PLEASURE RIDING PAST THE PARTISANSHIP
Remember how nice the weather was last week? Highs in the mid-to-upper 70s with unseasonably low humidity and plenty of sunshine. It was an unexpected treat. So much of one that I told my wife we needed to ditch our Thursday evening gym plans to, instead, enjoy the gift from the weather gods.
With a hectic yet successful workday in the books, we meandered up Highway 58, windows down with our dog in the backseat, his ears flapping in the wind and a nose (his, not mine) stuck out the window.
After dropping off our pup, Junior, at my in-laws, we drove on, taking a right on Mahan Gap, winding our way to the Countryside Cafe (a Michelin 3-star restaurant if there ever was one). There are few things better in this world than some downhome comfort food, and once we finished our bountifully plated meals — I opted for the country-style steak and strawberry shortcake for dessert — we jumped back in my car for a sunset drive home along the lake.
All was right in the world … Until I messed up and wandered onto social media after hopping into bed.
Quickly, I was reminded of the day’s political battle royale, one I’d been sidestepping as much as possible: former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Every so often throughout the day, I’d break down to briefly check in on the hoopla, and now as then, it seems the biggest takeaway from the testimony of the year is that it only reaffirmed most people’s pre-held assumptions about Comey, Trump, Flynn, Russia and anything else related to the hearing.
And, of course, we turned to media outlets that bolstered those already hardened perspectives. A perfect example of this was the dueling headlines CNN and Fox News offered their respective viewers during the testimony.
Fox News — “Comey: Pres Did Not Order Me To Let Flynn Probe Go”
CNN — “Comey: I Took Trump’s Request About Flynn As A Directive” So, which was it?
Let’s be honest, it was whichever one you wanted it to be. That’s how things are these days. More and more folks are being drawn into a team sport political dynamic. Black/white (no gray), us/ them, good/bad. All that matters is defending one team versus the other, even if it stands previously held positions upside down.
Exhibit A: What about all those “obstructionist!” shouting Democrats now urging complete “resistance”?
Exhibit B: What happened to all those Republicans who used to decry Obama’s many rounds of golf ?
For the rest of us this tribalism is exhausting, not to mention scary. In my own case, I’m certainly no Democrat, yet I can only bring myself to skirt around the fringes of the GOP’s big tent. What this means is that, for me anyway, politics has become more of a spectator sport than ever before.
Which is to say that these days it’s really easy to change the channel. Sure, keeping politi-tabs is essential. As one of my favorite sayings goes, “if you don’t do politics, politics will do you.”
But now that I’m not running around performing my Chicken Little impression, shouting “the sky is falling, the sky is falling,” as I spent much of 2016 doing, it’s become easier to remind myself of all the good in the world. Like a heaping helping of country-style steak, some strawberry shortcake, and windows-down drive with my wife and the best dog that the Almighty ever put on this planet.
I think we could all use a trip to the Countryside Cafe — now more than ever, perhaps.
Contact David Allen Martin at davidallenmartin423@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @DMart423.