WARNING TO MY SIX READERS: THIS ENTRY IS ONE OF THOSE GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS THINGS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT IS NOT MY TYPICAL SUBMISSION; THE BAD NEWS IS THAT I HAD TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS……AND THESE ARE TODAY’S OBTUSE THOUGHTS: Dateline: June 19, 2009, Great Neck, NewYork.
I would never want to be President. The hours are bad; there’s too much stress….and you have to smile at a lot of Republicans. Still, I can’t help but think how differently I would have handled the recent nomination to the Supreme Court.
Character, they say, is how one acts when no one is looking. Why then, would anyone nominate a person whose career can be shredded and twisted through a paper trail? It can only lead to pulling things out of context and character assassination.
I, therefore, would nominate persons with acceptable political philosophy, unquestioned integrity, and minimal documented opinions. If the good guys truly win in the end, why then would I want to give the bad guys anything to think about? Let them google my ass!
I therefore submit this, my “short list” for the next vacancy:
1. My sister-in-law Margie: In her 50’s, she has been a life-long educator and home-maker. A moderate Democrat, her strength is her reverence for the First Amendment.
She not only fosters her daughter’s ardent blogging, but embraces it. Accordingly, she is a daily reader of things she may not wish to read. Margie has never quite been the star of the family, but (like most good character actors), the show could not go on without her. She would serve well.
2. My friend Terry. She is the “no nonsense” clinical director of an alternative housing facility. Passionate, yet anything but P.C., she “gets it.” Terry would survive well in the “old boy network” of the Supremes; no, she would thrive.
Easter season we found ourselves seated elbow to elbow in the 6 and 7 seats at a Hold ‘Em table in West Virginia. As Queen blared over the p.a. system, some redneck in the 4 seat casually commented that it was ironic they’d be playing that music “today.” Clearly this was a shot at Freddy Mercury’s orientation. Terry, stunningly heterosexual, didn’t let it pass. “What do you mean?,” she subtly inquired, feigning naivety. The guy just grumbled. (In one fell swoop she had not only struck a blow for individual rights, but also clearly created another anti-Semite).
No, she wouldn’t get pushed around by the clowns on the right. Consider:
A bit later, that same day, the guy next to the dealer accused her of showing me her hand. The dealer questioned her and she denied it. It could have ended there, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
“Get a video,” she demanded, compelling the dealer to summon the pit boss.
He arrived, tuxedoed and all.
”This asshole called me a cheater,” she declared. “Get the video please.”
“Hey,” the accuser exclaimed, “She can’t call me that!”
Terry wasn’t done. Calmly, politely, she looked right back at him, with one eye still to the pit boss and retorted:
“Yeah I can, because you ARE an asshole. Please get the video.” Then she asked to be moved to another table.
A half hour later the tuxedo returned and confirmed that there had been no impropriety.
Better yet, the schmuck that started the thing had been so unnerved that he’d gone on tilt. I left the table shortly thereafter, when they paused so he could re-buy chips.
3. Robert F. Kennedy. Senator from New York. This candidate is so strong that even his untimely death shouldn’t preclude him. His values are timeless.
In this millennium, when computers can have on-line baseball games between the 1927 Yankees and the Big Red Machine of the 70’s….when a microchip can visually recreate a boxing match between Ali and Marciano—one that never occurred…..why couldn’t the cyberworld issue decisions that RFK would have opined?
I recall jamming into a chartered bus traipsing from OSU’s campus to what was then Port Columbus —just to greet him during the 1968 primary season. I can’t think of one politician today that I would even take a limo to meet.
The best thing about each of the above is that they pass political muster. Two women and an icon. Two Jews and a Catholic. The first two come without baggage; the third is a Kennedy.
This country can little afford more “politics as usual.” Comes a time one has to think outside the box.
I stand by my candidates.
1) Do you not think that whomever Obama had nominated (even one of your three candidates), he or she would be the subject of intense politically biased disection. This is not a statement about Republicans. It would be the same even if the Democrats were the “minority” party. It is the times we live in.
2) The much revered Steve Allen put forth the concept of having great thinkers, etc. from the past conversing/sharing their opinions with their peers from other centuries. You probably recall (subliminally, at least since you stole his concept) “Meeting of the Minds” (http://www.steveallenonline.com/television_pioneer/meeting_of_minds.htm), the award-winning PBS TV series. To that point, I believe that Allen would have expanded your roster of potential Supreme Court judges to other outstanding Americans who lived prior to the second half of the twentieth century. Why must the scope of your thinking be so narrow?
This entry sucked. Stay out of politics.
i LOVE your take on politics and enjoy reading about myself (and laughing at your take on me!) i will never forget that day in the casino, not because of what actually went down between me and those charming guys but watching your face. it was priceless. i can’t agree with your thinking that i would make a good supreme court justice. i hate the outfits and would be resentful about that which would take away from any good i could do. plus i would never want to serve on a board that would have clarence thomas on it. and i know nothing much about the law other than my husband practices it . my clients know much more about criminal procedures than i do but that is another story. i do love to read your writing, though, and will from here on, check out your blog. please include in often. love, terry.
that last line should have read “please include ME often.” thanks. t.
i loved this!