Tweet
Washington Post, DC
Jan 13 2005
In These Parts, Republicans Have Company
With a Shared Set of Values and Faith, They Counter Political Tide
Around Them
By Elizabeth Williamson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Next Thursday, Earl Englehart and his 16-year-old son Chad will drive
in from Frederick to see President Bush take his second oath of
office in Washington, a proud moment for father and son,
self-described conservatives and proud of it.
"We're a Republican county in a Democratic state," Earl Englehart,
47, said. "But we've got a strong conservative agenda, a vast
difference of philosophical opinion from the rest of the state."
The Somerville family of Derwood plans to celebrate and pray on
Inauguration Day. From left are Charity, 17, Mike, 22, Marjorie, 14,
David, 19, Christy, 21, Scott and Marcia. At right are Republicans
Bernie and William Albright of Adamstown. (Craig Herndon For The
Washington Post)
After Election Day, the region's liberals wondered who were the
social conservatives who had turned out so heavily for Bush. In
Maryland, they can be found in Frederick and upper Montgomery
counties.
"We're regular concerned parents with traditional values, like
marriage, going to church and not having the government meddling in
every little thing they can get their hands on," Englehart said.
"We're focused in a different direction."
In the presidential election, 56 percent of Marylanders voted for
Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), as did 66 percent of voters in
Montgomery County. But in Frederick County, and the slice of upper
Montgomery that belongs to the 6th Congressional District, 60 percent
of voters went for Bush.
Among them was Bernie Topakyan Albright, 65, of Adamstown, who voted
for Bush because, she said, "I can relate to his faith and religion
because I personally feel the same way." As ancient peoples once
believed about their kings, she said, "I believe the Lord puts them
in and takes them out."
Albright comes from a long line of Republicans. Her grandfather H.H.
Topakyan, an ethnic Armenian, served as Persia's ambassador to the
United States in the early 1900s. Later, as an American citizen and
owner of a New York carpet dealer, he gave a rug to Republican
President William Howard Taft that hung for decades in the White
House.
Albright and her husband, William, 73, a retired mortgage banker,
moved from Silver Spring to Frederick County five years ago in search
of a mountain view. They also found a point of view.
"I've always loved Maryland," she said. In Frederick, "I just don't
pay any attention to politics; I just do my own thing."
She said people who view Frederick conservatives as behind the times
are "totally wrong."
"They're very wise and intelligent people who don't have the same
mentality as those who live in the city. They're honest and homespun
. . . and when you have trouble, they rally to help you through it."
Over the holidays, Albright's basement, where her mother lives,
flooded. The day before Christmas, a contractor fixed the problem so
her mother wouldn't be uprooted.
"It all goes back to one thing," she said. "These people have
morals."
Bernie and William Albright contacted the office of Rep. Roscoe G.
Bartlett (R-Md.) and requested tickets to Bush's inauguration. "My
husband and I had the privilege of going to President Bush's father's
inauguration," she said. "It's very historical to have a father and a
son as president."
Lisa Wright, Bartlett's press secretary, said the office had gotten
more than 400 requests for the 60 tickets it had available to give
away. "We did a lottery," she said, selecting names from a list of
applicants, then awarding the tickets to the first 60 constituents
who answered the phone.
"They were very popular," she said. "Very, very popular."
Scott Somerville wasn't lucky enough to get inaugural tickets from
his congressman, so he planned an inaugural party for all the
Republicans on his block in Derwood. Turns out most of them are
members of his family. Somerville's parents and his six children,
four of whom are grown, live on Teri Drive. They're all coming to the
party, billed as a chance to celebrate and pray for the president.
Somerville signed the party up with the Republican National
Committee, which said on its Web site that more than 30,000 such
get-togethers are planned for Inauguration Day. People who type in
their Zip codes are given information on parties in their area.
Not many parties appear on the roster for Montgomery. No matter, said
Somerville, 46, a lawyer at the Home School Legal Defense
Association. "Thirty percent of the population can throw a lot of
good parties," he said. Other than his family, Somerville counts
three Republicans on his street, "snowbirds," he said, who winter in
Florida. During the 2000 presidential election, Somerville jokingly
credited them with Bush's razor-thin lead in Florida's Broward County
because they are registered there.
Somerville said he was raised a "dyed-in-the-wool, yellow-dog
Democrat," but over the years the Republican platform, particularly
its emphasis on religious faith, attracted him. Partly because of the
influence of his Democratic brother, James Somerville, senior pastor
of the First Baptist Church of Washington, his views are more
moderate than those of many Frederick Republicans. About gay
marriage, a hot-button issue for other religious conservatives, Scott
Somerville wonders "why the government is as involved as it is with
this issue."
Somerville's liberal brother, who lives a few blocks from the White
House, will probably be the only family member at the inauguration.
"He and I are both convinced that if every Republican had a
thoughtful Democrat for a brother and vice versa, we'd be better
Americans because we're listening to each other," Scott Somerville
said.
Generally, Somerville doesn't mind being outnumbered. "My little
neighborhood is a very pleasant street," he said. "There are things
we don't talk about because we try to be good neighbors."
