Tag Archives: Civil War

Grappling with the Conundrum of ‘Django Unchained’

My Thursday column: I don’t mean to step on Chez Pazienza’s toes as the unofficial The Daily Banter Movie Guy, but I wanted to take some time with the new Quentin Tarantino movie Django Unchained; partly because racial issues and … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Lincoln

Those of us who are inextricably obsessed with politics have been lucky to witness two truly great modern political films featuring two uncanny portrayals of martyred presidents. Thirteen Days, with Bruce Greenwood as JFK, is as appropriate a lesson about … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Reality of Secession and Unicorns

I’m back with the big column. Today, the utter fantasy of the whiny secession movement. I hate to disappoint the 675,000 whiny diaper babies calling for secession in the wake of the election but, sorry, no matter how hard they … Continue reading

Posted in The Daily Banter | Tagged , , , , , , | 36 Comments

Quote of the Morning

“I think America is currently in a Cold Civil War. The parties, of course, have switched sides since the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The party of the Union and Lincoln is now the Democratic party. The party of the Confederacy … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

Civil Rights and the History of Party Platforms. And Ann Coulter.

My rather long Monday column covers the ideological and platform shifts of the parties from 1860 to present day, and how Republicans like Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck are lying about it. While I was reviewing some of my Civil … Continue reading

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

On This Day in History, Something Truly Great Happened

Seriously. On Sept. 22, 1862 — 150 years ago today — Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, promising to free the slaves in any state still in rebellion on Jan. 1, 1863. Americans have celebrated Lincoln’s proclamation, and argued about … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Conan O'Brien Loves Abraham Lincoln

This is brilliant. Conan visits Springfield, Illinois and various Lincoln landmarks:

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Doctor Who Saved Lincoln. Briefly.

They’ve discovered the first draft of a medical report written by the doctor who first treated President Lincoln immediately after he was shot in the head. And it’s typically frustrating to read, given the archaic medicine at the time. SPRINGFIELD, … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

How Many Men Died in the Civil War?

For decades, it’s been generally accepted that around 620,000 men were killed during the American Civil War. Astonishing — more men died during that war that all other American wars combined. Old tactics mixed with new ballistics technology made for … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Last Surviving Witness to Lincoln's Assassination

Via Cliff Schecter, here’s a clip from the 1956 game show “I’ve Got A Secret” featuring the last surviving witness to Lincoln’s assassination.

Posted in Civil War | Tagged , , | 6 Comments