Sing Republicans, But Hymns Only

GOP More Geared to Business, the Professions, Bush Aide Says
(story)

We have, it appears, a new way of distinguishing Republicans from Democrats, at least in the federal city. It emerged last week, without fanfare, at an annual gathering of young Republicans, from Tim Goeglein, White House deputy director of public liaison.

Political scientists have long identified how certain professions lean toward particular political parties. According to data gathered by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research group, 69 percent of contributions from people in the television, music or film industry go to Democrats. There is no category for writers.

Author Mark Helprin, who considers himself a conservative, agrees. Of course, you would have to be insane to hope your child grows up to be a playwright or poet. Given the odds, you would have to be quite cavalier about your children's future.

Pah-lease. If I ever allow my political party preference to obstruct the career ambitions of my two boys (ages 3 and 5), then I am asking for a child’s rebellion of epic proportions.

Ironically, Tim (a former Quayle intern) majored in journalism and Mark is not only an award-winning fiction writer (much to the past displeasure of his father), but he has a child majoring the Classics at Harvard.

How Republican is that?

As for my two boys, my buddy Gordon Hensley’s blog posted this intriguing article, Jerry Garcia’s Conservative Children, that should lend some relief to Republican parents who worry about their children’s’ future choices in music, books, art, and careers.