A Christmas Message to Gumshoe Politics Readers
I have really given a lot of thought about what I wanted to write about this week. Every other week of the year, I talk about heavy serious things like politics, the state of our nation, and the American culture. So, I wanted to do something different this week before Christmas. But of course, what a time to have writer’s block, I got nothin’. I decided I would just sit down and start writing, do a little freestyling if you will.
First, and most importantly, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support of my work this past year. Some of you have been here from the beginning of Gumshoe Politics, so it has been longer than a year. But having people who enjoy and comment on my work every week is so rewarding and humbling at the same time. I wanted Gumshoe Politics to be someplace where you will see stories that maybe you didn’t see anywhere else. Maybe you got an opinion or a viewpoint on a story or issue that you didn’t hear anywhere else. If I did any of those things, then I am doing my job.
It has been a rather tumultuous time for Gumshoe Politics. I have tried different things, and when they didn’t seem to work, I tried something else. Maybe the beauty of trial and error, is that things don’t stay the same. Things get shaken up a bit, and there is something new now and then. I would like to add some new things in 2024. More videos to go with the stories I cover. It gives more context to what is being discussed. I have wanted to do personal videos as well. That way, you the reader, can put a face with a name and see and hear, what I think. I really want to get that started in the new year.
I certainly don’t have to tell you guys what an absolutely critical time 2024 will be for America. So many of us feel as though our nation is on the brink of something very bad. Joe Biden, the Democrats, and the left have America hanging on by her fingernails. They want to remake America into something that the Founding Fathers never meant it to be. Never in my life have I ever been more afraid for the country than I am now. We hear every election cycle that that year’s election will be “the most important in our lifetime.” In 2024, however, that really could not be truer. It is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Get involved. Go to a school board meeting, go to a city or County Council meeting, campaign for the candidate of your choice. It doesn’t have to be a big thing but get involved. There’s an old saying that “all politics is local.” It is so true. What happens in Washington D.C. has its beginnings on Main Street right where you live. Democrats and the left are extremely organized, and we had better get that way fast. Let’s not kid ourselves, Republicans are far from perfect. We are trying to get rid of the Bush, Cheney, Karl Rove, Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley establishment wing of the party, and be a party of “America First” Americans. It also seems as if Republicans are inching closer to some sort of religious litmus test, then can’t seem to figure out why people other than Christians don’t feel welcome in the Republican party. That must stop now. Ronald Reagan once said, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally – not a 20 percent traitor.” Republicans have definitely forgotten this, and we need to get back to it if we are going to have any chance to win elections.
But enough lectures for now. It’s Christmas. Time for a break from the craziness of our everyday lives for a bit, and to spend some time with our families and friends, the people whom we love and care about the most. Time to watch our favorite Christmas movies on TV. You can’t have Christmas without at least one viewing of Cousin Eddie emptying the RV commode into the sewer, cigar, and a can of Milwaukee Best beer in hand proclaiming, “sh**er’s full!” Then there is young Ralphie Parker in hot pursuit of that Red Ryder BB gun. Poor Ralphie, he might have given up and resigned himself to a life of being like Cousin Eddie if one more person told him he was going to shoot his eye out. And it wouldn’t be Christmas without the ongoing debate over whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. My husband and brother are both in the “yes” camp. My parents are both gone now, but of course, they are still with my husband, and my brother and I in spirit. I will make my mom’s lasagna and her to-die-for recipe for Chocolate Silk pie, and it’s as though she is right there with us.
Last but certainly not least, I certainly don’t want to forget those of you, for whom the season is about way more than food and movies. It is one of the most important holidays on the calendar because on that day for you, the hope for all the world was born in a manger. It is time to celebrate and rejoice.
Once again, thank you to everyone who has been a reader of Gumshoe Politics, and a listener to the In Your Face podcast. I appreciate all of you more than I can say. I promise new things in the coming year for you to enjoy. I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I will see you in 2024! Buckle up, it’s gonna be a wild one!