Rockefeller Republicans

I just found out what type of political philosophy I was influenced by while growing up.

In a Washington Post opinion article this morning, So much for ‘Biden the socialist’, I discovered that I should probably have been classified as a Rockefeller Republican.

I spent my formative years, high school and military service, outside of the US in the South Pacific (Navy Brat/Sailor).

Back in the sixties and seventies, communication was not like it is today. Normal mail, averaged 22 days by ship. No radio or TV broadcasts were “live from America”. Non-local newspapers and magazines also appeared to fall in the 22 day delivery bracket.

Because of that, we meditated more on the news, instead of reacting in real-time. After all, we new that more had happened during that delivery lag and many of us wanted to know what that reaction was, before we reacted.

For example, it would have been over 12 hours before we heard of President Kennedy’s assassination by radio and more likely another two days before we saw the first, grainy, black & white TV images… President Johnson was sworn in as President before those of us in the South Pacific had heard the first radio reports of the assassination.