(A classic Political Warrior Re-run post from 2008 during the U.S. presidential election)St. Patrick may be the patron saint of Ireland, but he comes in as a close second as the patron saint of politics. Look around at the celebrations today and you will see the residue of our political arena.
The color green is everywhere today.
Green is the official color of politics in America, a lot of green. The money being raised and spent on this presidential campaign is incredible. Before it is all over, it is estimated that the candidates for president will spend over $1 billion dollars. Green issues have also become the rage in our politics. Both Barack and Hillary claim promoting green friendly jobs can repair our economy.
Then again many are already green with envy for this whole process to end.
St. Patrick’s Day is also about parades, shamrocks and being Irish.
Politicians love parades. No better place to shake a lot of hands, look popular, secure votes and endorsements then at a good parade. Look for your elected officials to use this holiday for their own personal gain. The ever-popular shamrock, the three-leaf clover, reminds us of our three branches of government. The separation of powers flowers best when divided by threes. Today, everyone is Irish. 2008 was the first election where both presidential candidates were Irish . . .. . .
McCain and O’bama.....
St. Patrick himself was quite a politician in his own day. Born into a Roman family, he was kidnapped by Irish marauders and held captive for years. Upon his escape, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary of the Church. His public approval ratings have never been higher. We all love a great story.
St. Patrick was one of our first “comeback kids.”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day - a holiday in which people feel at liberty to do just about anything they want. Another reason why this is a day politicians love.
(From CitizenU.com)
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Two other Irish connections to the rough and tumble game of American politics:
Finley Peter Dunne was a Chicago-based writer and humorist. He published Mr. Dooley in Peace and War, a collection of his nationally syndicated Mr. Dooley sketches. The fictional Mr. Dooley expounded upon political and social issues of the day from his South Side Chicago Irish pub and he spoke with the thick verbiage and accent of an Irish immigrant.
From Dunne's Dooley works comes one of our endearing government and politics quotes:
"Politics ain't beanbag: 'tis a man's game, and women, children 'n' pro-hy-bitionists had best stay out of it."
In Chicago, Irish immigrants became ward-bosses and later aldermen. Meanwhile, Italian immigrats had to get jobs though the Irish gate-keepers. Many later found other ways to make money (illegal?) to get around the legal, but corrupt Chicago Irish politicans. A famous ward-boss, Johnny Powers (Irish) had his substantial house in the middle of what is now Little Italy. There was an old joke that if you wanted to clear out the Irish-ladden City Council chambers, you would go in and yell, "Your tavern is on fire!"
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