It’s a question most of us (thankfully) will never have to worry about: What if we were held to account for something we did in the ’80s? What if we’d done something monumentally stupid in our youth, something that we may have learned a lesson from, but can’t erase? Did we know that we were going to be running for political office- perhaps even President- 30 years later? Of course not, because if we did, we’d have been living in a hermetically-sealed bubble.
Strap yourselves in…because I’m going to defend Rick Perry, which I’m normally loathe to do. Just the thought if it makes me feel as if I need a shower, but sometimes silly is just that.
You may or may not be familiar with, or even care about, the story of the hunting camp Perry’s family used at the beginning of his political career in Texas. The camp was called “Niggerhead”. That the name is offensive goes without saying…but there’s more to the story than that. This is where it gets folded, spindled, and mutilated into something that likely has nothing to do with the truth, but everything to do with Herman Cain’s political ambitions.
I could care less about what the truth of the story is, because it was 30 years ago. It has nothing to do with the here and now. Find me something reprehensible that’s contemporary, and I’ll be leading the charge to hang Rick Perry’s political ambitions by the short hairs. If we’re going to start condemning and demagoguing people for stupid, ill-advised things they (or their father) did 30 years ago, I’d submit that few of us would be squeaky-clean enough to run for office. Worse, the people left who would be aren’t going to be anyone we want near anything resembling power and responsibility.
Herman Cain may think he has a legitimate issue here, but what happened in the ’80s has nothing to do with the problems this country faces today. If this is the best he can do, then Cain clearly has nothing positive to offer. I know Perry doesn’t, but it has nothing to do with something that happened in the ’80s. None of the Republicans are offering anything except tired talking points, cheap propaganda, and accusations that Barack Obama is Satan Incarnate. That may play with with their knuckle-dragging, I-still-don’t-believe-the-President-is-American base, but it does nothing to move America forward. Then again, Republicans really don’t care about moving America forward, do they? All they care about is winning and power…and if they have to burn this country down to achieve those ends, then so be it. Pass the lighter fluid and grab the matches….