On Inauguration Day, Somerville said, "we're all Americans together.
I loved Kerry's concession speech, when he said in an American
election there are no losers. It doesn't really matter if we're in
the majority or minority for this event. Let's celebrate."
At the party, Somerville plans a round of electronic "Jeopardy!" with
election-themed questions. There'll be plenty of food, and Somerville
will recite from a note from Bush, which reads in part, "There's an
old saying, 'Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for
powers equal to your tasks.'" And then Somerville, an evangelical
Christian, will encourage guests "to thank God for the country we
have and pray for the president we have, whether we voted for or
against him."
"Of course," he added, "it's more fun if you voted for him."
Chad Englehart, 16, isn't of voting age, but that hasn't stopped the
second-generation conservative from having plenty of fun during the
election season. As a member of Thomas Johnson High School's Young
Republicans Club, Englehart organized a debate, with representatives
from the Bush and Kerry campaigns, and a team of workers to get out
the vote. Nearly every day, he finds himself debating with members of
the Young Democrats and particularly the Young Socialists, one of
whom is a good friend.
"I don't really agree with any liberal views," Englehart said. "I'm
pro-life, anti-gay marriage. I'm a big supporter of the war, and I
don't like gun control. I really like Bush. If I could have, I would
have voted for him" because in the election, "he portrayed an honest
person."
Other than work at a local coffee shop, politics is the young
Englehart's sole extracurricular activity. He created a political Web
site, www.awfulpolitics.com, and contributes most of its columns. One
recent posting, titled "You're Stupid, You Stupid Stupid Head!!!,"
read:
"For the past two weeks following the election all I've heard out of
the mouths of Democrats is the reason Kerry lost is because Americans
are stupid. How else do you explain 'The United States of Canada' vs.
'Jesusland'? . . . How stupid can these people get!!? This, in my
opinion, has come down to the lowest level of human stupidity I've
ever witnessed since I first took an interest in politics. We've got
people running for psychotherapists, telling us [their] plans to flee
the country (which I highly doubt they will), and fearing a Hollywood
'blacklist.' We've even got depressed Kerry voters committing suicide
at Ground Zero. This is amazing!!! . . . The people have spoken!!
Deal with it!!!"
The inauguration will be Chad Englehart's first real-world political
experience. His father is happy they'll share it.
"When he's my age, he's going to remember standing there with his
father and watching the president get sworn in," Earl Englehart said.
"I want to fuel this passion he has. Lord knows where it's going to
take him."
Jan 13 2005
In These Parts, Republicans Have Company
With a Shared Set of Values and Faith, They Counter Political Tide
Around Them
By Elizabeth Williamson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Next Thursday, Earl Englehart and his 16-year-old son Chad will drive
in from Frederick to see President Bush take his second oath of
office in Washington, a proud moment for father and son,
self-described conservatives and proud of it.
"We're a Republican county in a Democratic state," Earl Englehart,
47, said. "But we've got a strong conservative agenda, a vast
difference of philosophical opinion from the rest of the state."
The Somerville family of Derwood plans to celebrate and pray on
Inauguration Day. From left are Charity, 17, Mike, 22, Marjorie, 14,
David, 19, Christy, 21, Scott and Marcia. At right are Republicans
Bernie and William Albright of Adamstown. (Craig Herndon For The
Washington Post)
After Election Day, the region's liberals wondered who were the
social conservatives who had turned out so heavily for Bush. In
Maryland, they can be found in Frederick and upper Montgomery
counties.
"We're regular concerned parents with traditional values, like
marriage, going to church and not having the government meddling in
every little thing they can get their hands on," Englehart said.
"We're focused in a different direction."
In the presidential election, 56 percent of Marylanders voted for
Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), as did 66 percent of voters in
Montgomery County. But in Frederick County, and the slice of upper
Montgomery that belongs to the 6th Congressional District, 60 percent
of voters went for Bush.
Among them was Bernie Topakyan Albright, 65, of Adamstown, who voted
for Bush because, she said, "I can relate to his faith and religion
because I personally feel the same way." As ancient peoples once
believed about their kings, she said, "I believe the Lord puts them
in and takes them out."
Albright comes from a long line of Republicans. Her grandfather H.H.
Topakyan, an ethnic Armenian, served as Persia's ambassador to the
United States in the early 1900s. Later, as an American citizen and
owner of a New York carpet dealer, he gave a rug to Republican
President William Howard Taft that hung for decades in the White
House.
Albright and her husband, William, 73, a retired mortgage banker,
moved from Silver Spring to Frederick County five years ago in search
of a mountain view. They also found a point of view.
"I've always loved Maryland," she said. In Frederick, "I just don't
pay any attention to politics; I just do my own thing."
She said people who view Frederick conservatives as behind the times
are "totally wrong."
"They're very wise and intelligent people who don't have the same
mentality as those who live in the city. They're honest and homespun
. . . and when you have trouble, they rally to help you through it."
