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Dalton
Roberts |
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The one thing about politics that never bothered me was the criticisms and controversy. It was the boring aspects that wore me down. When I wrote on presidential politics last week, I knew I was putting a drop of honey on my hiney and inviting the fire ants to come calling. I will use today’s column to respond to some of your emails and phone calls. Dalton, you did fine as county executive but how does that qualify you to tell us who to vote for? At no time in that column did I say who you should vote for. I simply said I was tired of all of them and the long drawn-out campaign. How can you not be tired of Republicans who are too timid and weak to disagree with their president even on issues where the American people disagree with him overwhelmingly, and Democrats who talk about all the goodies they will pass out without talking about financing it all? I am hearing very little about a war that is killing our men and women and our influence all over the world, as well as an economy that is vanishing the middle class and torturing our poor. Judging by my calls, I failed to make my point about the length of the campaign being cruel and inhuman treatment. If my ears are working, it’s not just me getting an overload of politics. The most common comment I hear is, “I am so sick of politics I hate to turn on the TV.” Listen, I like iced tea and an occasional Heineken’s but I don’t drink them out of a #2 washtub. Old worn-out politicians like you should not be discouraging our young people from getting involved. The future of our country is at stake. It’s OK for you to think I am old and worn out because I love for people to underestimate me. I once told a lady who hounded me about joining Mensa, “I don’t know that I am smart enough to belong to Mensa and if I am, I do not want anyone to know it. Success comes more from being underestimated than from over-advertising.” The way to get young people involved is to give them some candidates with ideas that inspire and to have shorter campaigns. I was trying to save them from a half-inch callus on their eardrums and brains. I am certain one political season without attack ads would impress them more favorably about politics than any words you or I might speak. Don’t you have anything good to say about any of the candidates? I did compliment Mike Gravel for refusing to take special interest money. He put his finger on the main cancer in politics today. McCain, in a deposition played on TV the other night, talked about money being “a contamination of the political process.” I like Obama’s spirited oratory because I think it is bringing young people into the campaign. I like the fact that Hillary has access to Bill’s political mind. I love McCain for incurring the wrath of the theocrats. I like Ron Paul’s straight talk on the war. Still, I don’t see a Truman or a Goldwater in the pack. From my toenails to the longest hair on the top of my head, I respected those two men. I do not think there is enough money in the world to make them do something against the public good nor a big enough shotgun to back them down one inch when they thought they were right. Instead of criticizing, just tell us the kind of candidates you think we need? I just did. Give us more Trumans and Goldwaters. You knew where they stood. They were fearless even in the face of defeat. They had the courage to say the unpopular thing when the unpopular thing screamed out to be said. I am glad I lived to see them because it looks like we will never see their likes again.
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