Hidden issues important in politics

Carrol Vertrees

Updated: May 23, 2012 8:09AM

In their run for the White House, the Republican folks give us more diatribe than dialogue. They could not even decide who is fairest of them all, conservatively speaking.

They surely proved they are more imaginative than the Democrats. They impress me, but in all of their shouting, they did not cover issues that I think are vital — issues very personal to me.

Consider this, folks. Mitt Romney’s dad, a fellow named George, was the head guy at a big automobile company years ago. I bought one of those cars, and it was a real lemon. Was it George’s fault? Well, he ran the place.

I read somewhere about the sins of the father, etc. That was before we had cars or so many rich politicians, but I can’t just forget it. So, I ask myself, do I want a president whose genes have a trace of lemon?

And then, in my admirable devotion to fairness, I think of the wonderful Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Romney, as you know, is a Mormon. Some folks don’t like that, but when I hear that choir sing, I am lifted. I soar. I don’t know if Mitt Romney can sing, but I feel better about him when I hear that music.

It is these profound, hidden issues that should help us decide who or whom to vote for.

When President Obama took office, a Republican senator from a Southern state declared with great solemnity that “Our goal is to beat Obama.” He did not say why, but it may be linked to Obama’s impressive left-hand shot that he displays in pickup basketball games. We can’t have a president playing basketball with ordinary fellows. Right?

The Republican campaigns touch U.S. senators, too, including Indiana’s own Richard Lugar, who has been in Washington for years, a steady cerebral presence.

Even as I may disagree with some of Lugar’s votes, I remember an issue that makes me feel good about him. He has been a prominent Methodist for decades, and I know that he will stand up for the Methodist Potluck reputation against all enemies, foreign or domestic. That is a personal thing with me, but it is important. Undecided Methodists probably should consider that. I don’t know about Lutherans.

Years ago, a fellow from Elnora served a term in the Indiana General Assembly. When he came home, he made this profound statement: “Some of them fellers are as crooked as a barrel of guts.” He alluded to Democrats.

But it did not matter to my dad, a Democrat, who sang with this fellow in a gospel quartet. They were old friends, and wisely they did not let politics keep them from harmonizing. I have never forgotten that.

The erosion of civility has put our political climate into a kind of freeze, and it will not thaw during this presidential run. It will just get worse.

We don’t know what the candidates believe, because they usually say what we want to hear, and we have selective hearing.

I will just have to ponder. I ponder easier since recovering nicely from a bypass thing, though not necessarily smarter. I am tempted to put on a Tabernacle CD, think about pickup basketball and potlucks, and sleep through the ugly campaign that is ahead of us.

But I won’t. I want to see how bad it can get. I hope it is not a lemon.

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