Butch Says to Prepare for Round Two

The primaries are over. Be thankful. But as the November election approaches, prepare for round two. Let us pray, “Dear Lord, give us the strength to bear that which is about to be inflicted upon us. Be merciful, Oh Lord, for they know not what they are doing…Amen.”

   Every two years we commoners are faced with electing Congressmen, every four years a President, and every six years a Senator…all of which are a never-ending source of headaches and amusement. For some odd reason, we voters think we can make a difference by electing our favorite candidates. But those in power know that if voting changed anything, they would make it illegal. Here are a few quotes about politics you might consider…

   “Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.”  Mark Twain

   “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” Aesop

   “When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it.” Clarence Darrow

   “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” Napoleon Bonaparte

   “It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” Joseph Stalin

   “Under every stone lurks a politician.” Aristophanes

   “Vote for the man who promises least; he’ll be the least disappointing.” Bernard Baruch

   “Power is okay, and stupidity usually harmless. Power and stupidity together are dangerous. You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.” Robert Heinlein

   “No politician should ever let himself be photographed in a bathing suit.” Adolf Hitler

   “Today’s public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can’t read them either.” Gore Vidal

   “He knows nothing, and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.” George Bernard Shaw

   “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” Ernest Benn

   “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand.” Milton Friedman

   “The most terrifying words in the English language are: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Ronald Reagan

   “A politician is just like a pickpocket; it’s almost impossible to get one to reform. Never blame a politician for not doing something. When they do nothing, they don’t hurt anybody. When they do something is when they become dangerous. What makes it hard for them is every time a bill comes up, they have things to decide that have nothing to do with the merit of the bill. The principal thing is ‘What will this do for me personally back home?'”  Will Rogers

   Get ready to listen to more promises, and stories, and tall tales, and facts mixed with fiction. This fall, we would like to vote for the best man or woman. But we dedicated voters will do what we always do…vote for the candidates we dislike the least.

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 35 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.