Branding Yourself a Maverick

After listening to the VP debates where Palin tossed around the word “maverick” like she was a Coca Cola exec throwing “Coke” into every other sentence, I figured it was time to revisit the meaning and implications of the term.

The basic definition of “maverick” is an unbranded range animal. So when you wear it as a brand, well . . .

An article in today’s New York Times talks about the origin of the term:

In the 1800s, Samuel Augustus Maverick went to Texas and became known for not branding his cattle. He was more interested in keeping track of the land he owned than the livestock on it . . . Unbranded cattle, then, were called “Maverick’s.” The name came to mean anyone who didn’t bear another’s brand.

According to the article, the Maverick family has a long, proud tradition of liberal leanings. One member served in FDR’s administration. Another “was a firebrand civil libertarian and lawyer who defended draft resisters, atheists and others scorned by society.” Another is currently an emeritus member of the Texas ACLU. Needless to say, the family considers McCain and Palin’s kidnapping of the term “maverick” the political equivalent of cattle rustling.

In the 60s when I was both long-haired and rebellious, I learned quickly that people who referred to themselves as “cool” definitely weren’t. Those who called himself “hip” didn’t merit the term.

To extend this wisdom to the present, candidates who brand the term “maverick” on their own rear ends have forfeited any claim to the title.

For more on the subject, read the long, detailed article in Rolling Stone, Make Believe Maverick.