Republicans

  I have met a lot of Republicans.  Maybe even more than Democrats.  I don't know why that is, but it just seems to be.  Despite what some may think about me, I have voted for more Republicans for national office than Democrats, but I have voted for more Democrats in local elections than Republicans.  This story is about two Republicans who have both been on the national stage.

 Newt Gingrich used to be the Speaker of the House.  He was one of the most powerful Republicans in the country.  Much of what the Republican Party is now can trace its roots back to Newt.  He had come to Columbia to make a speech outside at the State House.  I went, because I wanted to meet him.  Not so much because of what he believed in.  He was a bit too extreme for me.  I saw where his bus was parked on the side of the State House, and I headed over there.  His security was a little tight, but I got to shake his hand and introduce myself.  There were only just a few of us there.  One of my former friends was right across the sidewalk from me, but he didn't say hello.  I was nice to him, but he looked right through me.  His loss.  By the way, Newt's handshake was very firm.

 Mike Huckabee and I were at Southwestern Seminary together, although he was a class ahead of mine.  At the time, he was studying to be a minister.  He became one before entering politics.  I didn't really know him then, but I think we had a class or two together.  When he was filing in South Carolina to run in the Republican Primary of 2016, I went to the Republican Headquarters to say hello.  I brought our seminary's picture book of the students to show him we were there at the same time.  The book is known as the "Funny Book", since the pictures can be hilarious.  Most of the students look so serious.  Just before he went before the cameras, I showed him my picture and his.  He turned to me and said that we both had more hair back then.  After the event, he and I were standing out in the parking lot chatting about the old days.  He said he remembered a couple of drama presentations I did out there.  He also told me how much the campus had changed since those days in the 1970's, and that I should go back.  Maybe one day.