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Someone asked me the other day why my children are so interested in politics. That's easy -- because
I raised them. The next logical question is -- why am I so interested in politics. My parents were interested
in politics, I guess. Plus I grew up in the turbulent sixties. And I got to watch the political transformation of my parents.
There is an old, idiotic, axiom that goes -- "If you're a conservative in your twenties, you have no heart. If you're a liberal
in your forties, you have no brain." The implication is that, as you really develop knowledge, experience, and maturity, and
you come to understand the way the world works, your politics becomes more conservative. That's not the way it worked for
my Dad, Jack Brennan. In 1960, he voted for Nixon. In '64, it was Goldwater all the way. We even went to a rally at the Astrodome,
where I signed up to be a "Goldwater Girl." Quick -- who was his running mate? I win more bar bets with that one! Then came
the VietNam war. And my staunchly conservative Daddy went from Nixon is 1968 to McGovern in 1972 quicker than you could say
"Love It or Leave It." He said something that has proven true in my lifetime. He said that we shouldn't elect Presidents with
daughters because they lead us into war. Johnson. Nixon. Dubya. Then in 1974, my Dad and I really began to talk politics more
because of the Watergate hearings. Every day, I'd call him to update him during the hearings. I'll never forget getting to
call him when Butterfield testified about the taping system. During all the Watergate stuff, but before Agnew was forced to
resign after pleading no contest to a criminal charge, Agnew urged the country to stop wallowing in Watergate. Dad loved that
and, every day when we'd talk, he'd say, "OK, let's wallow in Watergate." The night before he died was the anniversary of
Nixon's resignation. I called Dad and asked him if he wanted to wallow in Watergate for a few minutes. He laughed and we talked
about what we were doing when he resigned, and about his maudlin' speech. It was the last laugh I shared with my Dad. Politics
was one of his many gifts to me.
Good Golly, Miss Molly!
Back when Molly Ivins column was carried in the Houston Post, my Dad and I would read it and call
each other about it. He loved "Miss Molly." About ten years ago, the Post was bought by the Chronicle, who was too conservative
for Molly Ivins and I thought I'd never get to read her again. That was before the magic of the internet. Now I get to read
her all that time and I never tire of her. In a recent interview, she addressed all those people who say they're "just not
interested in politics." I have to paraphrase, but this is what she said and I've made it a sort of mantra for when I hear
that sentiment.
Politics isn't something you can just not be interested in. It isn't like a television program
you can turn off or a piece of art you can just take off the wall. Politics is the warp and woof of your life. It affects
everything from the tax on your clothing to how deeply your be buried to how fast you drive to how many schools exist for
our children. It damn well affects everything you do, and if you care about yourself and the world around you, you'll do what
you can to affect it.
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My very first involvement in politics was in the 1960 election when Nixon was running against Kennedy.
We had a Nixon sign in our yard and one day, I decided to become involved. So I picked it up and walked around my neighborhood
carrying it. It wasn't exactly controversial since my whole neighborhood was filled with similar signs. Still, I felt it was
important. I can't remember if I knew a single thing about either candidate, except that my parents were for Nixon. At the
age of 9, there really wasn't anything else I needed to know. I remember that my Dad didn't like Kennedy, but he really thought
Johnson was flat-out dishonest. He related the story of the missing ballot box in Duvall County in Johnson's first statewide
election. So that's how I started my political like -- working for Nixon. In 1964, I was a Goldwater Girl and I still have
my Goldwater sweatshirt from that election, and a pin. I was in Jackson Junior High and, after the election, I wrote a paper
in my history class called, "Rather be Right than President." For that, I had to do some research and it was during that research
that I started scratching my head a little about this whole conservative philosophy.
One day in Texas history, we had an assignment to bring in a fact about Texas history. I forgot until
just before I had to leave for school and I asked my mother to tell me an interesting fact. She told me that the first woman
governor of Texas was Ma Ferguson and that she was elected after her husband, Governor Pa Ferguson, was kicked out for doing
something illegal. My history teacher was more impressed with my interesting fact than anyone else's. One of my all-time
favorite quotes from any governor was from Ma Ferguson. She said, on the subject of bi-lingual education for students, "If
the King's English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for the children of Texas."
I worked for George Bush, the elder, in his first run for Congress. He lost. I remember going to
piano the next day at UH and telling Mr. Brownlee how sad the loss was (I was using it as an excuse for why I wasn't prepared)
and he said that a Republican will just never be able to get elected in Texas. If only!
I really got involved in the campaign when Fred Hofheinz ran for mayor of Houston. He won.
In Presidential elections, my record was stunningly bad. I voted first, just after my 21st birthday
(the minimum voting age back then) for McGovern. In 1976, I voted for Carter and he actually won. Or, maybe more accuarately,
Ford lost. Voted for Carter in 1980 when Reagan won, but I thought, at least, Reagan has promised to balance the budget and
reduce the deficit. Of course, he inflated the budget beyond recognition and nearly quadrupled the deficit before he and Bush
were ousted. Voted for Mondale in 1984. First woman on a national ticket. Voted for Dukakis in 1988. His running mate was
the most popular guy on either ticket, but he still lost miserably. Voted for Clinton in 1992. When he won, I literally went
out into the street and danced. Voted for him again in 1996. Voted for Gore in 2000 and, even though he got the most votes,
he didn't get to be President. He lost by the slimmest of margins -- 5 to 4. Kerry was the nominee in 2004 and, although he
was not my choice among those running, I worked hard for him. I even took a week off work to go work for him in Arkansas,
which was a state that they thought they might take. I wasn't really worried about that election because, seriously,
who would vote for Bush at this point? Turns out a lot more people than I thought. The last four years of the Bush presidency
have been the worst. Civil rights, civil liberties, constitutional protections -- these have all just been taken by the administration.
Out of the 10 amendments, called the Bill of Rights, only one has not been violated by this administration. We haven't
had to quarter soldiers in our homes. Yet.
This last election was pretty amazing. A lot has been written about it, even though, as I write this, the
election was just a week ago. Barack Obama will be a transcedent President. He has fought hard for, and won, arguably
the worst job in the country right now. He will have to do so many things just to get us back to where we were, as a nation,
before Bush took office. I'm a believer. I have never believed so deeply in a President before. Even when Clinton was elected,
happy as I was, it wasn't like this. When Clinton won, I went out and did a little happy dance in the street. When Obama won,
I went out, by myself, and slowly danced. And not just because I'm 16 years older! This victory, having lost so much before,
just felt sweeter. Sweet in a way that you feel it in your heart and in your mouth and in your toes. It has been a long
time, I guess since the Republican "Contract With America," since I have had any hope, in the political sense. Now,
I do. And I am ready for the next adventure.
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