I try to stay on the sidelines when it comes to national politics, but sometimes it’s just not possible. Ask Woody Hayes. Now, stay with me, because I ‘m about to wander off into the tall grass. Woody Hayes was the long-time head football coach at Ohio State. Woody was old school in every way. Truth be told, Woody was just plain old, period. But his love and undying passion for the Buckeyes had never faltered. At the 1978 Gator Bowl between Clemson and Ohio State, Coach Hayes claimed his place in the hallowed halls of football lore when he stepped out of the sidelines, on to the field and delivered a knuckle sandwich to a Clemson player who had just intercepted the ball and was headed to the goal line to win the game, 17 to 15. I was watching the game, and like most of the rest of the country, I was astonished. Back in 1978, things like that just didn’t happen, especially on live TV. Woody got off the sidelines and got fired the next day after coaching at Ohio State for 28 years. There are serious penalties for getting off the sidelines. But be that as it may, here I go.
It is astonishing what a difference a week can make. In around the last seven days, parts of the United States government have been partially shut down again, and people working there are not getting paid. This includes the Transportation Security Administration and other sections of the Department of Homeland Security. This is a dangerous and irresponsible breach of government’s obligation to the safety of its citizens. As I see it, this is largely due to the Democrats moving the goalposts and demanding a laundry list of changes associated with ICE and immigration enforcement policy before they will agree to fund these vital agencies. This is simply the only arrow left in the Democrat’s quiver. They are holding these agencies and the people in the country hostage because they have chosen the hill of Biden’s open-door immigration to be where they make their last stand. Astonishing!
In the last week, the President delivered the State of the Union address. It was also astonishing to witness the grammar school behavior, rampant disruption and the lack of respect orchestrated by Democrats. Dissent is fine, but Democrats and Republicans alike should respect the positions they hold, the institutions of our government, the obligations to their constituents, and most especially the office of the President regardless of who occupies it. The conduct of the Democrats was a sad mixture of amateur theatrics and just plain embarrassment to the party. I still haven’t figured out what the giraffes and frogs were all about. I guess it was biting satire from the extreme left. But in the words of a review from the very liberal Atlantic Monthly magazine, and I quote,”It was just plain weird.” Astonishing!
Finally, in the last few days, our country for better or worse has entered into armed conflict with the Islamic nation of Iran. In the coming days, there will be raging controversy concerning this action. Again, dissent is expected and acceptable. However, it is astonishing that leaders of the Democrat party have already condemned the intent, the process and the justification of this move. As the old saying goes: “Partisanship stops at the water’s edge”. At the very least, support for our military who are now in harm’s way should not even be questioned. While disagreement and debate on foreign policy may be conducted at home, a single, united front must prevail when our country is dealing with a recognized threat abroad. Astonishing.
So there you have it. I am sure my friends in the Democrat camp may be wondering if I have gotten permanently lost in that tall grass I talked about earlier. All I can say is that I have developed a low threshold for astonishment and the loyal opposition has regrettably not only crossed the line but disappeared down the road into the land of frogs, giraffes and tone-deaf Congressmen from the party of the Donkey.
