chito for peace

this is from a cowboy i met in crawford and then saw again in dc at the march on washington. he thinks i worry too much, i think he's great...

Subject: cowboys
"chito for peace" here. on somewhat of a roll here so bear with me. just had my afternoon coffee. this is about who is not a cowboy but why they want to be cowboys.

i had this friend named townes van zandt he became a pretty good singer/songwriter. he drank himself to death. people get it wrong when they talk about his demons. his dream in his youth was just to be a montana cowboy and sing his songs around the nitely camp fire. not getting his dream killed him.

teddy roosevelt became a cowboy inspite of serious physical ailments. but he was a man who walked the talk. he was no chickenshit and never asked somebody to do something he couldn't nor wouldn't do himself. yes, he saw that america could and should play a role in the world. he also became our first real environment president. unfortunately he too saw war as the true test of a man's mettle. but he went and led from the front in cuba. he was not shy of danger. to the contrary, he ran to the sound of cannons. he knew as a rich, well educated man that it was his obligation and duty to see that those less fortunate had the opportunity to better themselves. yep, teddy was the man that dime novelists been writting about for 60 years.

fast forward to 1980. politics has now become the new frontier for deception, magicians, practioners of smoke and dazzle. and who is their man, a freaking actor, too perfect. and who is riding shotgun in this high drama, none other than a devoted disciple of machiavilli. the book "the prince" becomes the bible of how to in politics. who always gets the girl, none other than the cowboy in the white hat, always, always. ronald reagan was no cowboy, granted he hailed from the west. you ever get a good look at them horses he rode. they weren't even top notch expensive animals. the damn boots he wore cost more than the horse he rode. he wore that old hollywood stage hat. he was sold as a cowboy who loved God, espoused the values of family, honest straight shooter, of high ethical moral standards, and strong on defence. in reality, he didn't own cows never worked cows. he only played cowboy in the movies, didn't do his own stunts even. his wife was upstairs consulting psycics, working the ouija board, and reading the stars for advice she'd give her husband the president, he'd beenmarried several times, didn't give a rat's ass about his kids and they even said so. he honestly read the lines given him and played the part like nobody else. it was just another acting gig. yes, he knew about the dirty dealings of iran-contra and it was with his blessings that it was carried out. and now they want to make him out as a great president with the worst, well, almost the worst deficit in U.S. history. lee atwater knew how to do it. knew about cowboys and the american public. cowboys win and yankees from new england lose always, always always. and if you don't believe me, just ask yourself how you feel about cowboys. roy rogers, gene autrey, wild bill hickok, buffalo bill cody, butch cassidy and the sundance kid, will rogers, "who was that masked man" on and on. cowboy songs cowboy poets. michael martin murphy. gary cooper, High Noon, jimmy stewart. well... see what i mean.

and, in rides george w (not on a horse) on a bicycle, watch out he's gonna crash. hell he can't even ride a bike. who knew the formula for politics, what atwater did was definately not lost on our dear friend karl rove. who worshipped the ground atwater walked on. rove took it to another level. his candidate was not a cowboy (neither was reagan) but his candidate was scared of horses never owned a ranch and never drilled a wet hole. (well)spent everybody else's money, was a spoiled brat, had a drinking problem, and was not even in line for politics even in his own family. but george was a wannabe. he had the boots, fake accent, and was married to a west texas gal had drank gallons of jack daniels and now was born again christian. perfect. first competitor a real live cowgirl, a hot pistol, the jewel of the west. what happened they didn't take rove seriously. they forgot the cowboy equation. cowboys always win over cowgirls in politics in texas. PERIOD and above all they were willing to sell their souls to the highest bidder. it was just a stepping stone anyway. and the rest of the story you all know.

you can argue with me if you want. you can also be insulted by it like i am. but the facts speak for themselves. we have become a redneck nation. i oughtta know being a real live redneck having grown up on a real live working cattle ranch in texas and mexico. that cowboy formula will work time and again till the american people catch on but unfortunately they won't.

fortunately i don't see another wannabe cowboy politician on the horizon yet. unless you count kinky down here running for texas govenor. problem i got with him is he kissing bush's ass. he'll come right out and say he likes him. and for that, kinky,you don't get my vote. would you have liked hitler?

oh well there's my spiel. don't make it more complicated than it is. real cowboys play at politics, real politicians play at being cowboys. so long, chito