Over the holidays, Albright's basement, where her mother lives,
flooded. The day before Christmas, a contractor fixed the problem so
her mother wouldn't be uprooted.
"It all goes back to one thing," she said. "These people have
morals."
Bernie and William Albright contacted the office of Rep. Roscoe G.
Bartlett (R-Md.) and requested tickets to Bush's inauguration. "My
husband and I had the privilege of going to President Bush's father's
inauguration," she said. "It's very historical to have a father and a
son as president."
Lisa Wright, Bartlett's press secretary, said the office had gotten
more than 400 requests for the 60 tickets it had available to give
away. "We did a lottery," she said, selecting names from a list of
applicants, then awarding the tickets to the first 60 constituents
who answered the phone.
"They were very popular," she said. "Very, very popular."
Scott Somerville wasn't lucky enough to get inaugural tickets from
his congressman, so he planned an inaugural party for all the
Republicans on his block in Derwood. Turns out most of them are
members of his family. Somerville's parents and his six children,
four of whom are grown, live on Teri Drive. They're all coming to the
party, billed as a chance to celebrate and pray for the president.
Somerville signed the party up with the Republican National
Committee, which said on its Web site that more than 30,000 such
get-togethers are planned for Inauguration Day. People who type in
their Zip codes are given information on parties in their area.
Not many parties appear on the roster for Montgomery. No matter, said
Somerville, 46, a lawyer at the Home School Legal Defense
Association. "Thirty percent of the population can throw a lot of
good parties," he said. Other than his family, Somerville counts
three Republicans on his street, "snowbirds," he said, who winter in
Florida. During the 2000 presidential election, Somerville jokingly
credited them with Bush's razor-thin lead in Florida's Broward County
because they are registered there.
Somerville said he was raised a "dyed-in-the-wool, yellow-dog
Democrat," but over the years the Republican platform, particularly
its emphasis on religious faith, attracted him. Partly because of the
influence of his Democratic brother, James Somerville, senior pastor
of the First Baptist Church of Washington, his views are more
moderate than those of many Frederick Republicans. About gay
marriage, a hot-button issue for other religious conservatives, Scott
Somerville wonders "why the government is as involved as it is with
this issue."
Somerville's liberal brother, who lives a few blocks from the White
House, will probably be the only family member at the inauguration.
"He and I are both convinced that if every Republican had a
thoughtful Democrat for a brother and vice versa, we'd be better
Americans because we're listening to each other," Scott Somerville
said.
Generally, Somerville doesn't mind being outnumbered. "My little
neighborhood is a very pleasant street," he said. "There are things
we don't talk about because we try to be good neighbors."
On Inauguration Day, Somerville said, "we're all Americans together.
I loved Kerry's concession speech, when he said in an American
election there are no losers. It doesn't really matter if we're in
the majority or minority for this event. Let's celebrate."
At the party, Somerville plans a round of electronic "Jeopardy!" with
election-themed questions. There'll be plenty of food, and Somerville
will recite from a note from Bush, which reads in part, "There's an
old saying, 'Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for
powers equal to your tasks.'" And then Somerville, an evangelical
Christian, will encourage guests "to thank God for the country we
have and pray for the president we have, whether we voted for or
against him."
"Of course," he added, "it's more fun if you voted for him."
Chad Englehart, 16, isn't of voting age, but that hasn't stopped the
second-generation conservative from having plenty of fun during the
election season. As a member of Thomas Johnson High School's Young
Republicans Club, Englehart organized a debate, with representatives
from the Bush and Kerry campaigns, and a team of workers to get out
the vote. Nearly every day, he finds himself debating with members of
the Young Democrats and particularly the Young Socialists, one of
whom is a good friend.
"I don't really agree with any liberal views," Englehart said. "I'm
pro-life, anti-gay marriage. I'm a big supporter of the war, and I
don't like gun control. I really like Bush. If I could have, I would
have voted for him" because in the election, "he portrayed an honest
person."
Other than work at a local coffee shop, politics is the young
Englehart's sole extracurricular activity. He created a political Web
site, www.awfulpolitics.com, and contributes most of its columns. One
recent posting, titled "You're Stupid, You Stupid Stupid Head!!!,"
read:
"For the past two weeks following the election all I've heard out of
the mouths of Democrats is the reason Kerry lost is because Americans
are stupid. How else do you explain 'The United States of Canada' vs.
'Jesusland'? . . . How stupid can these people get!!? This, in my
opinion, has come down to the lowest level of human stupidity I've
ever witnessed since I first took an interest in politics. We've got
people running for psychotherapists, telling us [their] plans to flee
the country (which I highly doubt they will), and fearing a Hollywood
'blacklist.' We've even got depressed Kerry voters committing suicide
at Ground Zero. This is amazing!!! . . . The people have spoken!!
Deal with it!!!"
The inauguration will be Chad Englehart's first real-world political
experience. His father is happy they'll share it.
"When he's my age, he's going to remember standing there with his
father and watching the president get sworn in," Earl Englehart said.
"I want to fuel this passion he has. Lord knows where it's going to
take him."