"...Admittedly, Eisenhower Gave Us Nixon...Still and All, Though....."

It might come as a surprise to any regular reader here, but my roots are Republican.

Born in the southern California of the 1950's, I was surrounded, from that first slap (and I always just assumed that those family members in attendance insisted that the doctor use his right hand), by relatives who would no more have even considered endorsing, let alone voting for, a Democrat than they would have even considered not making certain and sure that any out of state visitor wasn't treated to, at least, one complete, action packed day at Disneyland.

And if Walt Disney had ever run for President, good golly miss molly, talk about your historic Electoral College landslide.

Obviously, in that climate, it was inevitable that, along with my minimum daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and fiber, there would be a healthy dollop of creamy conservatism served right along side.

I was ten years old before the show biz glitz of the Kennedy show in 1960 alerted me to the fact that everyone was, in fact, not born Republican.

Here the thing about that, though.

I recall the elders being engaged in spirited discussion, even passionate philosophizing about the contrast between the two polar points of view.

There was never a moment's doubt about which side of the line the family would always choose to live and breathe.

There was no gray. It was black and white.

This, of course, being in the days before the advance of television technology gave us both programs in living color and states that came in red and blue.

Concrete commitment to the conservative cause notwithstanding, what I do not recall was vitriol.

Make no mistake, there was no mistaking the depth of the family dislike of any and all things Democrat.

But it seemed to be understood that it's one thing to be doggedly determined to offer up a healthy, nutritionally sound alternative cereal to the national breakfast table.

And quite another to spend vast amounts of time, energy and money to accomplish nothing more than peeing in the existing Cheerios.

Again make no mistake and assume no naivete', petty politics is as much an American tradition as getting in the ten items or less line with twenty items.

But, risking the inevitable tsking that results from rose colored looks back to good old days, one thing seems pretty obvious.

It's really no longer how you play the game.

And totally about whether you win or lose.

Red state, blue state, left wing, right wing, in support of or passionately opposed to...we all liked Ike.

Can't help but suspect that, these days, even Ike wouldn't find much to like.