According to the "statistics" on this website, a blog that I wrote on July 10th of last year has been the most often visited. I thought that I would republish it for it's even more pertinent and prescient today than it was then!
Viewing on an iPhone is a little better on "web version."
Hot Buttons:
Joey: Hey Gramps!
Gramps: Hi Joey. And for what reason do I have for this pleasure?
Joey: I was wondering if you would do me a favor and help with a school project?
Gramps: Sure. What is it?
Joey: Well, it's for my Civics class. Mr. Horton's assignment is to ask three people their opinions on
who was America's best President and who was the worst. They have to be from three
different age groups, for instance I can have one young, one middle age and one elderly.
Gramps: I'm in. Who are you getting for the young person and the elderly person?
Joey: Uh....Well I asked Uncle Tim...and I asked Jimmy Jones who graduated a few years ago.
Gramps: Hmmmmm. So that makes me...the...uh...el..derly?
Joey: Well, yeah...elderly or senior citizen I guess.
Gramps: Joey. I'm 59 and 3/4 years old. Did you know that Gordie Howe played professional hockey
until he was 51 years old?
Joey: Gordie who?
Gramps: Not "who," Howe.
Joey: How what?
Gramps: Never mind.
Joey: Wow! you knew a lot about sports when you were young.
Gramps: So do you just want me to name the Presidents?
Joey: Well, you're supposed to give your thoughts on why you chose them.
Gramps: That's a cinch....what do you mean "when I was young?" Did you know that Tom Watson, he's
five months older than me by the way, led most of the way in last year's U. S. Open?
Joey: Was that the "Senior" league?
Gramps: No that wasn't the Seeenior league! Well, hey anyway, if there there's things I got to give, it's
opinions, opinions and opinions.
Joey: Great. I've got a recorder here so you can just talk and I'll write down your answers later.
Gramps: OK, here we go. By the way. Did you know that Grandma Moses didn't start painting until
she was in her 70s? That's 7...zero...70s!
Joey: Was she my great-grandma?
Gramps: No. Never mind. You know, I was thinking. The name "Gramps" makes one sound old....
now you can't really call me Wilbur?
Joey: Did you have a nickname when you were...uh...real... real young?
Gramps: Well, yeah. They called me "bolthead" because I liked to fix cars so much.
Joey: Bolt......head?
Gramps Not, bolt......head, Bolthead. The girls loved it!
Joey: So you want me to call you Grandpa Bolthead?
Gramps: Let's just forget it. Back to this assignment...take a seat and fasten your seat belt for you
hit on two hot buttons today.
Joey: Hey, you got a lot of "hot buttons." How about if I call you "Hot Buttons?"
Gramps: Hot Buttons huh? Yeah, that'll work.
Joey: Did my dad have a nickname when he was young?
Hot Buttons: Yes he did but I think that he should be the one who tells you...if he wants to. OK, here we
go...cough, cough...ah-hem! I've actually thought about this before. My vote for the greatest
President was the Gipper.
Joey: The what?
Hot buttons: The Gipper!. You mean that you didn't know that Ronald Reagan's nickname was "the Gipper?"
Well let me tell you something else that you may not know. Reagan was a couple of weeks
short of 70 years old, that's 7...zero...70, when he was inaugurated our 40th president. Anyway
I look at three areas when trying to make a choice like this. How did the economy do during his
his presidency, how about our foreign policy and national defense...and was the American public
changed in any way while he was in office? On the economy...America prospered, primarily due
to tax cuts for the American people, after the malaise of the Carter Administration. Do you know
what "malaise" means?
Joey: No!
Hot Buttons: Neither do I but put it in anyway...it sounds good. Anyway, Reagan strengthened our military,
that and our growth was a death knell for the Soviet Union. As for the "spirit" of Americans...
his words, always beautiful and profound... inspired, they motivated, they instilled a confidence in
in the people, they melted even his strongest detractors. He was the quintessential example of
leadership. Do you know what "quintessential" means?
Joey: Yeah.
Hot Buttons: Good. Tell me later. So that's my choice for our greatest President. As for the worst? Joey... this is
sad in talking about for it's our current President. I knew from the beginning that I disagreed with
his policies but I wasn't prepared for what transpired, and it continues almost every day. The
bailouts, admittedly started by his predecessor, and the stimulus packages that put us so deeply
in debt that we will never overcome this burden, the attack on "business" in general that appears
to come from deep inward hostility towards America's worldwide economic prowess, and
the taxation that will make "all" Americans totally dependent on what their government allows,
these things, and others, make him America's worst President on our economy. The national
defense and foreign policy is even worse, if possible. Our longstanding advantage in military
capabilities is being eroded. Aircraft and navies of governments who are not friends of ours, are
catching up and may surpass us. Our allies are on "pins and needles" as they try to determine
what we will do in an emergency. Lastly, the American public has become two peoples in one
nation, one still resembling America's heritage and the other being cast in the European mold, and
even the worst of that mold! This President plays to our weaknesses instead of challenging us
to analyse. He's undoing all that Martin Luther King accomplished. He lumps honest dissenters
in with terrorists and lumps terrorists in with honest Muslims. And we are only 18 months into his
term! Well...that's about it.
Joey: Thanks a lot Hot Buttons. I'll tell my dad how much you helped me. He's the one that
recommended you for the el...der...ly person.
Hot Buttons: Squiggy!
Joey: Squiggy?
Hot Buttons: Yeah...Squiggy. That was your dad's nick-name. Tell Squiggy that Hot Buttons says "You're
welcome!"
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Political Thought and the Christian
