In case you do not know, Ron Reagan has been married for 20 years to the lady who was with him at the funeral yesterday. He was a professional dancer in ballet who is a liberal and opposed to his father's most fervent political efforts that formed the foundation of his fahter's life. Despite the fact that he loves his father, he is his own man and has his own views as to what is real and important in life.
At a crucial point, in his elegant eulogy, in which every word and manner of delivery was exquisitely chosen and then polished to just short of perfection in achieving its intended effect, Ron said: after he was shot, his father felt God had saved him "in order to do good". Ron knew that he was conflating what his father really thought God saved him for, but he would not honor his father's true feeling, because that is anathana to Ron.
Now to the earlobe. This was very carefully chosen. Of course, Ronal Wilson Reagan was not a homosexual and there is not hint of that. He was a man comfortable in his skin becuase he used his brain to figure out what was real and important to him. The earlobe thing was just an eccentricity that is fine in the family and in Hollywood, but it really is too foolish to splash in front of a national audience, perhaps the greatest national audience there would ever be.
One has to ask why then did Ron Reagan reveal this particular piece of "Ronald Reagan trivia" at this particular point in time? Why indeed? He was goofing on you all. Given his background, he is exquisitely sensitive to the homosexual culture and Ron thought he would dance along a particular line which is rich in ambivalence and ambiguity, just in order to have fun and have lots of private jokes to share offstage at the expense of the great unwashed and uptight.
It was done with a smirk, an arrogance and a slickness, just to play with people's minds.
If you think I am making this up, and he did not know exactly what he was doing, you go right ahead. But in my view, Ron Reagan was playing around with his father's name, just to be prim and slick and to needle people, at a very inappropriate time. But so what, it does not really matter, that's who Ron is, his fahter would not have really minded and who cares? Cepting you, because I commented on what he did.
But really, don't get too upset about it. OK?
I was so moved by the ceremony, I did not even "catch" the jab at GWB, which it clearly was.. And trust me, most of America, who are a heck of a lot less political than those of us who spend time here,didn't catch it either.. And I doubt whether they spend much time watching Chris Matthews.
Nothing to worry about as far as the jab to GWB, folks...
I will repeat a little of what Chuzzie said ...Here we are... some of the most politically astute people in America.... people who were watching the weeks proceedings with rapt attention, in respect, yes...but also with our minds never far away from how this will "play" in November and with our ears perked for any small slam against our heroes.
And here, right here on Free Republic, half of us missed it...myself included!
I had just figured that Ron Jr. had grown as his sister Patti had. When he made his "religion on his sleeve remark", the LAST person I thought of was GW.
So let us not worry about Chris (.03%) Matthews and Howard Fineman. They are totally unknown outside of their cocktail circuits, here, DU and a few little read blogs.
I suggest we treat this as one would a loud fart in Church.
Maybe wrinkle our noses a little but keep absolutely silent.
The children and the simpleminded may giggle, but no one ever listens to them anyway.
Yeah, that's it. His double entendre passed completely over everyone's head (Except for yours, of course).
Give me a break.