What Would Molly Think?

January 31, 2009 is the two-year anniversary of Molly Ivins' death.

The question I have been asked most often during the last two years is, "What would Molly think about this?" Molly Ivins would have loved this election. She would have loved the beautiful sight of "We the People" finally stepping up to become the real deciders. She would have loved the drama, the comedy and the characters.

We miss her regular twice-weekly comments and insights, and want to hear her dissect, slice and dice, and make fun of the events and revelations of the week. No one could do it like she did. She made us feel like we weren't alone. She made us want to be our better selves and stand up and use our power. She would be so proud that we finally woke up and worked to make this happen.

In many of her lectures, she would exhort her audience to believe in their power. She'd say: "I hear people whine: 'I can't do anything. I'm just one person.'" Then she'd lift her head high and quote from the Declaration of Independence in her Barbara Jordon voice and remind them, "as a U.S. citizen, you have more political power than most humans who've ever lived on this earth."

In fact, we know how she would have felt, because she was as prescient about this election before her death two years ago as she was about all the other tragedies of the Bush years. Carlton Carl, CEO/publisher at Molly's beloved Texas Observer, recalls her saying after Obama's 2004 speech at the Democratic convention, "You know ...that young man could be president some day."

Before Barack Obama announced his candidacy, Chicago magazine asked a number of luminaries if they thought he should run. Opinions varied. Molly was succinct and direct, and with her usual wit and certainty said: "Yes, he should run. He's the only Democrat with any Elvis to him."

And, in her column on Jan. 20, 2006, she said:

It's about political courage and heroes, and when a country is desperate for leadership. There are times when regular politics will not do, and this is one of those times. There are times a country is so tired of bull that only the truth can provide relief. If no one in conventional-wisdom politics has the courage to speak up and say what needs to be said, then you go out and find some obscure junior senator ...with the guts to do it.

She was speaking about Gene McCarthy then, but it might as well have been Barack Obama.

She'd be so happy that her beloved Constitution (she donated one speech a month to groups working to preserve and maintain the First Amendment) is in safer hands -- that some of the worst things ever done in our name are over. She'd love that Barack Obama began his community organizing knowing that power lies in all of us united, and that he continues to remind us that we are the deciders.

I saw and heard many interviews after Nov. 4 and during inaugural celebrations with people who all said they wished their mother or father or grandmother or friend had been here to witness this history in the making. Tens of thousands of us wished that Molly could have been here to see it.

I choose to believe she and all of them did see it because they live on in our hearts, minds and actions. Molly is honored with awards, lectures and scholarships in her name. Many of her readers formed "Pots & Pans" Brigades, following the advice in her final two columns to take to the streets and demand an end to the Iraq war. She always signed her books and her letters with, "Raise more hell," and you can make her live on by doing just that.

She lives in everyone who took courage in who they are and what they thought when they read her columns and books, and knew they weren't alone and they weren't crazy. She lives on in The Texas Observer and the ACLU, to whom she left a large portion of her estate.

In a letter for the ACLU, she says:

Every time someone down the line is irreverent about authority, I'll have my monument. Every time some kid who was born a nigger, a kike, a wop, a Polack, a gook, a gimp, a fag, or just a plain maverick lifts up her head and dares anyone to stop her, I'll have my monument. Every time they peaceably assemble to petition their government for redress of a grievance, I'll be there. Whenever they worship as they please (or not at all), I'll be there. Whenever they speak up and speak out and raise hell, I'll be there. And every time some blue-bellied, full-blooded nincompoop who holds elected office is called to the floor for deciding to keep us safe by rewriting the Constitution, or by suspending due process and holding a citizen indefinitely without legal representation, I'll be there. Now that is immortality. I don't have any children, so I've decided to claim all the future freedom-fighters and hell-raisers as my kin. I figure freedom and justice beat having my name in marble any day. Besides, if there is another life after this one, think how much we'll get to laugh watching it all.

Ken Bunting, an old friend of Molly's who's now associate publisher of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, said of Molly on Election Day, "I'm not much of a believer, but I think our friend is looking down and smiling right along with Barack's grandma." You know, I think he is right.

From 2001 to 2007, Betsy Moon was Molly Ivins' assistant. The job included research, development, scheduling, and everything else and so her title was, "Chief of Stuff".

Comments

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

May Molly's legacy outlive Shrub's.

[Hallucinocynic]

Like Liz Carpenter, Molly was one of the straightes­t-shooting political observers. While she was an unaffected liberal, she wasn't afraid to call anyone out - Democrat or Republican. She wove good-natured humor into her observations, but her succinct ability to distill political truths is what made her writing so good.

I believe that while supporting this new administration she woulldn't hesitate to call out Obama when he succumbs to the business-as-usual behavior that compromises the change for which we voted.

