McCain/Palin Not the Original Maverick

I received this from a friend. I don’t call my friends names like some bloggers because my friends are real people. They are red blooded Americans that represent the middle class in this country. They care about family, the environment, jobs, and their friends. I found this information very interesting.

“Here’s some interesting facts about the word Maverick that I thought you might want to know. Why are the Republicans comparing themselves to a group of fierce Texas Democrats?

From: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. At http://www.bartleby.com/61/4/M0160400.html

SYLLABICATION: mav·er·ick

PRONUNCIATION: m v r- k, m v r k

NOUN:

1. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it. 2. One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.

ADJECTIVE:
Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence: maverick politicians; a maverick decision.

ETYMOLOGY:
Possibly after Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803–1870), American cattleman who left the calves in his herd unbranded .

From Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Augustus_Maverick

Samuel Augustus Maverick (July 23, 1803–September 2, 1870) was a Texas lawyer, politician, and land baron.

Maverick was not active in politics during the Civil War but afterward helped John H. Reagan to organize the Democratic Party once more. He died in San Antonio.

Maverick County, Texas is named for him. U.S. Representative (Democrat) from Texas Maury Maverick (1896–1964) was his grandson.

Maverick steadfastly refused to brand his cattle. As a result, the word maverick entered the English lexicon, meaning both an unbranded range animal as well as a slang term for someone who exhibits a streak of stubborn independence.

Maverick's stated reason for not branding his cattle was that he didn't want to inflict pain on them. Other ranchers however, suspected that his true motivation was that it allowed him to collect any unbranded cattle and claim them as his own.”

Why are the Republicans comparing themselves to a group of fierce Texas Democrats? That is a good question. The Republicans love to still our images and twist them for their own warped reasons. I would say that if anyone could lay claim to the title “Maverick” it would be Senator Obama because he has steadfastly refused to take PAC money and has even demanded that the Democratic Party do the same this year. We had all given into the view that PAC (special interest groups that fund candidates) was a fact of life but Senator Obama has shown us that the American people are more then willing to support a quality candidate with small donations. Leave it up to a true community organizer to show this country that yes we can make changes that those of us who have spent years working on the very same problems could no longer see. Senator Obama is a breath of fresh air in a room where the republicans had polluted the environment long ago with their views on special interest money even to the point of convincing democrats that there was not answer to the problem. If Senator Obama is not a great example of a Maverick then I know that McCain/Palin can never hope to lay claim to that title.