The War for Christmas: Victory a la Carte
Every year I see people fighting The War Against Christmas, I should join the battle, and every year I get so busy I don’t. The same was almost true this year, but I realized I can at least cheer the good guys on, even if I’m too late to join the fighting.1
For several years I’ve been on the Christmas card list of Larry Arnn, the second-in-a-row Legendary President of Hillsdale College, perhaps because my two daughters there, perhaps because of writing recommendations or giving lectures.2 Arnn’s “Merry Christmas” in the card the start of thi essay is forthright and his Washington quote elegant and proper, even not explicitly Trinitarian.
But Larry Arnn is sui generis in bold honesty. He’s the little boy in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” grown up with whiskers and grandchildren. And he doesn’t have to fear public opinion.
What is truly good news is the Christmas cards I’m getting from politicians. I was an elected Indiana Republican Convention Delegate this summer, the convention where upstart Micah Beckwith became the first Lieutenant-Governor nominee elected by the delegates against the desire of the Gubernatorial nominee since . . . since forever, probably. So I’m on lots of people’s lists. I’m Republican Precinctman, Precinct 19, Perry Township, Monroe County, Indiana, after all, even if nobody else bothered to run against me. And I’m married to the Vice-Precinctman.
Thus, my new Christmas popularity with politicians. Take a look at the card from Jim Banks, our new Senator:
Based! Not just a quote from the New Testament: Banks goes full Daniel. Plus “the light of Christ” and “He is our hope!” The man is sound, and he has good taste and good theology.
Next, look at the card from our Secretary of State, Diego Morales:
I met Mr. Morales at the Monroe County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner. This guy was helping people know what to do at the buffet line, and I was tremendously impressed when I discovered he was the Secretary of State I’ve heard everybody likes him, except Governor Holcomb, who hates him, and being hated by Governor Holcombis good, pretty much every Republican in Indiana thinks (Holcolmb didn’t dare go on stage at the Republican Convention.) As you can see, Mr. Morales has a good Christmas card, and notably good aesthetics in design, clothes, and companion.3
Whether to email instead of mail Christmas cards is a hard question. State Treasurer Daniel Elliot emailed his:
Isaiah 9:6 is good. “For the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor.”
Our formerly freshman U.S. Representative Erin Houchin (does that make her a sophomore now?) emailed her card too. I like “a wonderful moment to reflect on our blessings”:
State Auditor Elise Nieshalla uses a verse from a Christmas carol. That’s good too— we should think about that for Christmas cards more often:
My final politician’s card is from Todd Rokita, Attorney-General:
Mr. Rokita’s card has solid scripture, “and of course, Merry Christmas!
My own card has scripture too. We include a bit of Hebrew, which is why the exclamation point is on the wrong side. “Merry Christmas” is on the first page, with Lillian’s painting of the Star, but the second panel is:
Merry Christmas!4
Footnotes
This Substack is substantially changed from the draft published in December 2024. I added more cards, figured out how to resize images, and improved the writing generally.
The first legendary president of Hillsdale, George Roche, resigned after a strange scandal involving his daughter-in-law’s suicide in the Arboretum next to what wa later my daughter’s dorm. It is very rare for an organization to have two talented leaders in a row. Roche played Philip to Arnn’s Alexander. The Ottoman dynasty up till Suleiman the Magnificent’s son, Selim the Sot, is the main counterexample. Arnn is old; will his successor keep up the jihad until Vienna is captured?
The aesthetic talent is probably that of his staff, or, more likely, Mrs. Morales. Mr. Morales still should get credit for it— man, wife, and staff come as a package.
I am revising and republishing this on January 3. “Too late!” you say? No. This is the Ninth Day of Christmas, the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus and also St. Genevieve’s Day. See my 2014 writeup of what to do on “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. There’s a lot of fun stuff to occupy the holidays before you take down your tree on January 6, Epiphany.