We miss her wry, honest insight.

[drkazmd65]

I only read one of Molly's books,... and a smattering of her columns,..­. but I remain a fan to this day. Bushwacked was fantastic,­..

And I am sure that she would love to be here to comment on what's going to be happening here for the next several years.

[HDR]

Betsy, thank you so much for this article. This is actually the very first thing I've read about Molly since her passing and, I live in Houston! My fondest memory of her was when she was on the panel at that infamous discussion which featured Bill O'Reilly trying to bully Al Franken. All this moderated, or poorly refereed, by Pat Schroeder. Molly, the whole time unmoved by the antics going on until she let out a gem amongst the verbal gunfire going on above when she stated that she didn't believe in equal finishes for everyone, just an equal start. This was as succinct (and Texan I might add) as a philosophy can get. I've proudly quoted her countless times since I heard that. Thanks again.

[columba]

I miss Molly. What a woman! Makes me feel like going right back to work.

[StillweRise]

A regular reader of her colums for years and years... I am now reminded of the huge hole we have regarding liberal voices. Others have tried, sometimes inadequately so, to fill that void. Recalling her ability to cut through the bull with laser-like precision to gete to the truth, this article reminds me that the void will quite be filled completely.

[KareninSac]

God, I miss Molly, Thanks for this article--and the tears. I love that she thinks Obama has a little Elvis in him. Who else would have said that?

[truegreen]

Molly had a voice of reason.

[MossyOak]

Great article. Molly had a voice that will never be duplicated. I hope she making all the angles laugh.

[bbbbmer]

I miss her too... Not only was she smart and wickedly insightful, but she was so gosh darned funny!!! We need her now to counter all the revisionists and obstructionists and GOP suckups attempting to denigrate the far more honorable tries of Obama to correct the past eight nightmarish years -- he needs a wit to push back the dullard efforts of a boob like McConnell and the new tribe of neocons that are seemingly in denial of the impact of Bush/Cheney on our economy and national intent.

[drlouise]

Oh, to hear her voice again!

[cardineau]

I'll always remember her article about teaching a dog not to kill chickens. She predicted that the country would be so sick of Republicans that the Democrats would win by a landslide. I miss her too.

[Balloonman]

Nobody like MOLLY IVINS. For some reason I think of CINDY SHEEHAN in the same breath. While no veteran journalist of award renown SHEEHAN wrote clean, explicit, no waste words from her heart and to the point in alive descriptive prose that howled. She was heroic. Putting herself physically on the front line over and over again. March on DC several times. Camped for months, bought property, put her money on the line, to be close so as to be legiitimate and not loitering, off the road outside Crawford Texas GWBUSH chaparral ranch. Demanding a citizen's audience to express her personal grievance that became a universal cry for many of us anti-wars Heartbreak originated by the death of her son in the war, to say face to face that MISTER PRESKIDENT, you are a murderer, In effect. Signing off if not creating the war, invasion, consequent ensuring the murder of our men and women, and innocents on their own soil, under altogether false pretenses.

[MFreebass]

Once Molly commented to Bill Moyers that public policy in Texas is like Hungarian wine -- it doesn't travel well. I suspect she slandered Magyar oenophiles, but her point is well taken. Maybe we Texans won't be exporting it for a while, but we have to drink the stuff at home. Her legacy teaches us to appreciate the absurdity of the world of Gov. Goodhair and the rest of the crew at the Pink Building here in Austin.

You have to learn to laugh during the legislative session because you can't cry all the time. Besides, Molly had an odd fondness for the folks in state government.

[TFDNYC]

You Got to Dance With them, What Brung you?

While an undergrad at UT Austin I was writing a paper on the limited power of the Texas Gubernatorial for a Poly-Sci class and I read the above titled book. I had more questions and had heard that M. Ivins was listed in the phone book. She was indeed. I called, she answered and had a 45 minute dialogue with me about politics and Texas history- punctuated with honey, darlin' and sweetie throughout- plus about a million laughs. She had no idea who I was but was just that open to everyone. I will never forget that for as long as I live.

One in 6 billion, that one. RIP. BTW: It was Molly Ivins who coined the moniker Shrub :)

Thanks for this article. It choked me up a bit.

[gtt]

Your account of your meeting with Ms. Ivins reminds me of the few minutes I had the honor to sit with her and talk politics in Schultz Beer Garden in the shadow of the state capitol. She was a great thinker, and a great humorist. She spoke with me like a long time friend, although we had never formally met. To speak with her was like having her written wisdom pronounced aloud. Gosh I miss her.

[Bearangaria]

Lord I miss Molly Ivins! My car bumper says as much
and more people have stopped me and said,
"Amen!" Bless her and Ann Richards forever.