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“Gary Redux”

Leonard’s commentary on Gary Hart’s attempted “come back” at Iowa Caucuses in 1988. A very clever essay comparing the Democratic Primary to the new pool table and doll house that Leonard and his wife gave each other as gifts…you have to read it to get it.

Suffice it to day that Leonard is not convinced by Hart’s argument for his candidacy, “I will not be the first adulterer in the white house”…did he really say that?!

He sums up Hart with a quote from James Reston of the NYTs, “ ‘He treats the Democratic Party like he treats his wife, as a personal convenience.’ ”

New word: pan head screw = a screw designed for sheet metal and pocket holes…Leonard doesn’t actually call Hart a “pan head screw”, but I wonder if he meant us to make the connection?

New learning: Great quote, “Years ago, Nelson Algren explained that Mortimer Adler is the Lawrence Welk of the philosophy trade.” Nelson Algren is an American novelist with a very interesting connection to popular music. Leonard Cohen referenced The Man With The Golden Arm in “The Stranger Song; Lou Reed based his most famous song on Algren’s novel A Walk on the Wild Side; Algren wrote a long essay for Esquire and a novel based on the trial of former boxer Hurricane Carter, also the topic of Bob Dylan’s song “The Ballad Of Hurricane.” Mortimer Adler is the “philosopher of the masses” who led the Great Books of the Western World project. He also wrote the best seller, How To Read A Book.

Great live cover of "Hurricane":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVhtXhiBlDI