That is an interesting idea!

A long time ago I looked at the indexes of US presidential speeches and
found a good (but not perfect) correlation that those who quoted MT tended
to serve >1 term.

I wonder if there have been any MT quotes in President Trump's Twitter feed?

Hope you have a nice weekend,
Taylor

On Fri, Feb 24, 2017 at 10:32 AM, Harris, Susan Kumin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> One way to measure political/policy influence is to see whether
> congressmen=
>  quote Twain during debates.  I spent a lot of time reading the
> Congression=
> al Record while I was researching God's Arbiters, and I was struck by the
> n=
> umber of classical authors from whom those guys could--and did--quote.
> Fur=
> ther research showed me that they were quoting from snippets of classical
> w=
> orks they had all studied in school--mostly in rhetoric texts--long
> passage=
> s of which they had to memorize.  I guess if you are a politician that
> stuf=
> f stays with you.=0A=
> =0A=
> In any case, this would mean reading through Congressional Records not
> from=
>  Twain's own time, but in the years after, as he moved from being a
> contemp=
> orary figure into being a cultural icon--and as his works became canonized
> =
> and included in textbooks.  I wouldn't recommend trying to read all of the
> =
> Cong Recs from the 20th century (they go on, and on, and on) but it might
> b=
> e interesting to isolate a couple of hot political topics on which Twain
> ha=
> d been known to write and investigate them within a particular time-frame.
> =
>  Another strategy might be to start with textbooks that include Twain's
> wor=
> ks, and then see if quotes from those works show up in congressional
> speech=
> es 20-30 years later.=0A=
> =0A=
> Just a thought.  --susan harris=0A=
> =0A=
> Susan K. Harris=0A=
> =0A=
> =0A=
> ________________________________________=0A=
> From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Kevin Mac Donnell
> <i=
> [log in to unmask]>=0A=
> Sent: Friday, February 24, 2017 9:10 AM=0A=
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: A question for any and all on the forum: Twain and law=0A=
> =0A=
> Back to Julie Ward's original question:=0A=
> =0A=
> The only instance I know about where Twain explicitly claimed to have=0A=
> "influenced public legislation" was in his Nevada days.=0A=
> =0A=
> He spoke out on numerous issues and his opinion was constantly sought
> on=0A=
> every issue of his time. His quotes were often used to promote causes like=
> =0A=
> suffrage (posters and leaflets) and Mother's Day (a card promoting it
> in=0A=
> 1908) without his knowledge. He joined groups that may or may not have=0A=
> influenced legislation. His anti-Imperialist writings are often cited, but=
> =0A=
> I'm not sure any of them can be said to have influenced the outcome of any=
> =0A=
> bill. Ditto with copyright, vivisection, the Congo, speeding cars in NYC
> (a=
> =0A=
> letter to editor), Tammany Hall (NYC mayor's race), etc.  Just because an=
> =0A=
> issue was settled in a way advocated by Twain does not mean he influenced=
> =0A=
> it, and vice versa.=0A=
> =0A=
> As for indirect influence, that could be a book (hint, hint), and it's
> a=0A=
> worthwhile question because Twain was one of the first "public figures"
> who=
> =0A=
> was not a public office holder whose opinions were frequently invoked for=
> =0A=
> and against various social and political issues. "Celebrity endorsements"=
> =0A=
> are a commonplace today, but not so much in Twain's day. Not until the
> last=
> =0A=
> two decades of his life do I notice his name--along with other public=0A=
> figures-- (authors, statesmen, etc.) on leaflets and ads endorsing various=
> =0A=
> non-commercial causes.=0A=
> =0A=
> Connecting those dots and documenting actual influence would be hard work,=
> =0A=
> but interesting. The questions would center around influence during his=0A=
