I have always been a James Cagney fan….one of the best actors, dancers, etc., of all time, in my humble opinion. I had looked him up the other night and read up on him and found this political stuff and wanted to share. He REALLY got it:
“After the war, Cagney’s politics started to change. He had worked on Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s presidential campaigns, including the 1940 presidential election against Wendell Willkie. However, by the time of the 1948 election, he had become disillusioned with Harry S. Truman, and voted for Thomas E. Dewey, his first non-Democratic vote.[195] He would also support Ronald Reagan in the 1966 California gubernatorial election.[196]
By 1980, Cagney was contributing financially to the Republican Party, supporting his friend Ronald Reagan’s bid for the presidency in the 1980 election.[197] As he got older, he became more and more conservative, referring to himself in his autobiography as “arch-conservative”. He regarded his move away from liberal politics as “a totally natural reaction once I began to see undisciplined elements in our country stimulating a breakdown of our system… Those functionless creatures, the hippies … just didn’t appear out of a vacuum.””
I knew I liked him for more than his INCREDIBLE talents!!
Z
geeez2014
GeeeZ .... 
As a young man . . . late teens to mid 20s . . . I was pretty much liberal and considered establishment conservatives greedy old potbellied exploiters with fat cigars, fat wallets, and fat heads, realizing nevertheless that they were the source of investment and growth in the country.
Generally speaking, I wanted to champion the underdog, redistribute massed wealth, provide for the disadvantaged. When asked if I was a Democrat or Republican, I usually hesitated and waffled, saying, “I’m a GDI [Independent].”
My 1950s high school, and my college history professors, discussed socialism and communism as part of the curriculum. They were quite objective about the ideas, laying out both the good and bad sides of each.
I decided that although socialism SOUNDED good in terms of providing for the disadvantaged and sharing the wealth SOUNDED humanitarian and altruistic, it would very likely produce a growing number of slackers who would exploit government largesse without contributing anything to the treasury.
By my mid 30s, I was raising 4 teenagers on a junior naval officer’s pay and wondering how the hell other people with less income could possibly be surviving. And looking into it, I found entitlements, grants, and government handout programs (socialism) for which I was ineligible.
Disgusted by Nixon’s crippling paranoia and astonished by Carter’s monumental unawareness, I was relieved to see Reagan grab the wildly swinging rudder on the ship of state and steady us up on a course toward calmer, safer waters.
Looking back on it all, I see that I was the poster boy for the old saw “If you’re not a liberal when you’re young, you have no heart – and if you’re not a conservative when you’re middle aged, you have no brain.”
Now that I’m an old man, I’m just thankful that I was born when and where I was and raised by people who had experienced some really hard times in the 30s and 40s. I’m no longer a liberal, no longer a conservative, not even an independent – just a graduate skeptic working toward my doctorate in advanced cynicism.
I don’t trust ANY politician who seeks the potusy, and none which has been in either house of Congress for more than one term. Nearly all of them are mealy-mouthed out-of-touch hypocrites addicted to power and intoxicated by wealth and privilege.
Given the opportunity to meet Dubya, I’d turn and leave.
Slick . . . I’d just chuckle and shuffle off in a westerly direction.
Soetoro – I’d spit in his general direction and offer the international hand sign for F.O. & D.
Orangeman . . . I’d shake his hand, but strongly recommend he hire a PR manager with unrestricted veto authority.
Slo-Joe – I think I’d scuff up the tips of his shoes, stuff his tie in his pie-hole, and give him an atomic wedgie. Then I’d kick his vice-fraudulent in the butt and slap Dr. Jill with a subpoena for elder abuse.
Cagney? One of the greats, no argument. Forced to offer a constructive criticism, tho, I’d say he was a bit TOO intense in a few of his roles. ‘Course, over the years I’ve had a few steak dinners that were overcooked, too . . . doesn’t mean I didn’t eat ’em with gusto.
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Probably back to voting democrat now though.
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I am frequently surprised by the “hidden talents” of men like James Cagney, Bob Hope, and Christopher Walken. I never knew that Cagney and Hope were accomplished dancers until I saw them during a competition on one of the variety shows back in the late 60s. And Walken did a mind-blowing performance on YouTube. Good post, Z …
Five stars go to Kid for giving me my first laugh of the day with his comment (above).
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Of all the guys I’d have never thought to be a dancer, Phil Silvers has to be at the top.
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As a kid I was fascinated with Commander Cody. I really liked his helmet.
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BOCOPRO…..Loved “.. it would very likely produce a growing number of slackers who would exploit government largesse without contributing anything to the treasury.” If only more people would see that!
And then MY FAVORITE in the comment: “Orangeman . . . I’d shake his hand, but strongly recommend he hire a PR manager with unrestricted veto authority.”
