Our Political Culture is Quickly (D)evolving
Kindergarteners know how to fix it
In 1972 Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-Mo.) was nominated to be the VP candidate on the ticket with Presidential candidate George McGovern (D-SD).
Shortly thereafter it was revealed that Sen. Eagleton had a history of being hospitalized for nervous exhaustion and fatigue. He underwent electroshock treatment. The uproar began and within 18 days the VP nomination was withdrawn. Sargent Shriver replaced Sen. Eagleton on the ticket that eventually lost 49 of the 50 states in the November election against incumbent President Richard Nixon.
Exactly 50 years later, Herschel Walker has become the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia. During the campaign it has been revealed that among several behavioral peccadillos, Mr. Walker physically abused the mother of one of his children and threatened her with a gun to her head. The candidate said he “does not recall the incident.” Mr. Walker has a history of dissociative identity disorder, a mental health issue.
The consequence of this admission has not affected the viability of Mr. Walker’s campaign. He continues to receive the full-throated endorsement and financial support of the RNC.
In 1992 VP Dan Quayle denounced a fictional tv character, Murphy Brown, for openly and proudly birthing a baby out of wedlock. The Republican Party was all about “Family Values” and the VP found it to be a cultural sin that an unwed Mother character would be atop the national tv viewership ratings.
Forward now to 2022 again. That same candidate for the U.S Senate, Herschel Walker, has lied about at least four children he had out of wedlock.
Once again, the RNC doubled down on their support for Mr. Walker.
Finally, the bedrock issue of the Republican Party since 1973 has been the repeal of Roe v. Wade. They succeeded in this crusade earlier this year.
It was reported this week that Candidate Walker, yes, that same beloved former football player from Georgia, covered the expense of an abortion for a woman he impregnated. Mr. Walker directly denies this allegation.
On top of this, Mr. Walker’s adult son, Christian, has taken to social media claiming Walker was an absentee father who had very little contact with him throughout his childhood.
In summary, here’s where our political culture has (d)evolved on these important issues:
· Mental Health Issues — (1972) This disqualified a candidate on a national ticket. (2022) Mental health issues involving domestic violence have no effect on a candidate’s campaign for the US. Senate.
· Family Values — (1989) This was a cornerstone issue in national political discourse. (2022) The same issues are totally ignored, and the endorsement of a flawed candidate moves along without interruption toward the November election.
· Abortion Rights — (1973) A woman’s right to abortion was approved by the Supreme Court. (2022) The crusade to overturn ended successfully. Many Republican candidates state their eventual goal is fully outlawing all abortions, while if the reporting is accurate, one of these candidates paid for an abortion for one of his many girlfriends.
Have we become more liberal in our political culture or are we just more openly hypocritical?
YES!
Do we live our stated ethical and moral standards if it interferes with our ability to win in politics?
NO!
Grantland Rice must have had it wrong when he said, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”
As we all learned in kindergarten or even before:
All you have to do is tell the truth and do the right thing.
Politicians seem to forget that as they devolve into their mature years.
