party championed
free people, speech, trade, markets …
once de-zombified
Discussing what Former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley should do next, after losing the Republican Primary election, columnist Bret Stephens wrote:
The honorable advice is for her to come to terms with the fact that she may never be president,
but she can become a leader of a principled conservative movement that rejects demagoguery, supports the rule of law,
champions free people,
free speech,
free trade
and free markets —
and bides its time until the Republican Party is de-zombified and wants to return to its former self.
That means campaigning for a while longer, maybe even to the convention.
This was in the opinion piece, The Conversation: Trump Is in His Element , a weekly column in the New York Times by Gail Collins and Bret Stephens where these two writers exchange views on the world scene.
I am, truly, really, trying to stay out of political commentary but the use of language, specifically de-zombified was too much fun to pass up.
The discussion made me think for two reasons, well more than two but these two stand out for the purpose of this essay.
The first reason was the end of that sentence, return to its former self.
It seems to me that this was the first time I had read that someone felt the Republican Party might return one day.
A party of that would once again be a principled conservative movement that rejects demagoguery, supports the rule of law, champions free people, free speech, free trade and free markets.
Maybe.
I think that Pandora’s Box has been opened and all the King’s Horses and all the King’s Men aren’t going to get that Box closed but, well, maybe.
The second reason was that word, de-zombified .
Trying to come up with a word that explains what has happened to the Republican Party, you would hard put to come up with a better word than Zombified along with The Walking Dead.
Kind of sad really.
I remember back in the day listening to a radio broadcast of the Chicago White Sox with Harry Carey and Jimmy Piersall.
The White Sox were down late in the game but the bases were loaded with two outs.
Harry called out his famous, “OH OH OH for a LONG ONE.”
Jimmy responded with, “I’d settle for triple.”
“I’d settle for double.”
“I’d settle for a single.”
“I’d … settle for a hit batsman.”
OH OH OH for an Abraham Lincoln right now.
I’d settle for Jerry Ford.
No Haiku For You 