March 20

'Jeopardy' diplomacy just might work in Washington

Kennebec Journal Staff

I love watching "Jeopardy". The contestants are generally jovial; witty, bright folks that I'd like to have a beer with.

Occasionally, the entire panel is stumped and I come up with the correct answer. My wife says, "Good, honey!" Even the dog will get up to high-paw me.

Not too many years ago in Boston, I saw a wonderful one-man play called "Tip" -- as in the late House Speaker, Tip O'Neill, a legendary Boston Democrat.

In the production, he laments a time, back in the day, when politicians would do contentious battle all day long, only to retire together to any number of venerable D.C. watering holes at 5 p.m. to toss a few back. One such pal, Republican President Ronald Reagan occasionally called O'Neill's office late in the afternoon and (without identifying himself) whisper: "Is it 5 o'clock yet?"

O'Neill coined the term, "All politics is local." I wonder what he and Reagan would think about politics today. Whether they were still local -- or just flat-out loco.

Or, if the "Jeopardy" category were Famous Quotes and the answer was "all politics is" would the question still be "what is local?" or an imaginative response they'd undoubtedly be required to bleep?

What if tonight, President Barack Obama called Speaker John Boehner and asked, "Is it 7:30 yet?" Would Boehner amble over to the White House to watch Jeopardy, maybe over a few brewskis?

At another residence, Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell tune in. Somewhere else, Chris Matthews and Bill O'Reilly squared off instead of just mouthing off? Maybe Susan Collins takes on Elizabeth Warren. Interesting? Ya think?

"Jeopardy" diplomacy just might work. Nothing else is. And our country couldn't be in any more jeopardy than it is today.

Buddy Doyle

Gardiner

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