Aesop tells the tale of a good-natured frog giving a scorpion a ride across a creek on the frog’s back. Despite assurances, true to his nature, the scorpion stings the frog midway, causing both to die. It’s an instructive fable, teaching we are each subject to our true nature.
I think of Nebraska voters as prairie populists. Generally, we like elected officials who go to Washington, keep a low profile, stay out of the news, defy hyperpartisanship and don’t make comments that feed into negative stereotypes.
“When there’s no one complaining there’ll be days like this.” — Van Morrison.
In a political landscape that rewards outlandish commentary and strict adherence to party litmus tests, stoicism goes unrewarded at election time.
For a very long time, Omaha’s metroplex has been blessed with emotionally stable, thoughtful, good candidates.
As a kid growing up, we all knew that the son of newscaster Lee Terry lived in the neighborhood. He was a goofy, but friendly enough, kid living in a long shadow. Soon enough, he was our congressman. Lee was middle-class, college-educated, spoke like the rest of us, loved Nebraska football, and had the audacity to wear a leather Disney jacket (long story). He was and is one of my oldest friends.
It was Lee who told me what a good person Kara Eastman is. As I got to know Kara a bit more, true to form, she was kind, thoughtful, engaging and sincere — a delightful person.
As the founding president of the Old Market Business Association, I got to know Unicameral Sen. Brad Ashford when he revived Nebraska Clothing Company in the Old Market. He was similarly thoughtful, informed, well-connected and has since been my friend.
I don’t know, I just like good people without worrying about their political affiliations. And, when you’re not watching cable news, you probably do too.
“When all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they fit, I must remember there’ll be days like this.”
Of 435 congressional districts, political scientist Morris Fiorina notes that fewer than 40 (8%) flip from one party to the other. Arguably, Nebraska’s 2nd District is the most moderate and flippable congressional district in the nation.
When Don Bacon retired from the Air Force, he taught at Bellevue University. Before Don came to Bellevue, I called another kid from the old neighborhood, Maj. Gen. Rick Evans. Ricky, as Lee calls him (another funny story), gave Don high marks.
I got to know Don a bit and observed as he honed military-political skills into electability. He was, and is, someone who places high value on faith, family, patriotism and morality. His genuine kindness requires navigating between being true to his nature and the complex demands of modern politics.
“When everyone is up front and they’re not playing tricks. When you don’t have no freeloaders out to get their kicks.”
I understood Bacon’s dilemma but, like many, wanted to see more distance between our congressman and the zaniness of the radicalized right and the lies of Mr. Trump.
Like the good-natured frog, Bacon got stung by a venom-filled scorpion.
“When you don’t get betrayed by that old Judas kiss, mama told me there’ll be days like this.”
I was not surprised when the radicalized right began attacking Bacon, and Trump publicly called for a primary challenger. But I did not expect the governor’s public defense of Bacon.
Will it be a career-ending sting? Voters will make that decision.
But what’s the larger lesson?
We know empirically that when one strictly congregates with like-minded ideologues, they will increasingly spin further away from median voter’s views by becoming increasingly ideologically extreme in ideas and rhetoric. In 2008 — and again in 2020 — Omaha’s highly moderate 2nd District voted a split ticket by casting votes for a Democratic president and a Republican congressman.
“When people understand what I mean, there’ll be days like this. When you ring out the changes of how everything is. Mama told me there’ll be days like this.”
Calling moderates RINOs and DINOs is all fun and games until, as our friendly frog learned, the thought police knock on your door. History has demonstrated time and again, extremism in defense of lies, misinformation, and tyranny is no virtue. In fact, it’s downright deplorable.
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