It was while commenting on Doobster’s post, Art Imitating Life or Life Imitating Art, that I realized that the unthinkable had happened. It’s true.
Doobster made me look back, and I thought of the men in my past.
George.
And George.
And Ronnie.
Now I find myself looking back fondly. Longing for Dick.*
I’m gonna be sick. Google, why’d you do this to me?
I wish I were kidding.
Often, I’ve realized that if the GOP hadn’t gone completely over the edge into fanaticism, that I’d be a Republican.
Google Me This
Because, you see, I remember when Republicans were not crazy. When they were a valuable part of the strong government that built our country into the envy of the world.
When they were not out only to protect their rich buddies. When they knew how to govern.
When they could compromise. More importantly, when compromise was the goal, because they knew that THAT is how government works. And good government works for everybody.
I remember the wonderful things that were done in the 1970s — Environmental laws, highways funded, bridges built. Government FUCKING WORKED.
But starting with Reagan, the image makers changed the face of government – remember:
Reagan put folks into Cabinet positions who didn’t believe in government. The Energy and Education Departments were led by folks whose job was to destroy the agencies. The Environmental Protection Administration was led by Anne Gorsuch who didn’t promulgate the regulations that she had to — by law — promulgate. People were put into levels of responsibility to thwart the laws they were supposed to administer.
So yes, I am sitting here looking back through history and realizing that the GOP has, in leaps and bounds, ensured that government doesn’t work. [I’ve said for years, why do people want to elect folks to government who don’t’ believe in government? What is the fucking point of that?]
It was compounded by George H.W. and then by George W. who put more and more jokers in positions of power.
And what a surprise, the government doesn’t work any more.
So now I find myself looking back fondly to Richard Nixon. My, ummm, hero.
Google, natch.
Is there no limit to what these Republican will do to me?
* Yeah, I know I skipped Jerry. But he served on a naval ship with my Dad in WWII during a typhoon and Gerald Ford saved the ship. So I cut Jerry some serious slack. Sue me.
FiftyFourandAHalf 
I would have been a lifelong independent who ALWAYS voted Democratic, but I have felt driven to declare myself a Democrat simply to make a stand against the Republicans and their crazy venomous obstructionism. I will ALWAYS vote for the people over business, I will ALWAYS vote to take care of our young, our elderly, our underprivileged. I was raised by a widow on social security and will never mind repaying that debt out of gratitude and paying it forward tot he next generation.
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You said it!
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Reblogged this on Ninasusan.
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Couldn’t have said it better. I think Reagan would’ve been a fun neighbor to go chop wood with on his ranch, but he was the first one to give the “keys to the kingdom” to the wealthy. I don’t really think we’ve had a good President since the early days of LBJ, when he put the full weight of the federal government behind enforcing (some at least) of the civil rights laws, and before he stayed in Vietnam too long.
Thank you for the Nixon “shut up hippie” thing. First laugh I’ve had today.
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Glad to oblige with the Nixon/hippie picture. It cracked me up, too. And welcome to my blog — you have a great blog name.
I would have liked to live next to Reagan, too. He seemed like an affable, senile old coot, didn’t he. I was shocked, shocked to learn he had Alzheimers. Who would have guessed it.
And yes, I think so much of the shit we are dealing with in our country today can be placed squarely in front of Reagan — for reasons we both pointed out. Before Reagan, going into the government was an honorable thing to do; now it is for chumps. So it’s surprising (shocked, shocked again!) that it doesn’t work, isn’t it.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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oh my gosh, now i’m longing for dick too. haha
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Get in line, sister. Get in line!
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“Longing for Dick” probably the best title ever! I don’t think people realize they don’t have to LIKE the candidate for god sakes, they’re not getting married, they just have to LIKE the fact that this is the person who is going to VOTE on bills that have a direct effect on their lives. WTF is wrong with people?!
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Yes! Yes! Yes!!! People are such dolts. Especially te ones who voted for Dubya because tgey thought he’d be fun to have a beer with!
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It’s interesting to think about the things we have let our government get away with, and those we impeach for. Geez! It really is ‘Wag the Dog’.
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At this point, a crook who gets things done is much better than a sanctimonious pratt who doesn’t.
