The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-10-31
just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment considersd or lneonsidersis

Let us turn admring attention TO the Independ
en Voter This is his day II the papers and reviews
are telling the truth the Independent Voter is sit
ting high and spunky quizzically accepting the bou
quets and bonbons of the busy boys of both political
parties, but failing triumphantly to commit him
self II is admitted on ali hands that the Independ
ent Voter holds the fate of the nation in his hands
What he will do November fourth is the ques-
ton that sears the well seasoned souls Of campaign
managers and their myrmidons
Now, if We decide to put on our hats and
step around TO have look at this most wooed
and watched of citizens shall have hard time
finding him He is in the papers; he is in the re-
views; he is prominently in all the polls But he is
not at home when call Folks who read what the
experts say of the Independent Voter and then try
TO catch splendid glimpse of this key figure in
the current fuss doomed to bitter dsappoint.
ment Expecting to find the hero, confident in his
moment of power staggering perhaps in pardon
able satisfaction with his political prominence
they discover none but feverishly committed party
stalwarts, and an occasional distressed individual
who acknowledges that he is cropping vanly in a
world of uncertainties Can this dismal and unhappy
be the mighty Independent Voter?
The fact is that the Independent Voter Of the
polls and the reviews is only an abstraction He is
like the Average Man. His power and glory is all
in the world of pure statistics. The romantic and
emotional features that surround him contribu-
tions of hot fancy In real life the Independent
Voter is just puzzled person who doesn't know
what to do. And he is not happy bosstful tri-
umphan in his attitude there is no satisfaction in
uncertainty.
TO get the real juice of Joy out Of election time,
you must be flaming partisan. No matter what the
claims and conditions of the candidates, the elector-
ate speaking generally is completely captive One
party or the other holds them in thorough thrall.
The name of this state of affairs is democracy,
And this remark is not sneer or a slur. II is
merely the noticing of one of the million paradoxes
that make up human life as it is lived in these
United States And we'd hate to sec that life rad'
ica!ly changed
You do not envy the spectator at the football
game who doesn't care which team wins who
would like to favor one team over the other but cam
not decide which of the two should have his alleg
lance and the support of his husky cheers This lad
has neither the prospect of delrous Joy in victory
nor-which is next best,-the expectation Of churn-
ing chagrin in defeat He is an Indifferent Isaac,
and a Dismal Dud
Suppose you are seated before the flashing
Jumps and iumbles Of TV, waiting through the pre-
cious lessons about beer and mldness and lanolin
and refrigerators for the appearance of The Can
didate You listen with rapture,-for this is Your
Man! Every word he says has your approval; you
could not say better yourself You purr nwardy
with the full conviction that this speech will wreak
havoc and devastation among the opposition You
know, without question or suspicion OF question,
that no sane man can hear this oration and remain
unconvinced that here is the one person. represent
ing the one party, that save the country from
instant ruin and bring peace and prosperity to man
kind In short you are having grand time You
are devoted soul, dedicated partisan Election
years arc for you
Across town-and perhaps only across the street,
another starry eyed stalwart looks and listens He is
of the other party The speech that you recognize as
the embodiment of wisdom, sanity, moderation,
vision charity ability and all the rest, is to this
other voter but a babbng from Bedlam. He listens
with a sneer He snorts and splutters He fights the
TV with telling reparee Occasionally he rises with
upsretched hands or clutches his brow IN dc
sparng helpessness 10 find words to direct against
such insane drive will you listen to THAR he
cries "Can any man in his wits think Of putting
this booby al the helm of the ship of te?""Wel
of all the brazen shameless Talk about the
Russiansl Does he think all the people are morons?"
In word this citizen, too, is having the time OF
his life. Election years arc for him
In another modest dwelling which lacks paint
but sports its cleaning aerial the Independent
Voter confronts his set Here there is no enthus
asm He yawns as the advertiser tells him what to
smoke and what to do to smell nice He is indif
ferent to the claims of the Best of Beers. When
the event of the evening is flashed before him
he yawns again The ardor of the speaker moves
him neither to approval nor TO words of execraton-
even mild words Before the speech is finished he
clicks off the business and goes to bed For him II IS
dull evening He has grand time al all Elec
tion years not for him.
And yet this is the much talked of Independent
Voter This as the papers tell us. is the boy who
alI. fhn nltrn nf he
clammy and indifferent hands. Well, II may be so.
But we prefer TO think that the more enthusiastic
lads will decide the issue And il is comforting TO re.
ali2e all their enthusiasm will fade with the decision.
Things will come back TO normal The tumult and
the shouting will die and the teams will depart
from the gridiron. And the Game of the Century
will be only dim memory. not very important
after all but pleasant to think back upon
And meanwhile whoever rules the roost and
roster America will, please God get on tolerably
we'll and her citizens will be alert for the blessings
heaven means them to enjoy.