Musings on today's politics

I used to enjoy writing a “letter to the editor” from time to time, but somewhere along the line I lost my taste for that.  I guess today’s political situation just may change a few attitudes, though, not just my attitude towards writing.  And so....

Well, it’s like this, friend:  I am a white man, from parents who were German, on my Mother’s side, and Scotch Irish on my Dad’s.  Now, if you were to want a bit more info on me, I would be able to supply just a bit were I to adopt the naming used by many of our Southern (really Southern) neighbors.  But that could give the criminal element just a bit much, so I won't go there.  Aside from that, I am a scientist, which I point out to remind all that regardless of our more recent heredities, we all remain creatures that are all “out of Africa.”  Think the original Adam and Eve were white?  Your right, I guess.  Still, here I am, born in the South, raised in the South, living in South Carolina, and I tell you, friend, while I am and have been an independent from the beginning of my political life, I am now considering joining with the Democratic party to work for that party and help it in its attempts to win in South Carolina in the upcoming election and in the election of 2020.  And, even though you may find some people I know who will tell you “he’s just an outsider at heart who wants you to think he knows something you ought to consider while he is, of course, wrong in every way,” yes, even though there are some out there who would say this about me and others like me, I feel the following needs to be said, and I hope everyone might give these thoughts some consideration in spite of the strength of that particular bone they may have in their heads that overwhelms any attempt they may make to give the least bit of realistic consideration to anything that may go counter to what they have believed for, say, since Trump was elected as well as, perhaps, for a few more years before that.

And, to elaborate just a bit more, while I would undoubtedly disagree with those who would criticize my current political thinking, and while I would still fight (as I once was privileged so to do, thanks to an angry draft) for their right to criticize me at any time for my thoughts and wishes in the matter of what needs to be done in South Carolina, and, yes, in America in general, I must say, while they probably will not find much to agree with here, it’s just because they and their minds are so steeped in the past and rooted in the current across the board Republicanism of our state that they refuse to give one iota of consideration to anything anyone might say that could be considered critical of that kind of thinking, especially after having read the beginning of this “letter.”

When I was in High School, I was part of a South Carolina that was part of the solid “Democratic South” that had been in charge in the South for years and years.  It wasn’t until Strom Thurmond made his decision to change parties in 1964, stating the Democratic party had grown away from him and his thinking to the extent that he really had no choice but to change parties, that things began to change.  Most would say Strom was right to do what he did.  As also, so I believe, would be any other politician doing this today, but, of course, that politician would have to go in the opposite direction than did our venerated Strom. 

You see, today our political situation is the exact opposite of what Strom found in 1964.  Today it’s the Republican party that has roamed away from its roots and become the staid party of choice in South Carolina, doing all sorts of nothing for years to maintain our roads, our state parks, our public utilities, and all sorts of other things that, quite simply, required funding over and above that which was provided after Strom made his move and others throughout the South followed.  “Ah’ve nevah in my whole cahreah voted for a tax increase” was how one politician put it, suspecting (rightly) that his constituency would find this to be just one more reason to return him to office at the next regularly scheduled election.  (And return him they did.) 

And now, what do you suppose the name of the game might be?  Well, for one thing, there is that tax increase found at our gasoline pumps.  That’s right, a tax increase, one that our Republican controlled legislature approved sometime about a year ago, or so, one that is currently going into effect.  This tax increase is being used to fund construction on our highways and bridges as we speak, something that just might give those current legislators something to brag about (not the tax increase, mind you, just the construction) in advance of our next general election.  “See how we’re improving our state’s transportation system?  Do you think the Democrats would be doing this?” is what we might expect to hear, wouldn’t you think?

How many others might come to the conclusion along with me that would allow them to move in opposition to the current majority in our legislature?  Also to consider is how many of that majority might be thinking there just might be something questionable about that “base” that is considered to be supportive of President Trump in all things.  This President may be on a path that would change our mostly bicameral legislature into a more viable tricameral grouping (if there is such a thing) that would be more representative of those in the electorate, some of whom might give up their “independent” status and join some Republicans and some Democrats to form a third party—one that might even become controlling in future elections.  Would this be a good thing?  You be the judge. 

