Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Jimmy Carter: A Personal Retrospective

Apropos of nothing in particular, Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs dropped the following quotation on his readers today before moving on to the usual daily outrages:

I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a “learning experience.” Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I’ve done as a “learning experience.” It makes me feel less stupid.

P. J. O’Rourke

For over 30 years, Wonker has been haunted by bad memories from the 1960s. But his worst memories of all date from the fall of 1976. Broke, unemployed, and trying to feed his small family on food stamps and hope, Wonk concluded that the Democrats would inflate the economy, thus giving him a fighting chance to find a job. In a remaining moment of rapidly waning liberal weakness, he pulled the lever for Jimmy Carter that November. And Jimmy delivered the goods all right, in a way none of us could ever have imagined.

O'Rourke's pithy observation is balm for the truly repentant sinner. (I may actually get some untroubled sleep tonight.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, my God, the Wonk voted for Jimmy! I suppose that it is now time for my confession.

In a peanut moment, I pulled that lever too, thinking I would get a bag of M&Ms for a reward. Boy, was I mistaken.

Luther

Wonker said...

Well, old chum, you DID get a bag, but it contained something else.

May God forgive us both.