Bad Dreams

By Ron Dupuis

I love chili. I love it with beef, I love it with chicken, I love it with beans, I love it with any other exotic ingredient that would compliment the robust flavor of four or five delicately prepared chili pods. I once enjoyed a delicious pungent bowl made with BEAR meat. It’s no wonder that for the last several years I have attended the annual Seacoast Republican Woman’s Chile Feast held at the home of our local first family of politics, Stella and Doug Scamman.

I enjoyed my first serving standing under the big tent set up with about twenty picnic tables “out by the barn.” Early guest began to arrive consisting of Republican Party officials and major candidate’s supporters and handlers. Everyone was “glad-handing” each other and declaring how great it was to be a Republican. For some, I could see that, despite the smiles, their heart was just not in it. The Party, both locally and nationally, has been fractured. Although on the road to repair, some members feel, metaphorically, it is, at the very least “still in a cast.”

It began to rain so I moved inside the serving barn and enjoyed my second helping while sharing conversation with another local columnist of a competing publication. We resolved that both of us are under appreciated, under paid, and over edited by shadowy figures in the hierarchy of our individual “prints.”

I’m not sure if it was the particularly hot third bowl I was enjoying, or that God felt like a Democrat at that moment but suddenly the rain increased to what could only be described as a burst, followed by a wind so intense as to knock down a few trees and the dining tent as well. Chili was flying in all directions as people ran for the more secure permanent shelters. When the weather subsided to a more tolerable level, guests emerged to the outside and begin to attend to the business of the day, politics.

Senator Judd Greg gave a speech, as did Senator Sanunu. Gubernatorial candidate Senator Joe Kenney spoke for a few minutes, as did Jeb Bradley and John Stephens. Even Presidential hopeful and late comer Fred Thompson arrived and made a few promises. The subject matter was the same; “It is great being a Republican” and “Vote for me.” All the while I was enjoying my fourth and fifth bowl of chili.

I didn’t sleep very well that evening.

I dreamt that the Republican Party never recovered and that Hillary Clinton became President.
It was a nightmare.
After choosing Barack Obama as her Vice President which propelled her to the Oval Office, she quickly dispatched him to some meaningless task in order to project the image that she, and she alone is in charge.
I dreamt that her first appointment was naming A.C.L.U. President Nadine Strossen as Attorney General. “We need someone to protect the rule of law and the rights of terrorist here and all over the world.” “Nadine has the experience to accomplish just that.”

I dreamt that she appointed George Soros of “Move On” fame as Secretary or State. “We need a rational, unbiased person in that position” was her statement.

I dreamt that she appointed actors Tim Robbins and current companion Susan Sarandon as Ambassadors to Iran and Iraq respectively. “They’d represent the average Americans opinion and beside they make a cute couple.”

Finally I dreamt that President Hillary appointed screaming Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Service’s. She stated “we need more family planning clinics, and Howard is just the man to accomplish the task.”

I woke up in a cold sweat with two thoughts running through my head; the Republican Party is still fractured and better get its collective act together or my dreams may come true, AND the Seacoast Republican Women with Doug and Stella should consider some other kind of event next year.
Perhaps an “Oatmeal Festival.”

Ron Dupuis is a long time New Hampshire resident, a former State Representative, and a freelance writer. His e-mail is drcdupuis@comcast.net and his blog where you can view other writings may be found at www.imho-nh.blogspot.com