Once upon a time, in the heartland of America, there was a spunky young woman—let’s call her Jenzy, just trying to learn more about politics and maybe win a scholarship or two along the way. She decided to have a little chat with her Grandpa Larry, a farmer who probably could talk your ear off about the weather and crop rotations. But today, Jenzy had bigger fish to fry, or so she thought. She had her sights set on a scholarship related to politics, and all she needed was a good story.
Armed with her camera, Jenzy set out to snag some comments from dear ol’ Grandpa about how amazing the Democratic Party has been. She kicked things off with enthusiasm, anticipating a raving endorsement of the Democratic ticket from her farming granddad. But nip that in the bud, Grandpa Larry wasn’t about to become Hollywood’s next big (or small) Democratic spokesperson.
As the camera rolled, Grandpa Larry introduced himself, all polite-like, and twinkled an eye at the very mention of President Joe Biden. However, trying to sell the idea that Grandpa had danced a jig when Biden won was a stretch. Asking him to get misty-eyed about the Democratic Party was like asking a fish to ride a bicycle. Grandpa was about as excited as someone reading Shakespeare at a tractor pull. Apparently, Trump had recently won a race, and Grandpa’s facial expressions said it all: he wasn’t buying what Jenzy was selling.
Jenzy, like any good director, tried adjusting her line here and there, hoping to cut and paste something usable. But comedy gold came when Grandpa joked about someone—maybe his dog, maybe a cow—hitting the cymbals with glee if Trump won again. The unscripted moment was pure magic and, inadvertently, managed to crack the facade of a neat, polished Democratic story.
The charming Midwestern backdrop, the contrast of political views, and Grandpa Larry’s down-to-earth genuineness had everything but the Democratic praise Jenzy was hunting for. In the end, both laughed at their script flop, proving that while politics can divide, it can also unite—with laughter being the best mediating policy. Maybe the scholarship would go to someone else this year, but Grandpa left having shown Jenzy that real talk trumps a tall tale any day.
