Politics
Many of us inherit our political orientation from parents and never get around to thinking about the subject for ourselves until much later in life. I don’t remember my parents having any particular political persuasion, so I guess I didn’t inherit a bias one way or the other. I think Dad was probably one to judge a candidate on what he believed from the candidate’s rhetoric, where Mom was more likely to vote, based on how the guy looked and presented himself on TV. Dad was inordinately pragmatic in everything he did, so he would likely have leaned strongly to the right, whereas Mom most likely would have been what constituted a typical Democrat at that time – but certainly not what the Democrat Party has become in recent times. I guess that indifference left me somewhere in the middle, to find my own way.
I do recall the Eisenhower vs Stevenson contest of 1956, when Mom and Dad both favored Eisenhower but probably not for policy or party affiliation – rather, seeing them as war hero vs professional politician. I have been told that my grandfather Shively advocated strongly for Eisenhower on his frequent visits to the Fishers Lake Tavern, because of what he called Kefauver’s, “typical government give-aways”. [i]Estes Kefauver was Stevenson’s VP running mate in his second match-up with Eisenhower – the second contest that Stevenson lost.
I was still in short pants when The War ended, but in the decades that followed, Winston Churchill was and still is, often quoted as saying something to the effect, “Show me a man under 30 who is not liberal and I will show you a man with no heart; show me a man over 40 who is not a conservative and I will show you a man with no brain”. [ii]Mid-nineteenth century historian and statesman François Guizot seemingly was the first to make such a reference, but many others followed. The variation attributed to Churchill probably is true but I cannot find it in the historical record.
Actually, I never thought much about politics until much later in life. When I finally did, I struggled for years, to come up with a concise summary of the philosophical differences between the political parties. Then one day I heard Charlie Freedman read on KSCO the one-page description that he had written decades earlier. I still think it is as comprehensive as any I have seen. I intend to elaborate on it in another Chapter but his will suffice for now.
Currently, I am isolated from both Parties. The Republicans won’t have me because I reject half – the social policy half – of the planks in their platform. At the same time, I could never be a Democrat because I am not sophisticated by their standards and I also favor self-reliance, fiscal responsibility, and the rule-of-law. I happen to think that black lives have the same value as white ones, brown ones, yellow ones, and a whole UFO full of green ones. I also think the World would be safer and more prosperous with fewer AOCs [iii]Someone suggested that the acronym could contain the words Annoying and Obnoxious with the “C” word left to the choice of the reader., but I know from geometry class that it is not possible to find the middle of anything without first defining the boundary conditions.
Sometimes I think I could be a Libertarian – I voted for Gary Johnson in 2016. If the Blue Dog Democrats were to resurrect themselves as an actual Party, I could certainly find a way to fit in there. But for now, I just remain a guy without a Party.
If watching this video[iv]Greenwood wrote this in 1983 and released it a year later when it was played at the Republican National Convention. It has become a rallying cry for patriotic Americans during times of crisis – Desert Storm, the Gulf War, and 911. Trump also used it at his rallies, but that doesn’t make it racist. doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, I encourage you to not continue reading this section on Politics – you won’t like what you read. Also, you probably should see a doctor.
By: Jim
Written: May 2021
Published: June 2021
Revised:
Reader feedback always appreciated[v]thoughtful commentary perhaps more so than shallow thoughts
footnotes
| ↑i | Estes Kefauver was Stevenson’s VP running mate in his second match-up with Eisenhower – the second contest that Stevenson lost. |
|---|---|
| ↑ii | Mid-nineteenth century historian and statesman François Guizot seemingly was the first to make such a reference, but many others followed. The variation attributed to Churchill probably is true but I cannot find it in the historical record. |
| ↑iii | Someone suggested that the acronym could contain the words Annoying and Obnoxious with the “C” word left to the choice of the reader. |
| ↑iv | Greenwood wrote this in 1983 and released it a year later when it was played at the Republican National Convention. It has become a rallying cry for patriotic Americans during times of crisis – Desert Storm, the Gulf War, and 911. Trump also used it at his rallies, but that doesn’t make it racist. |
| ↑v | thoughtful commentary perhaps more so than shallow thoughts |
