Posted on 01/26/2006 8:08:23 AM PST by areafiftyone
The latest poll is not good for the Democrats. I am not talking here of the one showing George Bush's approval rating inching up. I'm talking about the recently released Harris Poll showing John Wayne, one of the most popular movie stars of 2005. The one thing he and the Democratic Party have in common is that they are both dead.
Wayne was the quintessential anti-Democrat. Everything he stood for - from support for the Vietnam War to antipathy to the '60s and '70s counterculture - was in consonance with GOP positions. More important, though, his iconic man-on-horseback image has been adopted by virtually the entire Republican Party.
The Harris people tell us that Wayne, tied for third with Harrison Ford, is a particular favorite of men. Tom Hanks (No. 1 two years in a row) is beloved by women, and both Wayne and Hanks are the choice of conservatives. (Liberals chose Johnny Depp).
Wayne personifies the gender gap, the virtually habitual way white men vote Republican. There are many reasons for this - Democratic feminism, affirmative action, etc. - but one of them surely is that the John Wayne-style of the GOP appeals to the cowboy in most men. Even I, Eastern dude that I be, would rather follow the Duke than, say, Johnny Depp. Sorry, my man, but that's the way it is.
Back when I met Wayne, he was a dated, pro-war caricature. It was 1977 and the Duke had somehow been invited to Jimmy Carter's preinaugural gala at the Kennedy Center. When he was through addressing the crowd, he walked right at me, looming as huge and formidable as he seemed on the screen. John Wayne did not play in Westerns. John Wayne was a Western. (Actually, he hated horses and never rode if he could possibly avoid it.)
Since that night, Ronald Reagan has come and gone. Now we have another Wayne in the White House, another rancher who doesn't ranch, a cowboy who doesn't ride.
No matter. George Bush shed his family's Eastern ways just as surely as Wayne did his prosaic Iowa upbringing as Marion Morrison, son of Clyde the pharmacist.
You can scan the length and breadth of the Democratic Party and not find any breadth, and no Wayne figure either. None of the Democratic leaders seems to have what it takes to appeal to white male voters. But if you should happen to be in room 241 of the Russell Senate Office Building, you'll find Wayne galore: pictures of John McCain in various Arizona settings. He's a twofer - a military hero and a Westerner. Democrats, beware.
Okay, Bill Clinton won twice and he ain't no cowboy. So it can be done. But in the Harris Poll, Wayne's ahead of Julia Roberts, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, George Clooney, Sean Connery and Sandra Bullock. Democrats take note. The Duke is still king.
Originally published on January 25, 2006
In the 60s and early 70s one of the questions I use to ask in my hippie circles was about liking John Wayne, even though he was mocked in the mainstream ,hippies couldn't seem to criticize him, and would end up revealing their fondness for him.
My vote would go to El Dorado, Chisim, or possibly True Grit. I also love Rio Bravo.
More trivia: I read somewhere (IMDB?) that John Wayne & Geradine Page really disliked eachother; were only together for the actual shooting during Hondo and had little else to do with eachother. Ward Bond, Wayne's buddy and prankster kept messing up the scenes where Page & Wayne had to kiss, forcing re-takes!
Oops, forgot Sons of Katy Elder. Oh crap, I love em all. I even liked the Undefeated with Roman Gabrial of Rock Hudson.
Never meant to imply W's "living a lie." I'm sure he enjoys his ranch and the outdoors. Just that it's a reach to call him a "cowboy" in the spirit of Wayne, or even Reagan. BTW I do like my men "manly" and W fits the bill!
Perhaps you're right, I am too skeptical.
LOL!
Thanks for that picture of my hero!
Ben Johnson was an honest-to-goodness award winning rodeo cowboy before turning to acting. He played alongside Wayne in many pictures.
Be careful how you pigeonhole folks:
Like our President, I attended Yale, though a year behind him, and I too have a master's degree, though in engineering.
I split firewood with an axe better than anyone you've seen, I'd wager; and I learned to shoot and ride on my uncle's ranch near Bandera (Texas, of course!) at age six. I'd also wager I can shoot as well as anyone you've met, and ride better than most.
Being educated doesn't necessarily change your nature.
Tom Mix, for starters.
Ronald Reagan is another.
And so was John Wayne: being a cowboy has more to do with a state of mind than it does with smelling like horse.
And anytime you hear some effete Easterner speak the word "cowboy" disparagingly, you know which side of the fence *it" sits on...
Supposedly he suffered from an ear problem that would cause severe infections when exposed to water for a long time. Yes it kept him from serving.
The Searchers was a great film.
Mark Simone of WABC radio, the musicologist and resident Sinatra historian tells a similar story:
Sinatra, well known for handing out $100 tips, asked the Valet - after receiving great service from him - what was the biggest tip he ever got. The Valet answered $100 dollars. So, Frank hands him two, $100 dollar bills. Frank is about to walk away when he stops and turns to the Valet and asks him, "By the way, who gave you that tip?" The Valet answers, "Why you did, Mr. Sinatra!"
Sir, I knew John Wayne, John Wayne is a hero of mine, and John McCain is no John Wayne!
LOL! The more I hear about Sinatra the more I like him.
A story I'd not heard. Thanks for sharing!
I think you are thinking about the movie, "Big Jake". That was LASSIE, dyed dark, I believe. Didn't matter what Jake wanted the dog to do, he just called his name - "Dog!", and Dog would attack, back off, growl, whatever...
Many years ago I was in nearby Lake Geneva, WI and stopped at the Playboy Resort's Playmate Bar for a drink before heading home (12 miles away). The bar itself was empty but the lounge/stage area had two tables occupied by Jack E. Leonard and some 'groupies' who were hanging on his every word (Leonard was appearing there at the time). Not only could he be heard by them but by me and I was at least 30-40 feet away. He was loud, obnoxious and vile. I raised my eyes to the bartender who shook his head in turn and stated something to the effect that he couldn't wait until Leonard's stint was over.
Sinatra and Wayne were class acts. Jack E. Leonard was famous for a while but if there are a lot of people today who haven't heard of him, well, there's a reason.
'Nuff said!
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