How It Once Was

 I have always pretty much been an FDR Democrat.

I was born in 1942, so that says that there was some lead/lag time involved; but I voted enthusiastically for Lyndon Johnson in 1964, which was the first time I was eligible to vote (I find it unbelievable that young people don't think that voting is more important than Tik Tok; but they don't, so I am told).  

I once saw Dion, in the middle of a musician strike, be a scab, come on stage, and sing Abraham, Martin and John, accompanied only by him on his guitar, no orchestra, they were on strike, but Dion had a message that he wanted to purvey, and that song says most of what voting, and giving a shit about yourself, your country and humanity might be all bout.

If it's about anything.

Which most people would like you to believe, anymore, it isn't.

And that, I guess, is because in the last fifty years all elections have boiled down to choosing between the lesser of two evils.

So the focus groups say.

With vigor and emphasis.

That's so easy to say.  

That must be why they all say it.

The focus groups.

But I think something way more sinister is afoot.

"Lesser of two evils" sounds erudite; so you can be stupid, and hide it; just say you are choosing the lesser of two evils and that's better than being a dumb fuck; or morally and intellectually vapid; in fact "lesser of two evils" sounds kinda like John Milton, non?

So, you not only must be erudite, but you are, also, harking back to your Puritan Heritage.

And what could be more white?

And erudite?

Poetry accidental but accepted.

In the waning days of 1966, I was in Portland waiting to get on a plane that would lead to a plane that would, ultimately, disgorge me off some plane, along with many more like me, onto the soil of Vietnam.

In my final days in Portland the race for the US Senate had heated up: Mark Hatfield, incumbent Republican governor was running for the Senate in a contest with Robert Duncan, Democrat opponent. 

Duncan was not thought to be going to win.

Hatfield was a very popular two term governor running for the Senate; all he had to do was put in campaign time until election day

That changed one day when Hatfield said he was against the Vietnam War.

No Republican said that; they all wanted to stop that domino.

But Hatfield saw the real situation, and he said he wouldn't support it.

And that was not a popular viewpoint.

But he followed his conscience and won the election anyway.

And that is why I still harbor delusions of a Republican Party that once stood for something.

Other than delusions, hate, unreason and christianity of a non-jesus, mega meeting, mega corporate, mega contribute, mega bullshit sort.

Of christianity.