Right. She's been dead these 8 years, but some of us haven't forgotten that Molly Ivins may have been the best pure political writer America ever produced.
If not the best, she was the funniest in her daily handling of a naturally depressing topic. On the event of the Elevation of St. Ronald in 1980 Ivins wrote:
"As a life-long Texas liberal, I have spent the whole of my existence in a political climate well to the right of that being created by Ronald Reagan and his merry zealots. Brethren and sistren, this can not only be endured, it can be laughed at. Actually, you have two other choices. You could cry or you could throw up."
Ivins read today reminds us that before there was Donald T. Rump there was Dubya, and before Dubya there was Reagan, and that things aren't getting any better. But while there's nothing in contemporary politics to celebrate, you don't want to make things harder on yourself. "You want to end up looking like Jeane Kirkpatrick? So smile."
The fight of her life was not political, however, and when she succumbed to inflammatory breast cancer in 2007, aged 62, only those very close to her even knew she was sick. Self-pity was not the style of this strong six footer, who left us so much and asked so little.
Even after 8 yrs I still miss her. RIP, Molly, and yes, you can say that. Who's gonna stop you?
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