Council helps make access to humanities more accessible

WELCOME TO Coeur d’Alene, a city of stunning scenery, quality performing and visual arts, and people dedicated to enriching their minds and the minds around them.

Honest. Deep thinking is not restricted to Boise, Moscow or Spokane, where universities attract a steady stream of public speakers with great minds. Coeur d’Alene has had its share, thanks mostly to North Idaho College. In fact, the Idaho Humanities Council this year promoted Coeur d’Alene to full-fledged intellectual status and is bringing presidential scholar Robert Dallek here next week as initiation into the higher rank.

“Coeur d’Alene is ready,” says Sandy Patano. She’s one of four North Idaho residents who serve on the humanities council. “As a community, we’re drawing more and more people who emphasize an interest in the humanities, a need to enrich their lives. This is our opportunity to take humanities to the masses.”

Until this year, the humanities council has held its annual lecture and dinner in Boise. The council has brought such distinguished writers to Idaho as John Updike last year, Frank McCourt – “Angela’s Ashes” – in 2002 and historian David McCullough in 2000.

“It’s become a signature event in Boise,” says Marc Johnson. He’s chairman of the humanities council. “People come year after year.”

Marc joined the council six years ago with the goal of offering humanities events beyond Boise. Last year, the council sponsored a talk in Wallace by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edmund Morris for the 100th anniversary of President Teddy Roosevelt’s visit to town. Morris wrote “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt” and “Theodore Rex.”

This summer, the council brought fire historian Stephen Pyne to Wallace. It also nailed down a talk by Dallek for the annual humanities council dinner for 2004. Marc was former Gov. Cecil Andrus’ chief of staff in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He knew plenty of people shared his fascination with the American political system throughout history, particularly during this presidential election season.

He asked Dallek if he’d consider a talk in another Idaho city as well as Boise. Dallek was willing. Sandy volunteered to organize a dinner and lecture in Coeur d’Alene.

Dallek is a professor of history at Boston University and a frequent guest on National Public Radio. He’s written biographies of presidents Lyndon Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and, most recently, John F. Kennedy. His work on Kennedy was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He’s at work now on a biography of Richard Nixon.

In Coeur d’Alene on Oct. 7 and Boise on Oct. 8, Dallek will speak about patterns in presidential elections throughout history and their relevance to today. He’ll look at the 20th century’s incumbents and why some won or lost repeat terms.

“Incumbents usually win unless they have a record that makes them terribly vulnerable,” Dallek says. “What Kerry is doing is beginning to turn people forcefully against Bush’s record. It’s a shrewd and wise strategy and an easy way to knock off an incumbent. Reagan did it with Carter. Carter did it with Gerald Ford.”

Dallek will talk about scurrilous attacks in other presidential campaigns and show that incumbents are less vulnerable to personal attacks than challengers.

“Clinton was not vulnerable to accusations about promiscuity during his re-election campaign,” Dallek says. “We heard it in the first campaign. By the second time, we all knew about it. The same is happening with Bush this time. We’ve already heard the (National Guard service) charges.”

History tells Dallek that presidential elections with incumbents rarely are decided by a few votes.

“I think in this one, one or the other will end up with a decent victory – maybe 52 percent of the vote,” he says. “After the debates, we’ll see one or the other opening up a more substantial lead.”

Dallek will discuss behavior patterns and which ones successful candidates share – ability to build consensus, trust and, with the advent of electronic media, charisma. He’ll speak for about 45 minutes and then open the floor to questions.

The humanities council dinner and Dallek’s talk in Coeur d’Alene are Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. General tickets are $35 per person. Benefactor tickets are $100 and include a private reception with the author before dinner.

Sandy envisions an annual humanities council dinner and speaker in Coeur d’Alene.

“We need to make the first attempt a success,” she says. “If we can show the community can support it, we can make it an annual event.”