http://www.cityofsmoke.com New York History, Commentary, and Culture Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:23:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc http://www.cityofsmoke.com/archives/256 http://www.cityofsmoke.com/archives/256#comments Sat, 17 Jan 2009 06:15:38 +0000 William Bryk http://www.cityofsmoke.com/?p=256 Elections are dull because politicians are. They can't help it: only safe, conventional men and women with bland, plausible personalities can raise the kind of money required to pay for television commercials and bulk mailings. Authentic old-fashioned elections---those orgies of repeating, ballot-box stuffing, and election day riots with their torch-lit parades and bonfires, their bunting and barbecues---have vanished from the land. Read More]]> http://www.cityofsmoke.com/archives/256/feed 0