Out of the Closet and Into the Light of Liberal Bulbs

This morning, I came out of the closet. I told my dissertation committee chair the truth…I’m a Republican activist and candidate. I’ve kept that part of my life quiet at work/school because I suspect I am “unique” there. Furthermore, my department chair makes no secret of his Liberal ideology and I’m not tenured. Since I am faculty advisor for the new College Republicans, I figure they will soon figure this out anyway and I had to justify my distraction from my dissertation for the past few weeks so I came out.

Also occurring this morning, I saw the Washington Post article, Donna Edwards Campaign Logo Includes map of Maryland With a Sliver of Virginia by Jenna Johnson  (released March 10, 2015).

It’s my perception that academics are more often than not Democrats who think Republicans don’t value education, science or, well you can tune into MSNBC to hear the talking points.  To avoid being grouped, I’ve been quiet for a long time.  Today, I came out and the timing could not have been better because I saw this…

A sitting Congressperson, running for state-wide office, mistakes the shape of her state on her logo-of all things. What does one proof more than the campaign logo?  Anyone can make an error, myself included, but this is a noteworthy boo-boo and blaming redistricting is downright deceptive.  Initially, I thought there was only one blunder illuminated in the article.

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THEN, I read the article carefully and saw one of the most powerful men in the state, Mike Miller, had this to say about it, “a unique mistake that campaign people make all the time.” Think about that for a second.  “Unique” and “all the time” are opposites.  Maybe this quotation is out of context and it is sarcasm I don’t get. Maybe it’s the author’s fault; she says “although” as if the statement is contrast to the chuckling. Chuckling would coincide with sarcasm, and she describes Maryland’s southeastern border as our “traditional border,” as if the Edwards campaign has some grounds for argument about where it actually is.  But, the way it’s written, Miller either doesn’t know the meaning of the word “unique” or he, at his core, believes he can roll out any words he wants and the masses will just nod along.  I’m sure he can define “unique” so my guess is the latter. That, to me, doesn’t seem very academic, or learned, at all.

I want academics to get just a little, a touch, of skepticism of the left and to give due consideration of the right.  Maybe it shouldn’t be taken for granted that failure to follow these people, Miller, Edwards or their brand isn’t due to some misunderstanding.  I want academics to realize that I don’t follow them because I DO understand!

“Conservatives are afraid of being misunderstood.  Liberals are afraid of being understood.”

-Dick Armey