By Carol Lucas
Saturday afternoon is upon me, and with it comes the realization that I have a deadline looming. I like to tell myself that I do best under pressure, and there is some truth to that. However, I have to admit that I have started two pieces, but I’m not sure they are what I wish to address at this time. How many times have I muttered, “So much to write about, so little time.”
What keeps niggling at me is the Facebook posting by a good friend this morning. So, I am going to go with this in hopes that I will complete my thoughts, clear my mind, and submit.
The post was a commentary from Tim Miller, who is a conservative and a bright one, I might add. Miller is a political commentator and was the communications director for Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign. That was also the year he became an early and prominent Republican critic of Donald Trump.
Miller started out in Republican politics as an intern working on the 1998 Colorado gubernatorial election. Later, in 2008, he was an Iowa staffer for John McCain for the Republican presidential primary. After the primary, Miller joined the Republican National Committee as its liaison to the Mitt Romney campaign of 2012.
I give you this backdrop because, as I have previously contended, there are many real conservatives that I admire; he happens to be one of them.
Miller’s posting dealt with the acceptance of an apology from Richard Hanania. This name meant nothing to me until I began my research. What I found still leaves me somewhat shocked as I would never have expected anything remotely close to an apology from someone with Hananis’s background.
Hanania, an American political science researcher, is of Palestinian/Jordanian descent. He is a right-wing political commentator who — are you ready? — was a contributor to Project 2025, relating to DEI. Furthermore, under the pseudonym Richard Hoste, much of his work is considered to be racist.
Let that brief bio settle in before you read what he posted regarding his regrets. Hanania’s lengthy apology began with the following:
“For those asking: yes, voting for Trump was a mistake. I thought we’d get a repeat of the first administration, but we didn’t. The signs were there, I just did not take my own idea about the awfulness of Trump and MAGA seriously enough.”
Hanania continues:
“I just thought the ideological basis of conservatism-free markets, individual rights, tough on crime and foreign adversaries-was sound and enough of it was left over to make even a Republican President this personally flawed a better option.”
Miller replied, “First public person I’ve seen admit they made a catastrophically stupid decision in 2024. Many more to come. Congrats, Richard.”
Some things to consider in reading this exchange: One, hopefully Miller is right with his second sentence. Two, is Miller’s response tongue-in-cheek? But most important, should Hanania’s apology be taken at face value, or does his disappointment lie in something less visible?
As I began to respond to my friend’s message of Tim Miller’s post, I had to have a heart-to-heart with myself and ask if I were truly ready to engage in “kiss and make-up.” Trust me when I say that feeling is inconceivable when applied to 47 and his Mafia goons, who have so willingly dragged our country into a position of muck and mire with the rest of the world. Forgiveness for them will never be forthcoming from me, and I am sure they couldn’t care less.
That said, what about conciliatory feelings for those who would never take the path of Richard Hanania and acknowledge the error of their ways? How does one deal with them? Are original, “pre-47” affections and emotions able to be retained? Can the fracture be repaired?
It was Alexander Pope who postulated in his Essay on Criticism, “to err is human, to forgive is divine,” emphasizing that making mistakes is a natural part of being human, while the ability to forgive is a higher, almost divine, attribute.
I responded to my friend who had posted the Tim Miller piece with this:
“I have to believe there are many out there who will find this appealing. Of course, not necessarily the die-hards who would rather their tongues atrophy and fall out of their heads. I feel, however, there are those who retain a sense of embarrassment, and this kind of nudge may be what is needed. If any coming together is to take place, it must not include an obligatory ‘public flogging.’ Forty-seven is all about retribution, and we mustn’t fall prey to his tactics.”
There is a dilemma in this exchange of thoughts between Miller and Hanania, and that is the level of sincerity of the latter. I’ve watched Miller, and I don’t doubt him. I admit to some reservations re Hanania.
I can only hope that my altruism isn’t a fleeting moment. I want to believe that more will come to their senses regarding the convulsions our country is undergoing. And by coming to their senses, I would hope they would renounce our present leadership.
Please know that what I have written doesn’t constitute turning the other cheek. We are in a situation that requires us to be alert AND to act. One MAGA coming to his senses obviously isn’t enough to require celebration.
I will continue to monitor and write about the atrocities that are being committed under the guise of downsizing our government. I owe it to my family, to my friends, to you, dear reader, and to myself.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
