"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
—Jeremiah 29:11
“Not my will, but Yours, be done."
—Luke 22:42
Long before I read Phil Webb’s advice column last week to follow U.S. Sen. Katie Britt’s example of humble leadership at the Thanksgiving table, I was already planning to avoid feuding with my family over politics.
I argue, yell, mock, joke, rant and feud almost every day for a living on the sinking ship that is talk radio – and though there are times where one is destined to be a gadfly – I wasn’t about to let my few days off for the holiday remind me of work.
Add to the mix that my family contains both Yankee and Southerner, Jew and Gentile, Catholic and Protestant, believer and nonbeliever, black and white, straight and gay, conservative and progressive – and I was in no mood to have them reduced to squabbling over these identities because of politics. In fact, describing my family as such makes my skin crawl, because it barely scratches the surface of who they really are as people. They all made a good-faith effort to travel from across the country to reunite for Thanksgiving in Alabama, and as we assembled for several days at a property on Lake Martin, I am happy to report that things went beautifully.
Most of the talk over our few days together was about family memories, faith, food, careers, music, movies, and future plans. My favorite moments involved no words at all, as I simply played guitar for my two-year-old niece and my cousin's nine-year-old son, and listened to my uncle’s laughter, feeling like I was a kid again.
Political topics, though lurking under the surface on our smartphones and social media feeds, were mostly nowhere to be found – until we watched NFL football on Thanksgiving Day. That’s when, during a commercial break, a political ad praising Katie Britt played gadfly, injecting politics into the room.
Oh, the irony.
I could hear my family’s eyeballs rolling in their sockets in reaction as they looked my way. Somehow, work had found me on Thanksgiving despite my best efforts to emulate Britt’s conciliatory approach.
“Is she running for reelection or something?” my North Carolina uncle asked.
“No, she’s not up for reelection until 2028,” I replied.
“Then why is there an ad for her?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, “maybe she wants to be a kingmaker this cycle and keeping up her approval ratings helps anyone she helps – that, or she’s just watering her people.”
“Watering her people?” my uncle asked.
“Yeah, it’s a metaphor she’s used before about maintaining relationships, personal or professional,” I said. “I guess the watering also applies to her parasocial relationship with the voters.”
My uncle didn’t seem impressed. Neither did my aunts, female cousins, or sister-in-law.
In fact, I would bet most women in my family would not vote for Britt. Many of them, after all, moved out of Alabama for a reason.
“Katie really does work her tail off, though,” I said. “She’s always looking down the road and around the corner. I don’t always agree with her, but she does a really great job. No, seriously, she’s really good at this – though it’s too bad she won’t go any further.”
“Won’t go any further?” my uncle asked.
“Yeah, it’s a shame.”
I’ve heard it said that every time a U.S. senator combs their hair, thoughts of the presidency get in their eyes. Even those who don’t jump directly from the Senate to the Oval Office often find themselves in the White House in some prominent position.
Consider former Sens. Marco Rubio and JD Vance in their respective roles in the Trump administration, both now already presumed frontrunners for the 2028 presidential election cycle. Now look at how many times Britt has found herself in the Oval Office being praised by President Trump himself – from the Laken Riley Act to IVF protections to leading a bipartisan deal to end the latest government shutdown.
Britt has certainly been in the Oval Office enough times to have at least thought about being the POTUS. How could she not?
But does she have any real chance, a future, or a hope to be president?
I suppose only God knows the plan. His will, not ours, be done.
Yet, since it is no longer Thanksgiving, I am happy to drop the conciliatory tone and play the gadfly – but first I must turn to Britt’s book, “God Calls Us to Do Hard Things: Lessons from the Alabama Wiregrass.”
In the second chapter, Britt relays how her early failures helped lead her to finding her way.
“The world sees our peaks, but God knows our valleys.” writes Britt, “And, while those peaks are often fun, the valleys shape and define us. The valleys are where He carves us—and builds us up.”
Yet, it wasn’t just the valleys that shaped and motivated Britt to her peaks. Having finally found success in her early college career running for student office and winning a Student Government Association (SGA) senate seat, Britt then ran unopposed for VP for Student Affairs of the SGA. That’s when, in the midst of her newfound success, a certain gadfly appeared.
As Britt explains:
A good friend of mine came up to me after it was over to tell me what a nice job I had done. ‘You did a really great job up there,’ he said. I was a little taken back because he wasn’t one to offer up compliments with any ease. I told him thank you and how much I appreciated him being there. Shaking his head in affirmation he continued, ‘No, seriously. You’re really good at this.’ I told him once again that I appreciated it, and I almost started to settle into the compliment—and then he came with it.
‘It’s too bad you won’t go any further.’
I was a bit startled and immediately asked him what he was talking about—after all, he just told me how good I was at this. He went on to explain, ‘Well, you won’t go any further, you know, because you’re a girl.’ It was in that very moment that I decided I would run for SGA President, no matter what. People could beat me or join me. But I was determined to prove him wrong. There was no world in which I was going to be told ‘no’ because I am a girl. Game on.
My junior year, I pushed forward and ran for SGA President. I worked my tail off, campaigning to student organizations in every corner of campus life. And I won.
Not to presume God’s plan, but it seems that the “good friend” was exactly the sting Britt needed at just the right time.
So, now, after much prayer – though I am reluctant to carry this cup – I feel destined to say a simple truth. Though she is really good at this politics thing, it’s a shame Katie Britt will never be president.
Not only is she a woman, but she’s a woman from Alabama!
Not only has there never been a female president, but there’s never even been a male president from Alabama!
Does Britt really think she will be the first at both?
Game on, girl. Prove me wrong.
Whether a rising political leader or a lowly gadfly, we all have a role to play in God’s plan for the welfare of this world.
Let us pray, no matter how much our roles may seem to be opposed, that we do His will, not our own.
Joey Clark is a native Alabamian and is currently the host of the radio program News and Views on News Talk 93.1 FM WACV out of Montgomery, AL, M-F 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. His column appears every Tuesday in 1819 News. To contact Joey for media or speaking appearances, as well as any feedback, please email [email protected]. Follow him on X @TheJoeyClark or watch the radio show livestream.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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