Friday, April 03, 2009
'Governors at War' will draw on experience in politics
Priscilla Richardson is columnist The Botetourt View. You can contact her at 981-3430 or via e-mail.
Priscilla Richardson
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Wouldn't it be nice if the residents of the Glebe -- and anyone else who wanted to come -- could enjoy the advantages of nearby Hollins University without the hassle of classes or exams? That was what the folks there thought, so the Glebe's Katherine Morris got in touch with a Hollins professor, Botetourt's Trish Hammer, who set up a series of lectures on some great topics.
The next lecture, April 16 at 2 p.m., will open the subject of "Governors at War." Hollins associate professor of political science Ed Lynch, 50, will talk about the challenges faced during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars by various governors.
Sometimes the challenge involved physical danger. During the Revolution, after South Carolina was invaded by the British, the governor John Routledge had to "literally run for his life," Lynch said. "When someone asked him where will the governor's office be now, he said, 'in the saddle of the governor.' Routledge spent several weeks running from the redcoats."
More familiar to us in Virginia: the story of how Jefferson fled Monticello "one step ahead of the British at the same time Routledge was fleeing." Some accused Jefferson of cowardice but you have to remember that everyone associated with the rebellion, from Washington on down, was liable to prompt hanging if caught.
Lynch comes by his history topic from his own life experience. Armed with his graduate degrees, he worked on Capitol Hill for a while in the Reagan White House before coming to Hollins in 1991. About ten years ago, he ran for the House of Delegates and lost.
While working in D.C., Lynch came to realize the strong differences between state governors and U.S. senators. Research he did for his course on state and local government "made for an interesting contrast to my work on Capitol Hill. Senators tend to be completely absorbed with D.C. and self-absorbed. While governors are more interested in what's going on outside. Governors are much more interesting [people]."
He feels that senators, who have six years before having to answer to the voters, easily can see the job as an entitlement. "For example, Joe Biden was a senator for thirty years with no serious challenge. It's not so bad on the House side, where members face re-election every two years. The difference between governors and senators: governors have to suck it up, admit their mistakes and move on. You have part-time legislators, so when they're not around, you can't blame it on them, you have to take political responsibility yourself." He feels this is the reason why so many governors, as opposed to senators, become president. He cites George W. Bush, Reagan, Clinton, and Carter as recent examples.
Along the same lines, Lynch was amazed in 2008 when Sen. Hillary Clinton admitted a mistake in saying she was under fire in Bosnia. "What was striking about it to me, in twenty something years it was the first time I'd heard one [a senator] admit a mistake. They don't do that. It's another's fault."
Lynch will discuss Civil War governors, too. Back then, every governor was the head of each state's militia, so both Lincoln and Jefferson Davis had to rely on governors to recruit soldiers for their side. "The governor of Virginia originally chose Robert E. Lee and the governor of Ohio chose McClellan, the two leading generals of the war."
So you can see that you'll get a mind full of interesting facts and ideas from someone who really knows his subject. No tuition, no exams. Just show up for this free event and enjoy a trip back in history.
Upcoming lectures at the Glebe Thursday April 30, at 3:30 p.m., "Wandering the Labyrinth In Crete: Continuity and Contrast from the Minoan to the Modern Period." Wednesday May 13, at 2 p.m., "Inside the Berlin Film Festival."
For more information, call 540-591-2200. The Glebe is near U.S. 220 on Glebe Road.
