New York Diary
New York Diary
Tina Brown on why New York Christmases are bigger and bolder than celebrations elsewhere and why Barack Obama is the political toast of the holiday season.
I’ve always loved the Christmas (or rather Hulliday) season in New York because it’s so unapologetically, materialistically over the top. You want tinsel? No tinsel is fatter and furrier than New York tinsel. You want twinkling lights? It’s Vegas on 57th where we live. Even tangerines here are shinier and fatter, although some of those groaning fruit baskets that arrive look suspiciously familiar. ‘Re-gifting’ — as the practice of putting expensive presents into instant turnaround is known here — has become as openly acknowledged a seasonal custom as baking gingerbread houses. In the swanky lobbies of Upper East Side apartment buildings you invariably spot some towering floral arrangement with a deftly rewritten snowman card making its second journey of the day past the peaked hats of the doormen.
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Holiday-hating New Yorker
December 13th, 2007 2:59pmObama is much more than just a black politician, and for that reason reasonable voters are more likely to vote for him than that shrill, unimaginative, soulless creature who thinks it is her due to be president.
James
December 14th, 2007 6:29pmTina Brown is wrong as usual. If Iraq blows up again people are going to be inclined to vote for those who will get us out quickly. And that ain't Hillary.
john fazio
December 19th, 2007 9:06pmtina, not so sure about the barack to bambi reference. the question, the cackle and obama's inspired quip turned things around in a few moments.
Verity
December 25th, 2007 12:48amWhy does Obama describe himself as black instead of white (silly question!), as his father was black and his mother was white? Obama, with his whole two years' experience as a freshman senator is ridiculous. And very scary. Two years as a junior senator and he thinks he is qualified to be the most powerful person in the world? Would you tell a trainee manager in a public company to go ahead and be chairman of the company because he just felt so very sincerely that he really, really could do it? I think the shareholders would put a stop to that arrogance quite fast. I hope the shareholders in America have their heads screwed on. I despise Obama. Even for a politician, he is an outstanding phony.