(But my longing for Nixon is tongue in cheek. Mostly)
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perhaps my favorite thing of all about this post (other than the obvious) is that you attached the category “disgustology” to the post, and tagged it “crazy people” … that alone makes it sing with perfect harmony
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apparently you aren’t the only one with Dick on the mind
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/elvis-nixon-michael-shannon-kevin-spacey-new-movie-101924921472.html
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That’s hilarious!
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Categories and tags are so much fun — nobody ever comments on them though. But yes, the election results land firmly into “disgustology.” I am depressed, dispirited, disheartened. Not to mention distainful of all the folks who voted against their own bloomin’ interests.
Oh well. I will survive.
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thanks for sharing the funny video. (alien? crashing disco ball? only in our world does that make perfect sense). anything to take away the sting. I’ve been trying to distract myself all day (from feeling crummy) and ended up vegging out on about six episodes of House Hunter’s International. Morocco, Taiwan, Netherlands, Australia, Scotland, and some place near the Tanggula Mountains (of Tibet). Figured maybe a virtual trip around the world would help change my perspective.
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Perfect!
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TGIF? hope you have a good Friday today. 🙂
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Thanks! You too.
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I came of age with Reagan’s Presidency (graduated high school in 1982) and I now look back fondly at his time in office. Somewhat. I agree that he started the anti-government revolution, but compared to the yokels who fill the Republican Party these days? I’ll take him any day of the week.
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Comparatively speaking. Bit it is hard for me to have any affection for the rock thst started the landslide.
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I agree, but I think even Reagan would be embarrassed by the current crop. As anti-government as he was, he still worked with Dems to address problems facing the country. That just doesn’t exist these days.
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But the folks that came in with him, who drank his cool-aid? They didn’t. They didn ‘t believe in cooperation. I was a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill in the 1980’s. I saw the glacier arrive. It wasnot pretty. And global climate change had no impact on it, sadly.
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Well, you were much closer to the action then so I cede to your superior experience. From afar, as a college student, as much as I couldn’t stand his policies, and now looking back thirty years later, Reagan personally seemed to recognize the need for cooperation. But you are right, he did bring anti-government zealots into government — an odd thing I have never understood. They hate it so much, but so many of them have spent their careers in the belly of the beast they can’t stand.
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It happened slowly — a few bad apples came in and didn’t want to cooperate, didn’t believe in compromise. Then a few more. In the pre-Reagan days, the Senate (especially) really was a big club, and the men (and they were all men) got along and socialized together across party lines. Their wives were friends, their kids went to the same school. This Wikipedia site shows the tally — and who lost: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_1980. That’s when McGovern lost his seat. And Frank Church, another really fine Senator. Dan Quayle and Steve Symms came in. Quayle the dope that we know. Symms was just nasty. He stands out to me as the first of the asshole generation of Senators — the “my way or the highway” folks. And bit by bit it got worse. Was that Reagan’s fault? Yes and no. He brought them with him, he was their leader and he should have taught them what to do and how to act. They should have emulated his “after 5” we’re friends mentality. They didn’t. And I could be wrong, but I don’t think he wanted them to. They served his purpose to stop government from working.
Oh dear, when did I get back up on my soap box? I didn’t even notice doing it!
(This issue is near and dear to my heart. It’s like being with a loved one dying.)
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It’s near and dear to me as well, but in a different way. I work in State Government for an elected official who is retiring this year after 40 years in politics. He started in the Legislature back when it was much like you describe the old days of the U.S. Senate. Here in California, though, we blame term limits for the breakdown in compromise and cooperation. Since they will never be in office for more than six or eight years, they have no loyalty to the institution or each other and just when they finally get to the point where they might actually have some knowledge and expertise, they have to leave because of term limits. There are no friends anymore in state politics. Makes it very hard for them to trust each other and work together.
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Term limits ensure that only yhe staff knows what’s up and how to get things done. And they’re not elected or accountable. Bad bad bad. (No aspersions on you at all. You obviously care). People put in place the very yhings that screw up government and then complain about it not working Ahhhhhhh
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Exactly. And with each new cycle of legislators they just attach more “reform” and new programs — which really means just another layer of rules to serve to make things more complicated and difficult to implement. I’m five years to retirement. My only hope is to get out before it collapses. And it’s not just staff it’s the lobbyists and outside consultants who have the power now. Politicians are just figureheads.
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Oh Lord, Me Too
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Revolting, ain’t it?
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Entirely
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Thank goodness… I thought for a minute you meant Dick Cheney…
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Well, to be honest, I do long to waterboard him. Is that so terrible?
