Blog by Kristi Balden - "Flaming" liberal sounds so uninspiring, I'm more passionate than that. As the child of a Methodist Campus Minister, I grew up during the late 60's and early 70's in a hot-bed of political discourse. By the time I was six, I had not only met, but had fallen in love with George McGovern. His picture hung on my bedroom wall, right next to David Cassidy and Michael Jackson. Becoming a Democrat was more than just my destiny, it was my calling. (and the hallelujah choir sings)
Everything Will Be Okay, Trust Me. Rarely do I get the chance to console my Republican friends. This will only be the third time in my adult life that I get to play the role of the reassuring voice that says, "Everything will be okay, trust me."
The first two times were after the Clinton victories. The tax and spend mantra of the Republican party against Bill Clinton had my friends quite frightened. I felt confident in my arsenal of reasoning that enabled me to feel quite certain they were wrong. I had really done my homework on Clinton, and fiscal responsibility was one of the largest pillars of his campaign. The mountain of debt accrued by Reagan and Bush Senior was something the young Bill Clinton had promised to tackle. I soothed my Republican friends with, "Tax and spend liberalism is a label that doesn't fit. I really believe that our new president will make every effort to at least get the yearly budget out of the red."
Of course, eight years later the roles were reversed, and I was the one frightened. After the Supreme Court appointed George W. Bush as the next president, my Republican friends did their best to reassure me. I had grave concerns about entrusting our economy to a man who kept running businesses into bankruptcy. And this Dick Cheney guy? All the talk about his methods at Halliburton made him sound like he would do anything to get around the rules, and the financial connection made me nervous.
My friends, being the loyal Republicans that they were, assured me that George W. Bush was more than capable of handling the economy. They assured me that the budget surplus left by Clinton would only grow larger under a Bush/Cheney administration. They also insisted that his inability to name prominent world leaders was of little consequence to his understanding of global affairs. My conservative friends also assured me that all that Halliburton talk was just bad press by the liberal media, Cheney was a man who respected the laws of the land. They continued to build their case by telling me that Mr. Cheney would never compromise the office of the Vice-presidency by padding his stock values in Halliburton with lucrative government contracts. Finally, my Republican friends were most convinced that George Bush would be a "uniter, not a divider."
Well, it's eight years later, and now it's my turn again. My Republican friends are frightened. They worry about Barack Obama's tax plans, his "associations," and his foreign policy stance. But, I am here to reassure them. I want them to know they have nothing to worry about. All of their concerns should melt away when I explain to them why they need not worry. They can let go of their fear, and learn to trust in our new President-elect, Barack Obama. Things will be tough, don't get me wrong. He is faced with monumental challenges in the most difficult of times. There will be struggles, and no solution is perfect, but he will make incredible progress in the face of our troubles. So, my Republican friends, I am here to tell you that everything will be okay, and you should trust me on this, because....
I have been right all along, and you have been wrong. Nanny, nanny boo, boo. (sticking tounge out.)
My mother taught me that gloating was ugly and immature. But just for now, I can't resist the temptation to be a hideous infant.
November 11, 2008 09:35 am
Posts: 826 | Location: the heart of the sun | Registered: September 07, 2008
Thanks for noticing Z. I guess this would be making lemonade. My family really got put through the sh** during the campaign. My nine-year-old was told at school, by another nine-year-old, that his family was bad and we were bad people because we were going to put an African in the White House!?! Through the process though, I met Cindy Allen and she gave me a shot at the liberal blog. I guess time will tell...
Posts: 98 | Location: "Love thy neighbor" strongly implies not killing them | Registered: September 16, 2008
Posts: 4408 | Location: Hennessey Ok. There's some good in the very worst of us. And, more than enough bad in the very best of us. | Registered: September 08, 2006
Would love to see these pieces posted in the Enid News and Eagle paper. It would encourage alot to resubscribe.(is that a word?)I've been away for a couple of days and too tired to think but really enjoyed reading the post!
Posts: 5141 | Location: enlightened | Registered: February 05, 2007
Nice to see someone who hasn't let conservatives scare them away from the "L" word.
"But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." John F. Kennedy
You go, girl!
Posts: 512 | Location: In your face! | Registered: October 13, 2008
Here's hoping you have a long stay as the liberal voice. I think you do a good job of representing your position both to those who are liberal and those who aren't. I look forward to reading more.
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Posts: 1572 | Location: We can put funny things in our location identifier? Who knew? | Registered: July 15, 2008
Nice blog entry, Kristi. is this part of a particular web site or your own blog?
Enid paper and articles - I have a friend who lives in a town here in Ky that verrry much reminds me of Enid - she wrote a few thoughtful letters to the editor and they inspired such passion and energy that they now call her to ask her to respond to issues and she's glad to do it (like most papers they don't have $$ for a column or new reporter). People just want to be heard, so giving multiple points of view in a local paper is a good thing.
Posts: 42 | Location: kentucky | Registered: July 31, 2008
People just want to be heard, so giving multiple points of view in a local paper is a good thing.
Exactly. And I have found Kristi to be very gracious and accommodating in the way she responds to opposing views. She's a very good choice to be representing the liberal viewpoint.
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Posts: 1572 | Location: We can put funny things in our location identifier? Who knew? | Registered: July 15, 2008
