dagblog - Comments for "republicans proffer a secular governor from New York State"

Thanks, Ramona. I was in knee

Oxy Mora — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:12:38 +0000

In reply to Oxy, fascinating info about

Thanks, Ramona. I was in knee pants when I watched my Dad climb the steps of a caboose and shake Truman's hand on his famous whistle stop tour through Ohio. My Dad was a New Deal Democrat and nothing could have persuaded him to vote for Dewey. He took all bets at his Elk's club at 10 to 1. We kids had made him promise to buy a television set if Truman won, and we were amply rewarded with a large console with a 6" screen.

You mention "shame". I think you are right, this is the quality that appears to be missing in our political life. One could argue that shame has never been part of the political process--be a good subject to explore.

A wise person once differentiated between "shame" and "guilt" as a parenting psychology. Shame is more typical of Northern climes and guilt more typical of Souther climes (speaking of that part which is of European heritage). The kind of "shameless" and "he's-not--entitled" disciplining of Obama by the religious right seems new--actually I like "entitled disciplining".

Oxy, fascinating info about

Ramona — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:52:03 +0000

In reply to republicans proffer a secular governor from New York State

Oxy, fascinating info about Dewey. I really had no idea! I was 11 years old when Truman won over Dewey, and when we heard it on the radio everyone in the room took to cheering and clapping and yelling, including us kids who had no idea what we were yelling about but we were all having fun so it must have been good.

Dewey was the enemy then and I, of course, being a good Democrat, never really cared about him, so this was a real eye-opener. Oh, for that kind of civility, that kind of service again.

There were and are no perfect politicians, but there was a time when some of them could at least be shamed into doing the right thing. Those days are behind us, I'm afraid, which makes what's coming ahead so frightening. And what makes what you've researched and written about here so compelling. Thanks.

Yeah, I love that line. .

MrSmith1 — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:36:30 +0000

In reply to Had you heard of Dewey's line

Yeah, I love that line. .

It sure points to how the GOP

trkingmomoe — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:51:03 +0000

In reply to republicans proffer a secular governor from New York State

It sure points to how the GOP has lost it's way and it's roots in the last quarter of the 20th century.

Had you heard of Dewey's line

Oxy Mora — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:13:11 +0000

In reply to Imagine my surprise when I

Had you heard of Dewey's line to Stassen, "You can't shoot an idea with a gun" Apparently the remark hit home and helped Dewey greatly in following primaries.

I didn't know the expression

Oxy Mora — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:07:13 +0000

In reply to Imagine my surprise when I

I didn't know the expression was related to Dewey.

My mother who was a life long Democrat referred to Bill Clinton as "slick Willey"

Thanks. I agree with you

Oxy Mora — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:04:17 +0000

In reply to Republicans of old were

Thanks. I agree with you about the white supremacist core of the "tea party" today. From Time:

"Against powerful opposition Dewey supported a law which declared that the right of employment cannot be abridged because of race, creed, color, or national origin. This was the first such law enacted in any state in the union--a pioneer achievement."

Imagine my surprise when I

MrSmith1 — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0000

In reply to republicans proffer a secular governor from New York State

Imagine my surprise when I found out that the description of Dewey as looking like "the little man on the wedding cake" originated with Alice Roosevelt Longworth and not my mother, who repeated the line whenever anyone mentioned Dewey's name.

Republicans of old were

rmrd0000 — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:17:50 +0000

In reply to republicans proffer a secular governor from New York State

Republicans of old were different critters. The GOP's 1940 Presidential candidate, Wendell Wilkie, had a much better record on Civil Rights issues of the day than FDR. Today, the GOP has many folks longing for the "good old days" where Blacks were out of sight and out of mind. It's manifested by the "I want my country back" feeling expressed by many in the GOP and Tea Party.

No, just poetic license. I

Oxy Mora — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:14:45 +0000

In reply to Say it ain't so, Oxy! As a

No, just poetic license. I wouldn't vote for him. But I did find it interesting to research Dewey. If he was thought of as a "liberal" in the Republican party of the day, can you imagine him even being in the party today. I thought the industrial organization referred to was relevant--why the hell aren't we doing today what was done during WWII and aftermath. What is it we've lost. Sometimes I think it's the fear of failure, coming up with a program and having it fail. Perhaps it is the loss of the "can do" quality--that the divisions of wealth in the country, and the general rancor, no longer make us think of ourselves as one society which could pull together in a patriotic effort.

As for Pataki, what remains of the Eastern Establishment seems to be rattling the bushes to come up with someone who can derail Perry. If he does make a run I wonder if he'll make more of an empty suit of himself by cavorting with the religious right.

That's by way of saying Dewey is looking pretty good by today's standards.