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These days, 1 am often asked, or chided, about the fact that my politics are not what they were a dozen years ago. My good friend Martin Marty, for example, has said I seem to have the fervor of a “new convert,” together with the bad manners to attack today those who hold views I helped to encourage yesterday.

It is, on the surface, a long way from having written speeches for George McGovern in 1972 to having publicly supported Ronald Reagan in 1980. Is it such a long way internally? It does not feel like that. In politics contingencies must also be measured. In 1972, I would have preferred Muskie. In 1980, if Ford had been the candidate I would have preferred him to Carter. The distance from Muskie to Ford, between 1972 and 1980, would not have seemed so great. Still in 1972, I was unwilling to break Democratic loyalty. In 1980, I was. That, too, represents distance.

About the Author

Michael Novak

Michael Novak was a Catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat.

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These days, 1 am often asked, or chided, about the fact that my politics are not what they were a dozen years ago. My good friend Martin Marty, for example, has said I seem to have the fervor of a “new convert,” together with the bad manners to attack today those who hold views I helped to encourage yesterday.

It is, on the surface, a long way from having written speeches for George McGovern in 1972 to having publicly supported Ronald Reagan in 1980. Is it such a long way internally? It does not feel like that. In politics contingencies must also be measured. In 1972, I would have preferred Muskie. In 1980, if Ford had been the candidate I would have preferred him to Carter. The distance from Muskie to Ford, between 1972 and 1980, would not have seemed so great. Still in 1972, I was unwilling to break Democratic loyalty. In 1980, I was. That, too, represents distance.