SO relieved that SOMEONE agrees with me 🙂 Yes, yes, yes…and OH, what he could do with that assistance!! OH, MY GOSH!
Cagney DEFINITELY overplayed a bit….no doubt about it….but, like in WHITE HEAT, it’s over the top, but called for. I agree. And I LOVE how you compared it to the steak!!!
KID….you or Cagney? 🙂 I doubt it strongly on both counts 🙂
MUSTANG…thanks. Yes, this video is amazing..HOPE and CAGNEY: .I hope you enjoy it!
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cagney+dancing+with+bob+hope&view=detail&mid=2E7AE1DAEE6BFF15750D2E7AE1DAEE6BFF15750D&FORM=VIRE
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC
PETER: What is Commander Cody?
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Right, BOCOPRO…Silvers is pretty good, too! And unexpected!!
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OFF TOPIC: JUST SAW THIS:
FROM NOW ON, MY POSTS WILL BE IN CURSIVE…THAT WAY, THE YOUNG FACT CHECKERS WON’T BE ABLE TO READ THEM!!
I like that…probably true, too!! If it was possible!
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Imagine a generation Z-er in a 1936 Chevy or a 1942 fone booth or with a 1955 model Zenith 12″ TV or a B-17 over Berlin in 1945 or in a diesel sub in the western Pacific hunting Yamamoto’s task force.
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A lot of the old stars can surprise us with their hidden talents like BP’s example of Phil Silvers. I recall during a weekend visit to Vegas in the late ’50’s and visiting a small night club on The Strip that had a comic named Hank Henry, and we visited their 2 a.m. show where Phil Silvers also came to watch along with some of the cast from his t.v. show, like Doberman, etc. and when Hank Henry recognized them, invited them to the mike and they were extremely raw, which we never saw on t.v. at that time. Lots of fun in those days. It wasn’t like today. No entry fee or minimum. One drink was all it cost. Gambling? We usually took $20 each for the weekend and played the old nickel slots, one coin at a time. The good old days!
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They had a lot of daredevil talents back in those days too lke Buster Keaton. Did some amazing things, lots on youtube.
Z, ? Cagney is voting dem again now that he’s deceased.
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MAL…..off color humor was actually FUNNY back then…at its raunchiest, it isn’t close to even TV Shows like TWO AND A HALF MEN…. I only heard Joan Rivers do ten minutes in the parking lot at SPAGO! (we were all waiting for our cars, including her, and she started shtick! Hilarious!….but they say she could REALLY be off color ! I guess they all could…part of our laughs was due to the fact we couldn’t BELIEVE anybody’d SAY THAT..! Today, it has to be SO dirty to get a ‘rise’ (so to speak HAHA!) that it stops being funny and is just gross.
Of Course, Johnny Carson was THE BEST.
KID…Buster Keaton and others did truly daredevil stuff….not sure he could dance 🙂
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He was a heck of a dancer !
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Cursive – that’s rich!
I did not know he was a conservative. Reminds me of what Milton Friedman wrote about Thomas Sowell when recommending him for a grant to finish his PhD: “he’s a socialist now, but he’s too smart to stay one.”
BP: this is the kind of thing David Horowitz said. It was no trouble to get a discussion of “both sides” when the university was not communist, but it was treated as a forum of ideas. You certainly weren’t cancelled. Not Malcolm X at the Oxford Union, or Bill Buckley debating James Baldwin at Cambridge. Redistributing income of the rich sounds good until you discover YOU are the rich patsy. “I was relieved to see Reagan grab the wildly swinging rudder on the ship of state.” Well said. Weren’t we all!
PRAYERS PLEASE for my brother back in hospital today. Top doc baffled. “Never seen this before.”
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I am reading Diana West’s book American Betrayal now. Dr. William A. Wirt testified before congress in 1934 about radicalism in FDR’s administration. Whitaker Chambers was a full bore Communist at this point when Wirt said: “The fundamental trouble with the braintrusters is that they start with a false assumption. They insist that the America of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln must first be destroyed, and then on the ruins they will reconstruct an America after their own pattern.” That was FDR’s folksy goal. And it’s Joe Biden’s today (or whoever makes his lips move).
Chambers changed over the same time period as Cagney. Watching what Wirt described seems to have awakened many people such as Cagney. Others enjoyed the free ride on freedom’s past, and war over neglected to pass the baton of American principles to their children who became those “functionless creatures.” (What a great description!) But those creatures came to run everything and were drawn more to political “science” than anything.
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Kid, thanks…not bad at all…..
BAYSIDER!!!! WILL PRAY FOR JOHN, DEFINITELY!!! WOW…..God bless him, his wife and you!!! ANd KIDS ! I will be praying that, suddenly, someone see what’s going on and can easily and quickly completely heal him. I’m SO sorry for this setback!
