Think American: Mom Wisdom

Having turned 18 in 1979, the 1980 Presidential election was my first opportunity to vote. My parents had separated in 1977, and my mother was working hard to support my younger sister and me. After graduating from high school, I hoped to attend college but understood that my mother was in no position to pay for it.

During the late summer of 1980, my mom asked me who I planned to vote for. I told her that the only thing that I knew about Ronald Reagan was that he had appeared in movies with a monkey named “Bonzo,” and that he had later been elected as Governor of California.

For younger readers, imagine a time when all the knowledge of the world was not immediately available at your fingertips. There was no internet, no email, no cell phones, no personal computers, and maybe five grainy over-the-airwaves television channels if you lived in a city. Cable television was still four years in my future.

One thing that I had heard on the FM radio stations that I listened to was that President Jimmy Carter wanted to make more money available for student loans, which was my primary need at the time. That was certainly appealing, and I hadn’t heard anything like that from that Reagan guy.

When I shared that perspective with my mom, she asked me to sit with her at our kitchen table. She placed her purse on the table, opened it, and set her wallet next to her purse. She then looked me in the eye, smiled, and asked that I listen carefully. She admitted the obvious, that she didn’t have a lot of money, but that every penny she earned went toward our modest rental duplex, food, clothing, and other essentials. We weren’t necessarily poor, but we had no margin for error.

Mom then explained that Jimmy Carter didn’t have any money to give me or to anyone else that wasn’t first taken from taxpayers like her. She explained that if anyone was going to reach into her purse and take money out of her wallet, she would prefer it be her hand that did the taking, not that of the federal government. She then said something that has stuck with me ever since. She explained that Jimmy Carter was trying to buy my vote with her money. She didn’t tell me who to vote for or against, she simply explained what was and still is true, and allowed me to make my own decision.

Ronald Reagan went on to win 489 Electoral Votes that year to Jimmy Carter’s 49. In politics, we call that “not close.” Independent John Anderson and Libertarian Ed Clark both came in at zero. After 444 tense days, Iran released 52 American hostages just minutes after President Reagan was inaugurated. That was a relief to those of us who had been required to register with the Selective Service System during the summer of 1980.

The Reagan years allowed me to experience the difference between a president who had considered government to be the solution to any given problem and one who declared government to be the problem. The Soviet Union folded, and Mr. Gorbachev actually did tear down that wall.

My wife and I met in 1983, were married in 1986, and enjoyed the Reagan years as our respective careers began to take root. Together, we learned from experience that prosperity comes from hard work, innovation, and taking risks. For sure, prosperity does not come from the government.

We have been blessed to raise two sons who have heard this true and life-changing story. I’m proud to report that both are principled conservatives who earn their own way in life and who understand clearly that government can give only a fraction of what it takes away.

My mom passed away in November 2009. At 70, she was still working a full-time job that she enjoyed. She suffered an aneurysm while getting ready for work one morning. Her doctor reassured the family that she went quickly and with little pain.

Mom loved Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and I still do. A portrait of a smiling Ronald Wilson Reagan wearing a cowboy hat, bandana, and vest hangs in my office. No matter how stressful a day might be, his depicted smile always puts one on my face.

If my mother were with us today, I know that she would be out there explaining to anyone who would listen how expensive “free” anything from the government actually is for those who pay taxes. Healthcare? $25,000 down payment assistance? That’s just more debt for us all to pay.

I hope that, by sharing this true story, you or someone you know might benefit from my mom’s wisdom like I did. Please don’t let any candidate buy your vote with your own money… or anyone else’s, either.

God Bless America.

About the author: Chris Holbert served as a Republican Colorado State Representative (2011-2014) and Colorado State Senator (2015-2022). During his time in the Colorado Senate, he was elected as Senate Majority Leader (2017-2018) and was twice elected unanimously as Senate Minority Leader (2019-2020; 2021-2022). Subject to term limits, Chris moved with his wife to Florida in 2022.