Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger
I had a hunch the name sounded familiar but it wasn’t until I Googled “Capitol Hill Club” that I knew for sure. The Capitol Hill Club is a Republican social club, located on Capitol Hill, right next to the Republican National Committee. A very dear friend of my wife, who I have known for several years, has been long active in Republican politics and invited us to the Capitol Hill Club for dinner.
I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have some misgivings. As you can tell if you’ve read this blog, I’m not a fan of President Trump. Plus, it would of course be rude to decline. And, I was really hungry.
Picture what comes to mind when you consider a typical Republican, pre-Trump, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the Capitol Hill Club. Homey with an old-school feel. Not that I’ve spent much time in either but almost like a country or yacht club that you could feel welcome at.
Throughout the entire time my wife Wendy and I kept noticing all the little accoutrements – the framed photos of Republican officeholders, FOX News on in the background, well-stocked bar and snacks you could bring to your table, and commented how surreal it all seemed. Our daughter Sasha was sold from the get-go as she was in the mood for a club sandwich and my wife and my friend, the club member, had called ahead and made sure they would make one for Sasha, even though it wasn’t on the menu. And our son Ethan; he was in a whole universe altogether.
As I’ve alluded to in past blog posts, Ethan became interested in politics during the 2016 presidential campaign and has experienced quite an evolution of late. He began his journey as supporter for Florida Senator Marco Rubio, has become a vocal critic of President Trump but, during the last several months, has been listening to podcasts by conservative-leaning podcasts and following them on Twitter. But after seeing how, to to speak, the GOP lives, I wonder if our family friend might have recruited a Republican for life.
Throughout the entire dinner, I kept thinking of myself that this is how politics used to be. Meaning, not too long ago, we were able to separate the person from their politics. Now, I happen to go way back with this family friend and think the world of her. But the people she introduced us to at the Capitol Hill Club – friends and colleagues, seemed like nice, friendly folk who my family and I certainly would enjoy sharing a drink or meal with, despite our political differences.
Now, I want to be clear. I won’t waste space to detail my concerns with President Trump but suffice it to say that I hope to G-d he gets defeated next November. But whether he wins or loses I’m going to try and not categorize or, as the case may be, characterize his supporters. Because, as naive as it sounds, whether we realize it or not, we need to remember that President Trump’s supporters are our colleagues, family members, friends and acquaintances. And I’ve got a son cherishing his newly-acquired Republican National Committee single-use coasters and matchbooks to prove it.
Image credit: Yelp
shishkabobgirldad 
Thanks Andy. I think your “lessons” about people and civility need to be remembered. Just because I hope that President Trump gets clobbered in the next election or perhaps has a horrible case of food poisoning, I know a lot of Republicans I like and respect. Few are active politicians, but many are neighbors, colleagues and friends. Cannot throw the baby out with the bath water. Unfortunately, the last election and Trump’s behavior are squashing civility in too many quarters. We are unlikely to have an America where the split in parties gets much worse than 60%/40%; we have to be able to talk with each other. If we could get the 68% who are moderates, in the middle, to work together, just think of what we could accomplish. Meanwhile, I am really tickled to hear that you let your kids do their own political thinking. Civility begins at home.
Ed, thanks as always for reading and yes, I’d love to see us get to a point where “middle” and “moderate” aren’t bad words.
The College Republicans at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were having a cookout, which they had advertised on their Facebook page with a picture of Ronald Reagan grilling hot dogs. It was a sweltering evening in August, a week after protesters toppled the bronze statue of a Confederate soldier on their campus known as Silent Sam, and a month before Christine Blasey Ford testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that Brett Kavanaugh had attacked her at a high-school party in the. There were about 60 students gathered in an out-of-the-way courtyard off red-brick Connor Hall, all of them white, and most of them conspicuously polite boys (“Would you like a Cherry Coke, ma’am?” one asked). The girls, only about a dozen, looked like college girls everywhere today, in T-shirts and tank tops, shorts and leggings. Except that they were not like college girls everywhere, most of whom lean to the left and vote Democratic, or tell pollsters they plan to.