Baking my own cake
And the importance of Mitt Romney
Over the course of a five-day block, I turned 50, marked the one-year anniversary of my father’s passing, made Anisa her first meal (pureed sweet potato – she wasn’t a fan), got surprised for my 50th, and celebrated my second wedding anniversary. Which is a lot for five days; not to mention two years.
First, let’s talk about Mitt Romney.
Actually, let’s start with this Politico Magazine profile of Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher from the University of Notre Dame.
In 2018, after Deneen’s most well-known work was released, Why Liberalism Failed, President Obama put it on his list of favorite books of 2018, and NYT columnists from Ross Douthat to David Brooks all wrote about it. It was kind of a big deal.
Things have taken a bit of a turn. As Ian Ward reports, Deneen explained to a recent audience at Catholic University that American politics are no longer divided between the progressive left and the conservative right. Instead:
The country is split into two warring camps: “the Party of Progress” — a group of liberal and conservative elites who advocate for social and economic “progress” — and the “Party of Order,” a coalition of non-elites who support a populist agenda that combines support for unions and robust checks on corporate power with extensive limits on abortion, a prominent role for religion in the public sphere and far-reaching efforts to eradicate “wokeness.”
Republican Senators Vance, Hawley and Rubio are among Deneen’s “eager audience” as he finds the sweet spot between culture wars and his version of industrial policy.
At the risk of over-simplifying Deneen’s work, what I can tell you from reading the Politico piece, a review by Gabriel Schoenfeld of Deneen’s newest book in The Bulwark, and a brief journey down the Deneen rabbit hole, is that he is developing an economic philosophy that combines with a cultural ideology to develop a political strategy that will pull at the fabric of our democracy.
Schoenfeld points out that what Deneen calls for is:
“Public acknowledgment and celebration of these Christian roots” a policy that will mean not only a return of blue laws “that allow families to gather, free of the distractions and demands of commerce,” but also “public opportunities for prayers,” and a “revitalization of our public spaces to reflect a deeper belief that we are called to erect imitations of the beauty that awaits us in another Kingdom.”
Keep in mind that I am a bit of a unicorn secular progressive who appreciates the importance of religion. But this feels like a path to Christian nationalism; so, it is no wonder Deneen finds Viktor Orbán’s Hungary to be an ideal example.
Meanwhile, over on my Instagram feed, a very conservative friend of mine in the Midwest – who I don’t think I have ever heard say anything nice about organized labor – recently posted from his state’s Republican Party central committee meeting saying he was there to endorse “great judges” and “protect the union members in my district from bad policy.”
So, Deneen is a thing. And, for those of us who think a lot about democratic norms, I am not sure we have an adequate response.
Which brings us to Mitt Romney. Just not in the way you might expect.
See, back in the day, when I ran the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Romney was governor. And he made me very cranky.
It wasn’t because he stood in the way of almost every effort to improve state policy for immigrants. It wasn’t because Romney said mosques should be wiretapped, because he felt authorities, “should be watching what's being taught in a mosque more closely than what's being taught at the local 4-H Club.” It wasn’t because press discovered that he employed a company that hired undocumented immigrants as landscapers. (A company he promptly fired when he ran for president.) Nor was it because in 1994 he was for gay rights before he was against them in 2003.
Before any of the above, during his 2002 campaign for governor, photos appeared of Romney riding on the back of a garbage truck, playing garbage man. It irritated me then. It irritates me now.
I know. All politicians do this. It is a tried-and-true campaign tactic as old as politics itself. But I felt like he was disrespecting the hard work that people do every day. And, well, that always makes me cranky.
Was Romney ahead of his time? Was he a pseudo-populist before elbow-patch-populism was cool? And, more importantly, what happened over the last two decades that has kept Romney from finding the footsteps of Deneen? Because, in the summer of 2020, Romney joined Black Lives Matters marches. And, to this day, he remains one of the few Republicans of national stature to hold steady in his opposition to Trump’s authoritarian ways.
And he did all this in the context of being politically conservative. Representing one of the most conservative states in the union.
Romney seems to have a definition of what progress means for him. Which is probably not the version I have of progress for myself. Because, sure, I wish he understood what the contributions of immigrants (documented or not) meant for the progress of the country. And, I have to think there are a number of other policy positions we would disagree on pretty strenuously.
But, as far as I can tell, Romney’s practice of politics does not dehumanize the political opposition.
Which leaves me interested in a few things. Not just the question of Deneen’s influence on the future of democracy. Rather, what is the left, much less the center, doing in response?
At this point, I am not sure those want to protect – much less strengthen liberal democracy – are developing strategies that cross borders, much less racial, ethnic, social boundaries, to make a comprehensive case for a durable, inclusive democracy that creates opportunities for all of us to live to our fullest potential.
Much like my perspective of Mitt Romney was blinded by my anger at his 2002 campaign cosplay, I don’t think we are truly focused on building the political coalitions necessary to protect our politics. Which is really troublesome.
What I’m Watching
Ronald Gladden for President. If you haven’t seen Amazon’s Jury Duty yet, watch it now. Because if there is any one person who can give us hope it is Gladden – the nicest person ever to be on television. Full stop.
And if you are a juror in Los Angeles this week, Gladden and other cast members will be handing out tacos at LA area courts.
Baking my 50th Birthday Cake
In the before (Toya) times, I would celebrate my birthday by inviting people over for a dinner – but never telling them it was my birthday. Toya thinks this a pretty asshole move.
So, she kidnapped me on my actual birthday and took me to a fancy golf spot (Anisa was with her aunt). Where we had a wonderful afternoon as we sullied the fancy golf spot’s driving range while wearing (gasp) denim and t-shirts. The next day, as expected, I played a typically shoddy 18 holes. But, had a great time.
A couple days later, on Saturday, all the Noorani’s gathered to mark the first anniversary of my Dad’s passing. I cooked a Mexican meal, centered around Pati Jinich’s Pecan and Ancho Chili Chicken. A good time was had by all. And I still miss my Dad. More on that later.
That night, after everyone had left, on the request of brother-in-law, I baked a Samir Nosrat’s Ginger Molasses Cake for his 50th birthday party the following day. (Video here with a cameo from Baby Girl’s cousin.)
Keep in mind my brother-in-law turned 50 a few years ago. But he had to keep canceling his party because of Covid. But I knew the man LOVES a party – so it made complete sense he was throwing a party. For himself. Years after his actual actual 50th. Besides, it is pretty effing good cake.
In any case, after an emotional day, I was beat. Dragged myself into bed and said to Toya, “I don’t want to pretend I’m happy. I don’t think I want to go to the party tomorrow.”
Toya, such a wonderful person, said, “Okay. Let’s see how you feel in the morning.”
Sun rises, Anisa squawks, “How do you feel?” Toya asks.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just deliver the cake and head out after 20 minutes.”
“Okay,” Toya said, “But Salim would really appreciate it if you went.” Which he would. And, Salim is just really great people. So, I trudged downstairs to frost the cake.
I like cooking. But I don’t like frosting.
About halfway through the increasingly frustrating frosting process, I realized Toya would never make me do something I didn’t want to do. Especially after the emotional intensity of Saturday. Something was up.
As I was smearing frosting all over myself (and the cake), I asked, “Am I baking my own effing birthday cake?”
Yes. Yes, I was.
Toya (who I still can’t believe I found) and my amazing family and friends surprised me.
Well played. Very well played.
And thank you. The downs and ups of that weekend will always be with me.