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no… I dream of running over Rush Limbaugh with a road grader and then using him as fertilizer… I think I did a post about it.
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Waterboard Cheney? Run over Limbaugh with a road grader? My friends, where have you been all my life?!?!?!
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In blue states?
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I’m in California … just about the bluest state there is these days. No Republican has won a statewide office since 2006.
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Then i have no explanation. Except perhaps for a temporal anomoly. They explain so many unexplainable things.
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Floating around… refining our skills… perfecting our madness… harnessing our crack squirrels…
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I think it’s time to unleash the hoards … of crack squirrels, that is.
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All you need is two of them… they will become a hoard within a week or two.
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I think if everyone who was eligible to vote in this country voted, the results would look different. I don’t think many of those elected yesterday represent the views of the majority of Americans. Or at least I keep telling myself that. The alternative is too scary.
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You’re probably right. But it doesn’t matter, because these are the jerks we are stuck with. And the only thing to be done about it is to vote in 2 years time. And guess what? The same idiots will stay home and saddle us with a new batch.
I guess I am a wee bit discouraged. Just a bit. A tad. I mean, I’m looking back fondly at Richard Nixon.
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I used to be a Republican. True confessions. It has been quite a few years since we parted ways. Irreconcilable differences.
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I’m guessing you kept your mind when they lost their collective one.
I was a low level lobbyist in the late 70s and early 80s. Republican policies were reasonable — they balanced well against the Democrats policies. It was like a see-saw. Each got to go up and down in turn and everything balanced out.
Now? Hardly.
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I was not a fan of Ronald Reagan, but I wasn’t a fan of Jimmy Carter, either. I actually voted for Gerald Ford over Carter in ’76. In ’80, not being able to bring myself to vote for either Carter or Reagan, I voted for third party candidate John Anderson. I pretty much think our government has been broken since the early 70s, although it seemed that things were going pretty well under Bill Clinton until he freed Little Willie with Monica. That was a setback.
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The 76 election was the first I was old enough to vote in — and I didn’t. I’d just moved to Boston and didn’t get registered in time. That’s the only one I’ve missed. I too voted for Anderson — Reagan was crazy and wayyyyy to old and Carter was ineffective. But I have felt guilty about voting for Anderson ever since and I learned my lesson about 3rd party candidates — they leave you with the least desirable of all possible outcomes. Reagan led to George H.W. (who was the least bad of the bunch) and the Dubya.
I never cared what Clinton did with Monica or Jennifer or Hillary for that matter. I don’t care about any man’s zipper problem (other than my husband whose zipper is firmly in place, thank you very much). Really, what impact does it have on his ability to govern. Sex and power have always gone together and will always go together. We need to stop being such Puritans about a natural act (I was just pontificating — I don’t think you have a zipper problem or a problem with other folks’ zippers. But then I hardly know you so maybe you do!)
I am just so disgusted that this election has made Nixon — a certifiable crook — look good by comparison. What’s wrong with this picture???
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My only issue with Bill and Monica, et. al., was that it took the country’s eyes off the ball. Well, perhaps a bad choice of words there. It was a major distraction and I think yet another factor that contributed to the great divide between the two major political parties.
It’s is remarkable how, when we look back at the Nixon years, by comparison, he wasn’t that bad. That thought makes me want to throw up in my mouth.
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Yes to the last thought. And to the distraction point, too. But then Newt was doing exactly the same thing at the same time he was prosecuting Clinton. I do hate hypocrites.
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I’m sharing this with Anthony, since it says what I was unable to express pre-coffee at 5am. Thanks for that …
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It is a sad state of affairs when Dick Nixon looks good, isn’t it? Oy.
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I am liking on the words and the sentiment, not that I liked Nixon. What I know of him at least.
I’m also avoiding the news. Still. When all else fails, play ostrich.
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I didn’t like Nixon either. But the government worked — even when you look at the fact that he was forced to resign. The government did what it was supposed to do. IT WORKED!
Oy.
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I feel that Washington cooperation ended when Ted Kennedy died. He was the guy who got people to work together, to compromise (when that was not a dirty word), to get something DONE.
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He was the best, no contest. But there used to be others. In fact, until Reagan came into office with a wave of GOP Senators in 1980, that was how things got done. It is no surprised that things have gone downhill since then. Because we elect petulant tantrum throwers not statesmen. And when I say “we” I mean “they” of course.
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