Republican presidential nominee in 1936. Senator Kassebaum was a model of sanity. You and I may not have agreed with her on everything—but she was “sober as a judge,” as we used to say. (This does not mean she was staid.)
Latish in life, Senator Kassebaum married another senator, or ex-senator, at that point: Howard Baker, the Tennessee Republican. There could not have been a saner couple—saner political couple—in America.
That was a different world.
***
Stay with the Republican Party for a moment. Did you see this?
Question: What party would Mr. Trump have belonged to in Lincoln’s day? What would his politics have been?
***
A reader writes,
Jay,
As I understand it, this is your political philosophy:Truth, not tribe
Manliness, not machismo
Patriotism, not blood and soil
The deficit, stupid.
Our reader adds, “We could do worse. And will.”
When it comes to my “political philosophy”—a little grand for lil’ ol’ me—there’s more to it than the above sketch, but … I like it, certainly.
If what I believe, in politics, can be summed up in a sentence, it is “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that …” You can sing the rest.
***
In a recent column or two, or three, I was writing about “flexibility” in politics. Flexibility is good, of course—politics is not for the rigid or puristic. But a politician can be so flexible that he means nothing and stands for nothing and is good for … what? Reelection?
I quoted Congressman Henry Hyde, the Illinois Republican of old. At their freshman orientation, he would tell incoming members of Congress, “If you don’t know the principle, or the policy, for which you are willing to lose your office, then you are going to do damage here.”
An English reader of ours reminds me of “The Vicar of Bray,” an 18th-century song (satirical). Bill Buckley used to quote this one. In fact, I first heard of the song from him. The vicar in question will do whatever it takes to retain his office—to remain the Vicar of Bray. No matter what the line of throne or altar, he will follow it, and keep his seat.
And this is law, I will maintain
Unto my Dying Day, Sir.
That whatsoever King may reign,
I will be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!
***
Speaking of music, I have written an article about a “festival-within-a-festival.” This summer, the Salzburg Festival has put an accent on the music of Olivier Messiaen, that outstanding composer of the 20th century. My article can be found at The Dispatch, here.
Grateful for The Dispatch.
And ever grateful for The New Criterion, my musical home, as it were. For a review published on the magazine’s website, go here. It is of Teodor Currentzis, the Greek-Russian conductor, and the orchestra and chorus he founded: Utopia. These guys have appeared in Salzburg, once more.
Let you get on with your Sunday? I will. Thank you, as always, for joining me.
One recalls that Ronald Reagan was accused of snoozing at meetings. He met the accusation head on with, "They say hard work never killed anyone, but I say, why take chances."
Mr. Nordlinger, I totally agree with you about J.K. Rowling; I have thoroughly enjoyed her books and admire her refusal to be bullied about her very realistic and humane views concerning human sexuality.
Concerning "the Englishes", as a native Texan, when circumstances have taken me away from Texas for prolonged periods, I always feel good when I return home to Southern drawls and West Texas twangs. I agree with you that Irish English is musical.