Plus Ca Change

To mix things up, my book group occasionally reads plays aloud. Right now, we're reading Gore Vidal's 1960 Broadway hit The Best Man. It's about behind-the-scenes maneuvering at a political convention. I recommend the piece as an enjoyable mix of melodrama and comedy.

But what's most noticeable is how little things have changed. Vidal based his characters on figures around back then (Adlai Stevenson, Richard Nixon, Harry Truman, etc.), but reading it now it seems to be about present-day politicians. Sure, we don't have open conventions anymore (too bad, they seem like fun), but the basic nasty business of running a campaign is still pretty much the same. Issues may change, but tactics don't.