The Post-Journal

Observing Chaos In The Congress

LOCAL COMMENTARIES

JAN 21, 2023

ROLLAND KIDDER

 Chaos in politics in never a good thing. It leads nowhere, and it usually accomplishes nothing. But, we had a big dose of it recently watching, over several days, the 15 votes that it took to elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

You may find this hard to believe, but I don’t think such chaos even helps Democrats. They sat by as helpless as a flounder in the sand. There should be no “I told you so” coming from Democrats. That doesn’t help anyone.

I used to think that it was the Democratic Party which was the most disorganized of the two major political parties. I happened to be a delegate to the 1980 Democratic Convention where the Party engaged in a week-long battle between its then sitting President, Jimmy Carter, and forces supporting the insurgent candidacy of Ted Kennedy. That fracas, of course, ended up helping elect the next Republican President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

Perhaps, that would argue that the chaos in the House surrounding the election of McCarthy might help Democrats. Yet, they shouldn’t count on it. Right now, I would say that the country has an attitude of “pox on both their houses.” People are just fed up, in general, with things going on in Washington.

What the “dust-up” in Washington illustrated to me is that the Republican Party is in great flux. Right now, the culture warriors in the Party have turned on each other. “Who is the true MAGA believer?” “Who really supports Donald Trump?” “Who has really drunk the Kool-Aid or only purports to?”

For what it’s worth, I see this culture-warrior wing of the Republican Party beginning its descent into irrelevance. The old Republican Party of pro-business, smaller government, private sector-leaning believers will be coming back. It is just a question of how and when.

Traditionally, our deepest commitment to our political leaders has always, ultimately, been grounded in the ideals of the country–Washington with independence, Lincoln with saving the union and ending slavery, or Franklin Roosevelt with lifting the country out of the Great Depression.

Our focus on political leadership has never before been “divide and conquer,” “stop the election,” “crush the immigrants.” The Trump era is in decline. It is just a matter of how long it takes. And, I, for one, can’t wait until it is over.

I have always thought that politics in America is like a giant pendulum. It swings back and forth. Just as you are thinking that the Democrats can never win the Presidency again…they come up with Franklin Roosevelt who wins four terms. Yet, after five terms of Roosevelt and Truman, the Republicans bounce back and Dwight Eisenhower is elected President for two terms.

The pendulum continues to swing. Maybe the chaos in the House, will help swing the balance of power in the Republican Party back towards the middle. If so, it will have accomplished something. Aside from that, the free-for-all, or free-fall, we experienced watching the recent, politically dysfunctional antics in the House will have served no useful purpose.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident and a former New York state Assembly member.

 

The Post-Journal

 

Having All Ages Together Is Important

LOCAL COMMENTARIES

DEC 31, 2022

ROLLAND KIDDER

 At a holiday party recently, a young woman and mother, half my age–came up to me and said: “Isn’t it wonderful that we have all of these generations gathered here in the same place?!”

There were old-timers like me there, sequestered in chairs trying to stay on the fringes of the party and not get trampled. There were young Moms and Dads running things and dominating the kitchen. And then… there were kids of all ages (down to kindergarten) milling around having a good time and many focused on loading their plates with cookies.

I have thought about that young woman’s comments, and believe that she really put her finger on something. It is important that there be gatherings and interactions between people of all ages, of different generations. It reminds us of who we are.

Opposed to the positives in such gatherings are other instincts which tend to thwart them. For example, now, as a bona fide senior citizen, I find that I want things that are simple, uncluttered and yes, quiet. I don’t appreciate the noise and “hullabaloo” of life as I did when I was younger. I love seeing my grandchildren, but I also look forward to getting to bed early where I can turn out the lights, shut out the noise and get a good night’s sleep.

I seem to have zero interest in what the latest fad is, or who is topping out on the song charts. When people talk of jazz, I think of Brubeck. (Who was that?) And, my music tastes tend toward country western, and not what I call “rock/rap” where a few words are repeated over and over to the accompaniment of loud “bangy” noise that the kids today call music. As you can see, I haven’t figured out yet why the younger half of the world is doing what it does.

I am especially resistant to cell phones. I have one so that my wife can keep track of me. But, it irks me when I see my grandkids glued to one so much of the time. As to social media–forget it! A telephone call and at most an e mail, are good enough for me.

So, there are impediments to mixing the generations together.

I am sure the differences are also apparent from the other end of the age spectrum: “What are these old fogies thinking?” “Are they thinking?” “I love them but I have no idea of who Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were.” “Where does my Papa come up with this stuff?” “Why does he keeping talking about World War II?” etc.

Yet, it is in these indescribable differences we have, that there is a richness in relationship. Someday they will be where I am. I was once where they are. They know that someday they will look like me–gray hair and all. People say that a young girl looks just like her mother, who, in turn, looks just like her grandmother. It is all a part of the mix.

I am glad that we sometimes have such a mix of people and ages together. That young lady who said so over the holidays was right. Getting the generations together is a good thing.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident and a former member of the state Assembly.