Conservatism and Golf

by John Holbo on April 12, 2006

Two quotes I happened to run across. The first from Michael Lind’s new piece at TAP, about Bruce Bartlett and Bushism.

From Bartlett’s perspective, genuine conservatism is better represented by the John Birch Society than by those closet liberals, Nixon and the two Bushes, not to mention Eisenhower, whom the Birchers accused of being a Communist (provoking Russell Kirk, one of the founders of modern conservatism, to quip, “Eisenhower isn’t a Communist, he’s a golfer”).

Next, from a Rick Perlstein piece at Huffpo late last year (via Henry’s announcement of the man’s new webpage). You really should read this great speech he delivered at a gathering of conservatives. (The Lind is good, too, but Perlstein is great.)

Republicans are different from conservatives: that was one of the first lessons I learned when I started interviewing YAFers. I learned it making small talk with conservative publisher Jameson Campaigne, in Ottawa, Illinois, when I asked him if he golfed. He said something like: “Are you kidding? I’m a conservative, not a Republican.”

Make of it what you will.

{ 8 comments }

1

abb1 04.12.06 at 3:36 am

“Are you kidding? I’m a conservative, not a Republican.”

Does it mean ‘no’?

2

goatchowder 04.12.06 at 4:51 am

Ah, so Repugs are rich, inherited-wealth country-club types, and “conservatives” are scrappy nose-to-the-grindstone self-made men?

Maybe in a previous era. Today, they’re all just blowhoard sleazebags on the take.

3

Sven 04.12.06 at 8:16 am

so Repugs are rich, inherited-wealth country-club types

No, nonono. The conservative doesn’t have time for golf. Researching the Bavarian Illuminati and correlating it to the Kennedys is quite time consuming.

4

Jared 04.12.06 at 9:28 am

In the continual effort to turn themselves into Time magazine, the Economist had a filler piece on golf and politics last week. I don’t have it in front of me, but it was amusing for two reasons: First, the hook of the piece was a new book (forget the name) which was described as “the best book ever written on politics.” I can’t even tell if that’s supposed to be ironic anymore. And second, the observation that the poor play basketball, the middle class play baseball (softball?) and the rich play golf. “As you get richer, your balls get smaller.”

Read it here if you have a subscription.

5

SamChevre 04.12.06 at 10:12 am

I’d note that the author had a point. Republicans used to be, fairly overtly, the party of business–particularly big business. (Although that is no longer the case. Most private-sector union members are Republicans; many big businesses depend heavily on regulation, which Democrats are always perceived to be more favorable toward than Republicans.) This dynamic is very noticeable in the tobacco industry; the big, established companies are in favor of higher taxes and more regulation, because that helps squeeze out the smaller companies. We are seeing that here in Virginia–there’s a major fight within the Republican party between the business interests and the more conservative “leave-us-alone” interests.

6

roger 04.12.06 at 2:08 pm

Well, I for one want to stand up for golf. It is a noble game, and it has the advantage over other sports that you can carry a sixpack with you from hole to hole. You really can’t beat that.

The whole golf-Eisenhower thing was explained by Robert Coover’s The Public Burning, a historically accurate account of the eletrocuting of Fred and Ethel Merz… um, I mean Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in Times square. Eisenhower went to the links because it was a good place for Uncle Sam to incarnate himself in our war hero Prez. Those who want the details should go to the chapter in the book about the Burning Tree course, which is narrated by Nixon — like Woodward, recently, Coover was able to get the cooperation of Nixon himself for this behind the scenes look at Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam, as Coover discovered, favors golf as a place not only to display his powers, but to interrogate his candidate vehicles. Uncle Sam started incarnating in Presidents on the golf course under a democrat, Woodrow Wilson — and in fact it was a transmutation that didn’t come off that left Wilson only half alive in 1919.

So Golf is essential to the American fabric, not just republicans.

7

FMguru 04.12.06 at 5:34 pm

“As you get richer, your balls get smaller.”

They’re just recycling an observation from Paul Fussell’s CLASS (published 1980). He chose bowling and polo as his two class examples.

8

Ken C. 04.13.06 at 12:29 pm

Comment 5:

I’d note that the author had a point. Republicans used to be, fairly overtly, the party of business—particularly big business.

Despite the occasional coded message and pandering to the racist or religious fanatic wings, the GOP is now, more than ever, the party of crony capitalism.

(Although that is no longer the case. Most private-sector union members are Republicans; many big businesses depend heavily on regulation, which Democrats are always perceived to be more favorable toward than Republicans.)

I’d be curious to see a cite. This Pew study indicates that a substantial majority of union households vote Democratic.

If big business loves Democrats, why do drug and insurance companies donate twice as much to Republicans, while tobacco companies, and oil and gas, donates four times as much to Republicans?

This dynamic is very noticeable in the tobacco industry; the big, established companies are in favor of higher taxes and more regulation, because that helps squeeze out the smaller companies.

See above.

We are seeing that here in Virginia—there’s a major fight within the Republican party between the business interests and the more conservative “leave-us-alone” interests.

If there is any libertarian or small government element to the Republican party, it’s invisible to the naked eye.

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