I got a compliment

on my research skills and a question on how did someone from academe ever become a conservative! And I responded:

“ I was completely apolitical until about age 55—when my husband went into business for himself and I had to start paying attention to silly things like taxes and insurance—something the state of Ohio had always done for me. I was the perfect state employee—rarely asked how Ohio  was going to meet all those pension obligations that paid 2 or 3 times what Social Security does. And frankly, being a Republican isn’t that much fun since we elect such wimps and liars!  Being a self-righteous Democrat was much nicer.  Did you see where Ohio’s Republican governor (until 2 weeks ago) has taken a job with CNN?  Just infuriates me.  What a turn coat!!!  Right now I’m using my research skills on “growing older with health and vitality.”    I think we’ve attended 6-7 funerals in the past 6 months. We called a good friend Sunday to find out why we didn’t get a Christmas card,** and he told us his wife now has Alzheimer’s.  She always handled that stuff, and he now has diabetes and congestive heart failure.  This getting old is getting old . . . .  But occasionally there’s something interesting on our group list to respond to.”

**These days, when we don’t hear from friends or relatives, we know it’s because of Trump, but we knew this guy’s politics so figured it was something else.

As far as being an academic, yes, conservatives are a dying breed on campus because “you dance with the one who brung ya’.”