Published: December 02, 2008 10:38 am            

A Reader's View: Political theater as it has involved me

Editor:

The first time I was aware of the political theater was when FDR died. I can’t say I remember him dying so much as I remember the three days of music on the radio. It might have been chamber music. Not sure. The other thing was it knocked off all the kid serials that I listened too, “Sky King,” “The Green Hornet,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Terry and the Pirates” and at night my folks turned on “Inter-Sanctum” with the lights out and a handkerchief over the dial so there was no light showing. Spooky. There was just nothing. Just music.

The next thing was Truman whistle stopping on a train that stopped next to the Franklin Grade School I went to, in the city of Mt. Vernon. Now you’d think with all those historic names he would find a receptive audience. Not to be. They let us out of school to hear him. The only thing I really remember was somebody tossed a tomato at him. I don’t remember it hitting him, but it stopped the speech.

Next in high school we had debates in some of the classes about Adlai Stevens, home stater, Taft and Eisenhower among others. No big deal, although the Taft supporters were the most vocal.

Later I was able to vote. Hardly ever voted for the winner. Voted for Nixon when he lost and against him when he won. I was for McGovern, give peace a chance. Ha! Might be a good thing he lost. Now I’ve voted for a loser again. Well, honestly, it didn’t make much difference which candidate I voted for, they’re both losers. I lived in Chicago for 22 years before coming to California in the hopes of never having to hear the high rhetoric that emanates from that cesspool again. Now, I don’t know which of the ex-presidents said it but I think it was one of them; “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Another proverb down the drain. I don’t think we’ve hit bottom yet but we’re getting close. No stock market stooge has jumped yet but they may be opening windows. Lets hope this “change” is for the better.

Jim McElvain

Saugus, Calif.

        

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