Wasn’t it wonderful when ALL sides were listened to….everyone learned, mostly respectful…those days are gone.
ALSO:
THE MEME IS ‘MAGA IS EXTREME’…’WE HAVE EXTREME MAGA’…. in a hugely derogatory way, of course….as if every MAGA adherent wants only Christian white guys in charge, etc etc…stupid.
I believe the Conservatives should seize on the EXTREMIST term and revel in it publicly…we are EXTREME in our love of America…we are EXTREMELY hopeful that we Americans will see lower gas prices like they were under Trump; we are EXTREMELY happy to have legal immigrants come in and want to make those sneaking in safer than they are now….
USE THE “EXTREME” MONIKER…It could work.
“If MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN is EXTREME….CALL ME AN EXTREMIST”…A tad long for a Tshirt, but…………
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Baysider, I’ll bet democrats have Always been at war with America. They sure kicked it into high gear starting with LBJ’s activities.
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Think I”d rather have a conservative MAGA King than a liberal Mannequin.
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Just saw this “Today, it has to be SO dirty to get a ‘rise’.” And it reminds me how much I miss the great Jeannie Robertson who died last year. Man, was she funny! And clean. So, so many to pick from. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jeannie+robertson&&view=detail&mid=E413F27471F2FE37B69CE413F27471F2FE37B69C&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Djeannie%2Brobertson%26FORM%3DHDRSC3
The ‘kids’ need prayers of a different sort.
Like your turnaround on extreme. I used a similar on a NextDoor post with an idiot vilifying people who ‘don’t like people like them.’ It was actually very funny.
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Geeez
Surely you jest!
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Bay, I subscribed to a couple youtube comedy content channels mostly featuring newer comics. They are all nothing but talking about body parts and sexual activites with lots of profanity. I can laugh at some of that stuff, but None of this is funny. There’s no humor there at all, so I gave up looking and unsubscribed from them all.
I don’t know who finds that stuff funny.
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Kid, too many people today confuse wit and humor with using raunchy language and profanity that ain’t funny! You can accept a certain amount of that if it’s really hilarious, but most of the time, it really isn’t.
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Kid – check out Jeannie Robertson’s link above. And for a change of pace, a local comic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOwvnBzJK5k
(Don’t Name Your Kids Something Stupid)
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PETER…NEVER heard of it or seen it!!! I guess little girls didn’t go into that stuff as much as you little boys did!
BAY AND KID: I don’t think all Democrats had any war with America..Zinn, maybe FDR (I doubt it), Alinski, etc..>SURE SURE SURE………
I believe Musk actually said it fairly well the other day when he announced he was leaving that party;
“In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party. But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold…” (and they are…today, there’s some sex scandal against Musk they’ve conjured up
Dems really DID think they were the ‘kindness party’….We were all racists (and they even got into textbooks that it was the Dems who passed the Civil Rights Bill as if that was their idea!), we make people work hard, we hate Palestinians and all Muslims and about anybody who isn’t a white Christian, we try not to get the budgets get out of hand ..etc etc. THAT”S UNKIND!!!
And, of course, it’s UTTER B S…..Musk finally realized that it’s the Dems who are the haters., etc…
I believe they’ve been working behind the scenes but Obama’s bunch took the White House over and we started seeing some nutty anti Americanism being applauded BY AMERICANS and FINALLY, we were waking up……………..
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BAY, I didn’t know Robertson died….SO sad.
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AN ARCHBISHOP SAYS NANCY PELOSI CAN’T TAKE COMMUNION ANYMORE UNTIL SHE GIVES UP HER OPINIONS ABOUT ABORTION!
WOW
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MANY TV POLITICAL ADS BEFORE THE JUNE 7 PRIMARY IN CALIFORNIA INCLUDE
:”JOE BLOW….TOO CONSERVATIVE FOR CALIFORNIA”
Honestly, I think that’s going to backfire….BIG time.
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Bay, I just read about your brother. When even a top doc is puzzled and never seen it before, thats scary. Our prayers go to him and you, also for the doc treating him.
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Thanks, Mal.
“I don’t think all Democrats had any war with America.” Right. That describes my neighbor to a tee. My tenant who just moved out of state said “I always considered myself pretty liberal, but with what’s going on in California, I’m not THAT liberal.”
Sadly, Jeannie AND her wonderful husband Left Brain both passed away last summer about 2 months apart.
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BAYSIDER, Jeannie was fabulous!! SO sad.
I’m very happy you see my point about not ALL Dems wanting war with America….”I’m not THAT liberal”
THIS is why I firmly believe these constant TV political ads where the leftwing candidate’s slamming a Conservative and ends with “….TOO CONSERVATIVE FOR CALIFORNIA” might just not work this time.
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