Goldilocks: A Political Model

Though I am just in from moving snow about and freezing my arse off in the endless hellish winter. (Hell, in contrast to popular belief is very very cold. The absence of light/heat is cold, the absence of God who created light and heat is cold; ergo, hell is cold, if you believe in that sort of thing; I don’t, hell that is, the Midwest is punishment enough.)

In the midst of this hellish weather we received notice for our golf memberships, strange timing but perhaps a sign of warmth to come. The question is whether to renew our couple membership or just have me sign up. My dear wife is a Goldilocks golfer. It can’t be too hot or too cold, too windy or too calm; it has to be just right for her to head to the links. Me, I likely be on the course now if they’d plow the fairways.

Reflecting on this I thought that is an excellent model for a politician: president, senator or house representative and a member of the Supreme Court, all three branches. They should not be too hot or too cold, too liberal or too conservative, they should be just right. Now some jaded folk may think this is a bit unrealistic or worse, think it is possible, therefore, when it doesn’t work that way they stay away from the links or rather politics in general.

 

Now I really don’t believe firmly in the Goldilocks theory of representation, I like the two party system as it should bring about honest debate between to general theories of governance. So I believe in limited Goldilockian parties. I prefer moderates, neither too hot nor too cold but more liberal than conservative as it is more consistent with my religious proclivities.

An analogy, the broken footed wife and I have currently been watching reruns of West Wing on Netflix. I was one of our favorite shows and we are delighting in watching it again. Clever, smart writing, well acted, interesting characters, and of course, the heroes are moderately liberal. (Tea Party members will read this as extreme socialist perverts, as Democrats will try to get more money from the folk the ideologically oppose.)

Now the idealized politicians on West Wing and their very intelligent minions are flawed, make mistakes, but at heart they try to do the right thing for the country they serve. I wish that all White House staffs and Presidents were as smart and clear thinking as these portrayals are. But that is about as likely as the real Goldilocks showing up on our front door and testing out each of our cats beds, food, etc. (Really dear, the blonde hair you found was from Goldilocks.)

Current politicians seems a far cry from the characters in West Wing, but watching it does provide some hope. And we do find some of those characters in politics and by God’s grace hopefully there will be more to come. At least Goldilocks is a good bedtime story to read our children and it is good to lift up our political ideas for them as well. So, tuck you children, grandchildren or some child that you can get ahold of, and read them the Constitution some night. It is not a very long story but full of hopes and dreams that make for good bedtime reading. And, as with a lot of children stories, you may learn a good deal yourself.

Good night John Boy. Good night Elizabeth, God night Daddy. Good night son, Good night Mary Ellen, Good night Daddy. Good night, Momma. Good night Mary Ellen. Good night Jim Bob. Good night Mamma. Good night Ben. Good night Erin. Good night everybody.