One of the things I like best about Sonia Sotomayer is her voice. It is refreshing to hear a voice from the city, no less New York. There is something about it that tells me that she is not real good at taking crap. Probably make a really good justice.
We are missing a lot of the nice, big, distinctive voices we used to hear in politics. Moynihan, the erudite scrapper from Hell's Kitchen, Dirksen, whose voice cut like a dull sawblade, William Cohen, with his yankee pedigree. The folksy Byrd, whose high pitched drawl was honed at early cross burnings. Barbara Jordan. Humphrey. Most of the available orators today seem somewhat smaller than life. McConnell is still iconic. Rangel. A couple more.
Of course, the same thing runs true in television - no more Huntleys, Cronkites or Murrows, Rathers, Severaid's and Buckley's - now we are granted a bevy of anonymous pretty boys and glamorous stewardesses to deliver our news fix or forcefully opine.
I am one of those people that is a big believer in respecting my first impressions of people. And listening to a voice can tell a lot about a person. When the klondike clara belle Sara Palin first opened her mouth in public, my inner alarms went off immediately. There was something I caught, a wavering lack of self confidence in an intellect that seemed woefully deficient. A thin reedy voice that lacked sincerity, but like Saruman's, Limbaugh's or Father Coughlin's, enough voice to ensnare the weak or the witless.
Anyway I hope the judge from the Bronx is quickly confirmed and that we can hear some plain no bullshit New Yorkese every once in a while. It's been a long time.
3 comments:
... does anyone even know what Judge Thomas' voice sounds like? has he ever even opened his mouth once since he's been on the bench?...
When I was 16, I was sitting as the only black kid in my class, and I had grown up speaking a kind of a dialect. It's called Geechee. Some people call it [Gullah] now, and people praise it now. But they used to make fun of us back then. It's not standard English. When I transferred to an all-white school at a young age, I was self-conscious, like we all are... So I...just started developing the habit of listening.
Clarence Thomas
By the way, I just got word that Cronkite has died, several hours after I mentioned him in my blog. Strangely prescient, no?
Cronkite was a reality check during the 60's; somehow, you trusted him, you felt like you weren't being lied to.
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