As we navigate a very turbulent election yr stuffed with deep divisions, ideological invective and private insults, we will depend on a historic figure whose insights into American politics still prove useful.
In my latest book I report: “Citizen Cowboy: Will Rogers and the American People“Will Rogers was perhaps essentially the most influential public affairs commentator within the United States a century ago. Born in Oklahoma, Rogers rose to fame as a cowboy humorist in vaudeville, the Ziegfeld Follies, Broadway shows, and silent movies, and won public popularity of his clever, folksy, and witty observations of American life and values.
In the Nineteen Twenties this led to a syndicated column Rogers wrote for over 300 newspapers, quite a lot of magazine articles and essays, and appeared commonly on the national lecture tour. He hosted a nationwide radio program and had Leading roles in several Hollywood sound movies.
Rogers was the preferred person in America until his death in 1935. As I discovered in my research, a flood of obituaries appeared in newspapers and magazines after his death. Typical was this one within the Minneapolis Journal: “We all loved Will Rogers… We have had poets, philosophers and great humorists, but none of them was so dear to the people. None has ever been mourned with such sincere sorrow, none will be so missed in our common life.”
Rogers was particularly fascinated by the country's politics and infrequently addressed the country's weaknesses and achievements with humor. His commentary was guided by three key pillars: a friendly skepticism of mainstream politics, a belief that politics have to be placed in a broader perspective of life, and, above all, an insistence that political debaters adhere to a code of conduct.
“I only report the facts”
Rogers got most of his laughs from skeptical jabs on the system. He gleefully skewered the “bullshit” of American politics, his favorite word for the shameless hypocrisy of politicians, their bombastic rhetoric, their inflated egos and shady deals. Both Democrats and Republicans were guilty of spouting bullshit.
“You know, the more you read and watch this political thing, the more you have to admit that each party is worse than the other,” Rogers said. “It's getting to the point where you can't rely on a Republican promise any more than you can rely on a Democrat promise. And that has always been considered the lowest form of security in the world.”
The Oklahoman poked fun on the pompous rituals and clumsy institutions of the political system. He wrote of a Stunning Presidential Convention in 1924 which took three weeks and 103 ballots to nominate a zero: “In terms of population, the Convention is keeping up. Deaths from old age among the delegates are roughly balanced by the birth rate.”
Rogers denounced the ineptitude of presidency in Washington, D.C. When Congress reconvened one yr after a round of blatant bickering and inaction, he joked, “Let us all pray: O Lord, give us strength to endure what is about to be done to us. Be merciful to them, O Lord, for they know not what they do.”
He claimed his approach was easy: “I'm not joking. I'm just monitoring the government and reporting the facts.”
“Critical but charitable”
Rogers stressed, nonetheless, that political disputes mustn’t be overpassed. He urged his fellow residents to not politicize every public issue and as an alternative concentrate on more vital things – family, friends, community and work.
Despite the dire warnings of political zealots, he said: “Under the one (president) there is no less disease, no less earthquakes, no less progress, no less inventions, no less morality, no less Christianity than under the other.”
But for Rogers, the final word guarantee of stability was the mass of strange Americans searching for sensible solutions to public problems. The “great, honest majority,” as Rogers called them, lived simply and worked hard, wanted a very good life for his or her families and pursued their very own idea of happiness.
The average citizen, Rogers believed, had sound judgment and was “not simple enough to believe that EVERYTHING was right, nor crazy enough to believe that EVERYTHING was wrong.”
Finally, Rogers urged a political approach that was critical but charitable, principled yet magnanimous. A connoisseur of civility, he insisted that political disputants were adversaries, not enemies, and that opposing viewpoints deserved respect.
The humorist gave the instance: “I have nothing or anything in my sights.”
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Even when he denounced the failings of politicians, he never took it personally. Despite their faults, Rogers wrote, “the Rascals, when you meet them face to face and know them, are really nice guys.” He famously declared, “I have joked about every prominent man of my time, but I have never met a man I did not like.”
He was staunchly nonpartisan for many of his profession, but in the course of the Great Depression he leaned toward the party of Franklin Roosevelt, joking, “I belong to no organized political denomination; I'm a Democrat.” The cowboy humorist viewed politics as a chance for nice discussions, not a bloody sport.
Rogers' political principles of healthy skepticism, discernment and civility remain useful guidelines for surviving even the dirtiest election campaign.
So whenever you hear overwrought partisans complaining concerning the “end of democracy” or “there won't be any country left,” take a deep breath and consider Will Rogers' calmer, wiser approach to presidential elections a century ago. Consider his conclusion that America won't be ruined “no matter who gets elected, so the politicians will have to wait four more years to tell us who's going to ruin us then.”
Then you’ll be able to heed his clever advice when coping with a political opponent: “Don't contradict him by looking at him; go behind him and see what he looks like.”
image credit : theconversation.com