Let’s Vote On It

When I was four years old, former President Truman came to stay at the Pfister Hotel where I lived. I was asked if I would like to meet him.

“No, thank you, I’m a Republican.”

President Truman found it amusing and came over to me and said, “I will say hello in case you change your mind.”

“Oh, I won’t,” I said as I shook his hand.

And for over sixty years that has held true, but I must say no longer.  I am not political, but I am having a political party crisis. From Cis-Republican to Trans-Democrat? No way, but where does that leave me? Undefined in a definitive way.

My parents were Republicans and we drove Fords, so I thought all Republicans drove Fords and Democrats drove Chevrolet products. Imagine my surprise when that theory was debunked. We were Republicans of the 50s, fiscally responsible and socially liberal. Spend wisely and stay out of our bedrooms.

Before I was five one of the employees at the hotel was arrested at a “men’s bar.” When my mother found out she told my dad he had to go down and bail him out. “Chuck, no one should be arrested for who they are!” When the fellow got into the car with my dad he said, “I understand Mr. Cronrath that I am fired.”  “Why,” said my father “Did you forget how to do you job? We need to hurry because you’re already late.”

When I was 9 or 10, my mother was telling the story of the miscarriage she had between my sister and me. “They thought I was a movie star there for an abortion. So, I wore my sunglasses and played along. It was a better story than simply losing a baby.” When I was 15, she took me to a forum on the legalization of abortion. It was before Roe v Wade. My mother took on the Catholic priest and the pretentious OB/GYN who was also Catholic. She debunked their argument using their religion. The woman next to me leaned across and said, “There is something seriously wrong with you.” My mother smiled and said, “There could be, but it has nothing to do with this.” She told me that people will always have abortions, making them illegal does not stop it. She also was an advocate for legalizing prostitution and getting the tax money from it. Her theory on both was that once it was legal, it would be safer for the women.

Barry Goldwater came to my elementary school to talk to us when I was in the sixth grade. His nephew was in my class and he had time on his hands having just lost the Presidential election.  My parents had campaigned for him. He was charming, kind, funny and very matter of fact. We liked matter of fact at our house. They said he was a conservative, so I figured I was now a conservative Republican. My mother also adored William F. Buckley and I met him twice. He was one of the “fathers of conservative thought”, so I had more proof.  I later found out it had more to do with his vocabulary than his politics.

Then my mother took me to see Mort Sahl. She loved him and his viewpoint on the world. So did I, it was only later I found out he was not conservative. It was confusing. The majority of politicians from Arizona during my childhood were unusual, whether Republicans or Democrats and I enjoyed them all. Mo Udall a Democratic Congressman for 30 years, wrote “Too Funny to be President. “ One of my favorite Republican Congressmen made the remark, “You cannot legislate morality.” He accompanied Barry Goldwater to the Oval Office to tell Richard Nixon his time was up. They were men of principle, and I was proud to know them.

When Barry Goldwater died, they described him as a Libertarian Republican. I mourned his loss and realized that I too must be a Libertarian Republican who did not believe in legislated morality. I agreed that people in the military only need to shoot straight, not be straight to paraphrase Barry.

Recently I watched a documentary on Molly Ivins. Someone I have known to be liberal. She said that to be called a liberal in Texas you only had to believe in civil rights and be against the Vietnam war. If that was true, was I a liberal?  I am pro-choice, support gay marriage as well as civil rights but I would like less government not more. I am agreeing more and more with Bill Maher.

For the past six or seven years this country seems to be in chaos. There is rage and outrage and polarization that is terrifying.  Somewhere between the “Woke” Left and the “Sound Asleep” Right there are a lot of us left bewildered, bereft and at sea wondering how to right this ship called America. Where is the division of Church and State for the Republicans and where is the free speech from the Democrats? More importantly, where is our sense of humor and our willingness to engage in civil discourse?

Maybe I am a Libertarian but that does me no good because they never run anyone that can get elected. Perhaps an Independent but again, no one for whom to vote. Where is Benjamin Franklin when you need him?