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Thomas Frank, Call Your Office!; Some Sayat Nova

So, for instance, in a place like Kansas-02, the Democrat already has 41 percent compared to the incumbent Republican’s 45 percent. The undecideds are probably too Republican for the Democrat to win, but still, the numbers aren’t lying right now. ~Chuck Todd (10/13/06) Well, let us hope the appeal of Thomas Frank’s What’s The Matter With Kansas with the […]

So, for instance, in a place like Kansas-02, the Democrat already has 41 percent compared to the incumbent Republican’s 45 percent. The undecideds are probably too Republican for the Democrat to win, but still, the numbers aren’t lying right now. ~Chuck Todd (10/13/06)

Well, let us hope the appeal of Thomas Frank’s What’s The Matter With Kansas with the progressive crowd is now officially over.  If Jim Ryun is facing stiff competition this year in the supposedly benighted land of reaction that is Kansas, the world really is beginning to turn upside down.  If Ryun loses, do not expect a flurry of articles entitled, “Why Kansas Is Just Great!”  Expect more punditry along the lines of, “At last, those rubes saw the light!  Now we can get back to insulting their beliefs and way of life.”  What a fate: to have to choose between Khan and Sultan

Which reminds me of some lines of poetry from everyone’s favourite ashogh, Sayat Nova, which uses Khan and Sultan as forms of address for his beloved in one of his typically violent love songs (pardon the rough translation):

Ashkharooms akh chim kashi, kani vur jan is indz ama
(I’ll not cry alas, because you are dear to me.)
Anmahakan jrov like voske pnjan is indz ama
(A golden cup filled with immortal water you are to me.)
Nstim,  veres shvak anis zarbar veran is indz ama
(I sit, you cover me with shadow, you are silk to me.
Soochs imats’i, enents’ spane; Sultan oo Khan is indz ama
(You know my sin, so kill me; you are Sultan and Khan to me.)

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