> lifetime versus later on, whether he knew his words were being used for
> som=
> e=0A=
> cause, his active personal endorsements versus simply joining a group
> or=0A=
> adding his name to a list, his motivations (personal vs political), things=
> =0A=
> he first opposed but later supported (suffrage), and those causes he=0A=
> declined to get involved with. I can't wait to see your book Ms Ward!=0A=
> =0A=
> Kevin=0A=
> @=0A=
> Mac Donnell Rare Books=0A=
> 9307 Glenlake Drive=0A=
> Austin TX 78730=0A=
> 512-345-4139=0A=
> Member: ABAA, ILAB=0A=
> *************************=0A=
> You may browse our books at:=0A=
> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com=0A=
> =0A=
> =0A=
> -----Original Message-----=0A=
> From: Bliss, Donald=0A=
> Sent: Friday, February 24, 2017 8:25 AM=0A=
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: A question for any and all on the forum: Twain and law=0A=
> =0A=
> Coined the phrase The Gilded Age, which continues to be invoked to
> describe=
> =3D=0A=
> an aspect of American culture. His work on  the Belgium Congo and the US o=
> =3D=0A=
> ccupation of the  Philippines demonstrated how a celebrity can be a voice
> f=
> =3D=0A=
> or oppressed people, which we see today in the work of celebrities like
> Bon=
> =3D=0A=
> o and George Clooney, among many others. His political commentary and
> satir=
> =3D=0A=
> e is replicated in numerous TV talk shows and political satires today.=0A=
> =0A=
> Twain also spoke out/ lobbied/campaigned  for Civil Service Reform,
> Copyrig=
> =3D=0A=
> ht reform, judicial reform, women's suffrage, the rights of Chinese
> immigra=
> =3D=0A=
> nts, anti-lynching legislation, medical care reform,  the rights of unions
> =
> =3D=0A=
> and working men and women, animal rights, among other causes, much  of
> whic=
> =3D=0A=
> h eventually resulted in legislation at the federal or State level.=0A=
> =0A=
> He claimed in a letter to his mother that in Nevada, he "passed every bill
> =
> =3D=0A=
> I worked for..., " including a bill that required every corporation to
> file=
> =3D=0A=
> its charter with and pay a fee to the Secretary of the Territory , who hap=
> =3D=0A=
> pened to be his brother.=0A=
> =0A=
> -----Original Message-----=0A=
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Clay
> Shannon=
> =0A=
> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2017 9:16 PM=0A=
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: A question for any and all on the forum: Twain and law=0A=
> =0A=
> This question makes me wonder if any of the Twain researchers/authors here
> =
> =3D=0A=
> =3D3D=0A=
> would ever consider writing a book such as "How Mark Twain Saved the
> World"=
> =3D=0A=
> =3D3D=0A=
> (as you are probably aware, there are such books as "How the Irish Saved t=
> =3D=0A=
> =3D3D=0A=
> he World."=0A=
> It would be interesting to see enumerated all the ways in which he has
> infl=
> =3D=0A=
> =3D3D=0A=
> uenced culture, both American and world.=3D3DC2=3D3DA0- B. Clay Shannon=0A=
> =0A=
>       From: Gregg Camfield <[log in to unmask]>=0A=
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2017 3:27 PM=0A=
> Subject: Re: A question for any and all on the forum: Twain and law=0A=
>   =3D3D20=0A=
> It's widely believed that Twain's very political use of the term "new
> deal"=
> =3D=0A=
> =3D3D=0A=
> i=3D3D3D=0A=
> n _Connecticut Yankee_ inspired F. D.=3D3DC2=3D3DA0 Roosevelt's branding
> of=
>  his=3D=0A=
> leg=3D3D=0A=
> islati=3D3D3D=0A=
> ve program.=3D3DC2=3D3DA0 Indirect, but big.=0A=
> =0A=
> Gregg=0A=
> =0A=
> Sent from my iPad=0A=
> =0A=
> > On Feb 23, 2017, at 11:36 AM, Julie N Ward <[log in to unmask]> wrote:=0A=
> >=3D3D3D20=0A=
> > Hello all,=0A=
> >=3D3D3D20=0A=
> > Does anyone know if a Mark Twain story/essay/piece ever influenced=0A=
> > (directly or indirectly) public legislation?=0A=
> >=3D3D3D20=0A=
> >=3D3D3D20=0A=
> >=3D3D3D20=0A=
> > Thanks!=0A=
> =0A=
> =0A=
>   =3D3D20=0A=
>