Call For The Smelling Salts

Mustang Bobby at Bark Bark Woof Woof included a link to a Washington Post article, ‘Die quickly’ congressman new hero for Fla. Dems

While Grayson’s criticisms may play well with a room filled with Democratic activists, University of South Florida political science professor Susan MacManus said most people want civility in politics.

“To these people he obviously reflects reality, to others he reflects incivility,” said MacManus, who was at the convention.

Professor MacManus is Florida’s version of David Broder, i.e. widely quoted and normally totally out of sync with the world around her.

Politics is, and always was, a blood sport in the United States, and calls for civility are usually an attempt by the last party to commit some obvious political hit job to kill the backlash.

It hasn’t been a month since I posted on FDR’s response to an attack that referenced his dog, Fala, in 1944.

The Washington Post on MSNBC had a piece today on the lack of civility, including this gem from an earlier era:

“There are enough good people who believe in the flag and the Bible to seize and control the Government of America! . . . We must make our choice in the presence of atheistic Communistic influences! It is Tammany or Independence Hall! It is the Russian primer or the Holy Bible! It is the Red Flag or the Stars and Stripes! It is Lenin or Lincoln — Stalin or Jefferson!”

Rev. Gerald L.K. Smith 1936

A distant relative of mine, Rev. Samuel Dickerson Burchard, gained fame in the 1884 race between Grover Cleveland and James Blaine for this declaration:

“We are Republicans, and don’t propose to leave our party and identify ourselves with the party whose antecedents have been Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion.”

Maybe we should return to the “civility” of the “field of honor”, like 1804.

Statesmen are, and can afford to be, civil. Unfortunately we are stuck with politicians, so wear hip-waders and cover your mouth, because US politics are nasty.