Politics Then and Now

Finished Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, all 738 pages and probably drained a pen dry with all my underlining.  What possibly to quote from all the wonderful historical facts, superb writing, and thorough documentary of a great American.

This blog knows how frequently I revert to biographies when all else fails to appeal to me.  My favorite ones were Robert Moses Power Broker and Caro's multi-volume biography of LBJ.  Add Hamilton to the list.

Why oh why was American history not taught in grade school using Hamilton's accomplishments as the focal point?  Who determined that generals winning battles and presidents were the only key figures?  Are children too naive to understand the importance of banking, trade, a free press or the importance of being a chief adviser?  Especially here in New York ... the book reads like a primer on local history, Schuyler Mansion, Schuylerville, the Battle of Saratoga and the importance of NYC in the late 1700s.

It also assures us all that State politics started off badly with governorship of George Clinton and a legislature whose members were all out for themselves since day one.  And then of course, there is Aaron Burr.  (I will "get extra credit" for reading this over the summer by capping off the season going to Cooperstown's Fenimore Art Museum to see a special exhibit of the Burr Hamilton letters.)

So, essentially, I picked Hamilton not only because I missed out on seeing Lin on Broadway, but because I wanted to get some perspective of USA elections vis a vis the current farce and to measure this life story against others and study why an author chooses biography as a medium.  These goals will limit my choice of quotes.

On how to write (also an issue when having to review governmental documents prepared by subordinates) "...Hamilton churned out twenty-one straight essays in a two-month period.  On two occasions, he published five essays in a single week and published six in one spectacular week when writing on taxation.  Hamilton's mind always worked with preternatural speed ... His papers show that, Mozart-like, he could transpose complex thoughts onto paper with few revisions.  At other times, he tinkered with the prose but generally did not alter the logical progression of his thoughts.  He wrote with the speed of a beautifully organized mind ... it is important to note that virtually all of his important work was journalism, prompted by topical issues and written in the midst of controversy ... His eloquence seemed to require opposition to give it its full force.  But his topical writing has endured because he plumbed timeless principles behind contemporary events."  Would that newspapers today were so erudite and that candidates articulated governing theory instead of knee jerk appeal to daily crises.

And on to politics "Hamilton wanted to lead the electorate and provide expert opinion instead of consulting popular opinion.  He took tough, uncompromising stands and gloried in abstruse ideas in a political culture that pined for greater simplicity.  Alexander Hamilton triumphed as a doer and a thinker, not as a leader of the average voter.  He was simply too unashamedly brainy to appeal to the masses.  Hamilton ... regularly violated what became the first commandment of American politics:  thou shalt always be optimistic when addressing the electorate."  Other founding fathers do not fare so well in Chernow's book; on the same page as these quotes come from, he describes Jefferson as "a virtuoso of the sunny phrase and hopeful themes that became staples of American politics."  (HOPE ... everything old is new again.)  And of JQ Adams saying Jefferson had been "pimping to the popular passions."  BTY, Adams comes out as a political scaredy cat, running off to Massachusetts whenever any hot issue or controversy presented it self.  He and Abigail seem to be spoiled blue bloods.

Really my book is so underlined that I am hard pressed to single out what I liked the best.  The above two citations were easy only because I wrote the page numbers on the title page.  This volume, along with the next blog book I will review, will be packed off tomorrow to head to Houston where the library reserve length for Hamilton was last at 17 weeks!  This should be required reading.  Thank God will remain on US currency.