{"id":37511,"date":"2024-09-23T13:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T13:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=37511"},"modified":"2024-10-13T18:41:15","modified_gmt":"2024-10-13T18:41:15","slug":"view-politics-critically-but-charitably-and-with-good-old-common-sense-cowboy-commentator-will-rogers-wisdom-for-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/view-politics-critically-but-charitably-and-with-good-old-common-sense-cowboy-commentator-will-rogers-wisdom-for-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"View politics critically but charitably and with good old common sense: cowboy commentator Will Rogers\u2019 wisdom for 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Steven Watts<\/a>, University of Missouri-Columbia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those trying to come to terms with a particularly tumultuous election year full of deep divisions, ideological invective and personal insults, guidance can come from a historical figure whose insights into American politics still prove useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I chronicle in my new book, \u201cCitizen Cowboy: Will Rogers And The American People<\/a>,\u201d Will Rogers stood as perhaps the most influential commentator on public affairs in the United States a century ago. Born in Oklahoma, he had risen to fame as a cowboy humorist in vaudeville, the Ziegfeld Follies, Broadway shows and silent movies, and he earned public acclaim with his shrewd, folksy and witty observations on American life and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the 1920s, this led to a syndicated column<\/a> Rogers wrote for over 300 newspapers, a stream of magazine articles and essays, and steady appearances on the national lecture circuit. He hosted a national radio program<\/a> and had starring roles in several Hollywood \u201ctalkie\u201d movies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers became the most beloved figure in America until his death in 1935. As I discovered in my research, a flood of eulogies appeared in newspapers and magazines following his passing. Typical was this one appearing in the Minneapolis Journal: \u201cWe all loved Will Rogers \u2026 . Poets we have had, and philosophers, and humorists of note; but not one among them all so endeared to the heart of the whole people. None was ever mourned with such genuine grief, none will be so missed from our common life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially fascinated by the nation\u2019s politics, Rogers often trained his humor on its foibles and achievements alike. Three touchstones guided his commentary: a genial skepticism about politics as usual, a belief that politics must be subsumed within a broader perspective on life and, above all, an insistence that political discussants honor a code of civility. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9svKja8ktww?wmode=transparent&start=0 Will Rogers sends up politics and politicians in this radio broadcast from 1924.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I just \u2026 report the facts\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rogers got most of his laughs from skeptical jabs at the system. He gleefully skewered the \u201cbunk\u201d of American politics, his favorite word for politicians\u2019 shameless hypocrisy, bombastic rhetoric, inflated egos and shady deal-making. Both Democrats and Republicans stood guilty of peddling bunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, the more you read and observe about this politics thing, you\u2019ve got to admit that each party is worse than the other,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cIt is getting so that a Republican promise is not much more to be depended on than a Democratic one. And that has always been considered the lowest form of collateral in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Oklahoman poked fun at the political system\u2019s grandiose rituals and fumbling institutions. He wrote of a benumbing presidential convention in 1924<\/a> that took three weeks and 103 ballots to nominate a nonentity: \u201cIn number of population the convention is holding its own. The deaths from old age among the delegates is about offset by the birthrate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers pilloried governmental ineptness in Washington, D.C. One year, when Congress reconvened after a round of egregious bickering and inaction, he joked, \u201cLet us all pray: Oh Lord, give us strength to bear that which is about to be inflicted upon us. Be merciful with them, Oh Lord, for they know not what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He claimed a simple approach: \u201cI don\u2019t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Critical yet charitable\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yet Rogers insisted that political disputation should be kept in perspective. He urged his fellow citizens to avoid politicizing every public issue and instead concentrate on more meaningful endeavors \u2013 family, friends, community and work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the dire warnings of political zealots, he said, \u201cThere is no less sickness, no less Earthquakes, no less Progress, no less inventions, no less morality, no less Christianity under one (president) than the other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for Rogers, the ultimate guarantee of stability came from the mass of workaday American citizens seeking commonsense solutions to public problems. What Rogers called the \u201cBig Honest Majority\u201d lived simply and worked hard, wanted a good life for their families and pursued their own version of happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average citizen, Rogers believed, had solid judgment and \u201cwas not simple minded enough to believe that EVERYTHING is right and doesn\u2019t appear to be cuckoo enough to believe that EVERYTHING is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Rogers urged an approach to politics that was critical yet charitable, principled yet magnanimous. A connoisseur of civility, he insisted that political disputants were opponents, not enemies, and that contrary viewpoints deserved respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The humorist set the example: \u201cI haven\u2019t got it in for anybody or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Will Rogers dining with Oklahoma Gov. Bill Murray on Feb. 3, 1931, in Oklahoma City. Murray had his usual meal of hard-boiled eggs and milk; Rogers chose fried chicken. Associated Press<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Surviving overwrought partisanship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even as he pilloried politicians\u2019 shortcomings, he never made it personal. Despite their faults, Rogers wrote, \u201cthe Rascals, when you meet \u2019em face to face and know \u2019em, they are mighty nice fellows.\u201d He declared famously, \u201cI\u2019ve joked about every prominent man in my time but I never met a man I didn\u2019t like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determinedly nonpartisan throughout most of his career, he leaned toward the party of Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression while jesting, \u201cI don\u2019t belong to any organized political faith; I\u2019m a Democrat.\u201d The cowboy humorist saw politics as an endeavor for genial discussion, not a blood sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers\u2019 political axioms of healthy skepticism, perspicacity and civility remain useful guides for surviving even the most sordid electioneering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when you hear overwrought partisans lamenting \u201cthe end of democracy\u201d or \u201cwe won\u2019t have a country left anymore,\u201d take a deep breath and consider Will Rogers\u2019 calmer, wiser approach to presidential elections a century ago. Remember his conclusion that America won\u2019t be ruined \u201cno matter who is elected, so the Politicians will have to wait four more years to tell us who will ruin us then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then you can adopt his sage advice that when dealing with a political adversary, \u201cdon\u2019t disagree with him looking at him; walk around behind him and see the way he\u2019s looking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steven Watts<\/a>, Professor of History, University of Missouri-Columbia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steven Watts, University of Missouri-Columbia For those trying to come to terms with a particularly tumultuous election year full of deep divisions, ideological invective and personal insults, guidance can come from a historical figure whose insights into American politics still prove useful. As I chronicle in my new book, \u201cCitizen Cowboy: Will Rogers And The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":37512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[279,8025,7,46,295,296],"tags":[13922,771,885,891,886,860,13,770,14129,683,15595],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37511"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37511"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37601,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37511\/revisions\/37601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}