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Sound Bites of the 1908 Presidential Candidates

Posted by kdawson on from the hundred-years-of-blah-blah-blah dept.

roncosmos writes "Science News has up a feature on the first use of sound recording in a presidential campaign. In 1908, for the first time, presidential candidates recorded their voices on wax cylinders. Their voices could be brought into the home for 35 cents, equivalent to about $8 now. In that pre-radio era, this was the only way, short of hearing a speech at a whistle stop, that you could hear the candidates. The story includes audio recordings from the 1908 candidates, William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft. Bryan's speech, on bank failures, seems sadly prescient now. Taft's, on the progress of the Negro, sounds condescending to modern ears but was progressive at the time. There are great images from the campaign; lots of fun."

5 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Can't listen, Flash only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    get a life, just use flash you software nazi

  2. Flamebait =censorship by zymano · · Score: -1, Troll

    Admit it.

  3. Re:Banking and Democrat Change by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    I don't know man... He's got links.

  4. Re:Can't listen, Flash only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Fuck off and die.

  5. Re:Can't listen, Flash only I didn't listen to it, by zulux · · Score: -1, Troll

    >>What sort of heartless fuck are you? Will you laugh when your family is killed, or will you just not care?"

    I don't intentionally cry about personal issues years after the fact just to advance my career.

    You didn't see Palin publicly crying over her down's child did you? You didn't see Obama crying that most of his elder immediate family is dead? You didn't see McCain crying over being tortured did you?

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.