And so it goes.  What is needed now is for someone, some strong leader in our legislature, to consider being the Strom of our era and allow a migration from the Republican party to the Democratic or, even better, to that middle party suggested here sometime in the near future.  Could this happen, my friend?  Perhaps.  And then what?

It’s said that politics breeds strange bedfellows.  Hang onto your hats, folks:  With RINO Trump at the helm in Washington, breeding season could be just around the corner.

Stephen V. Geddes

Aiken

Politics, politics, don’t we all love politics.

My wife is, on occasion, an active Facebooker.  She also is currently being barraged (as are we all) by the current crop of political wannabes and “their” PAC’s and she has developed (as have we all) a certain amount of opinion from the experience.  Not too very long ago she decided she is not a “Republican,” nor is she a “Democrat.”  Nor is she (as am I) an “Independent.”  It seems she has done a good bit of reading about the “Libertarians,” probably due to my Cousin Joe’s posts, and that, so she says, fits her to a Tee. 

Fine.  Who knows, with the current selectees-apparent of the two “major” “parties, I could find myself on board with her too. 

By current “selectees,” I am counting on the opinions of the two so-called “leading” candidates, i.e., T. rump for the Reps and Hillary (Good Wife) for the Dems.  I guess one might ask why I have negative feelings about both these sterling candidates.  Well, no particular reasons—other than, perhaps, the following:

Let’s start with GW Hillary.  In spite of her long list of political qualifications, some of which the Reps may point out as being as much a negative as a positive for her, I just can’t understand why, in a country of 300 million people, anyone would think we would need not one, but two “Clinton” Presidencies.  The first “Clinton” Presidency will best be remembered by the phrase “I did not have sex with that woman!”  Now, the current Clinton candidacy  gives us: "I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email."  Why, oh why, would anyone want to bring that kind of “stuff” back to our oval office?  Who do you suppose might be invited to inspect the underside of our Presidential desk the next time we might invite a “Clinton” to occupy it?  Is there not a single person in the 200,000,000 (a WAG) or so eligible Americans who might be able to do as good a job as she?  I suspect there is at least one other—maybe a few thousand—who might do as good a job.  Maybe even T. rump (then maybe not.)  The Reps agreed we did not need another “Bush.”  What is taking the Dems so long to come to a similar decision?  We need a President—not a “Good Wife.”

Now—as to T. rump—you may have noticed how I have taken the liberty of slightly modifying The Donald’s last name to fit my own nefarious purposes.  In his own way, he is sort of a Tyrannosaurus, is he not?  He tried to eat a couple of lovely Ms’s early in the campaign, alienating quite a few of their sisters.  He tried to eat one of our two closest neighbors, wanting them to build a fence (“and they will pay for it.”)  He’s trying to eat quite a few of us when he singled out a religion for his Islamiphobic purposes, un-American though that may be.  The only question is: Who or what will he be setting his sights on next?  Is this presidential behavior?  Well, while it might be appropriate for the “Boss,” it is not and never will be “Presidential” behavior.  (My thoughts, “T. rump, ‘you’re fired!’”)

Candidates:  Zero for two so far.  How about those “Libertarians?”  My choice would have been Dr. Joseph G. Buchman.    Since, for some reason they selected a guy who’s already been dismissed by the voting public once, I’ll have to do some serious thinking here.  Dr. Buchman’s recommendation will probably carry the day, in this case, mainly because I happen to know just a bit about him (the good Ph.D.,) and he is one good judge of character.   And, as for that “Boss” business, if you want an interesting take on it, one you might have heard before, but one that seems to apply, you might go to: http://stephenvgeddes.blogspot.com/2012/12/oldie-but-goodie-what-it-takes-to-be.html .