First, I quote someone else
First order of the day is to blockquote Michael Totten, as his words may as well be mine (though his are written better than mine would be, which is why I quote him and not myself).
[excerpts]
bq. Until further notice, this blog officially supports George W. Bush for president in 2004.
I will not be his cheerleader. Though I will defend him from scurrilous charges, I don’t like the man, and I never have. I appreciate very much what he has accomplished in the realm of foreign policy, as anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows. And there is simply no way I can vote for his opponent who has spent the past year whining about every good thing we are doing and have done in the Middle East. This is by far the most important task now and ahead of us.
The Christian Right can take its hysterical reactionary agenda and stuff it. They are not my comrades, and they should not come looking to me for support. They will get none.
I cannot and will not be a team player for the Republican Party. None of the partisan “responsibilities” apply to me because I do not accept them. When I side with the liberals I am not a “traitor." bq. My favorite line is the last: Some people make the funniest judgements about others because of who they support as a president. It’s not until you change your mind about a president that you come to realize how petty that is. Go read the whole thing.
I will not be his cheerleader. Though I will defend him from scurrilous charges, I don’t like the man, and I never have. I appreciate very much what he has accomplished in the realm of foreign policy, as anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows. And there is simply no way I can vote for his opponent who has spent the past year whining about every good thing we are doing and have done in the Middle East. This is by far the most important task now and ahead of us.
The Christian Right can take its hysterical reactionary agenda and stuff it. They are not my comrades, and they should not come looking to me for support. They will get none.
I cannot and will not be a team player for the Republican Party. None of the partisan “responsibilities” apply to me because I do not accept them. When I side with the liberals I am not a “traitor." bq. My favorite line is the last: Some people make the funniest judgements about others because of who they support as a president. It’s not until you change your mind about a president that you come to realize how petty that is. Go read the whole thing.
Comments
Can I get a bumper sticker that says all that?
Posted by: a different Bill | March 3, 2004 09:56 AM
So I'm on the phone with my brother the other day, talking politics and baseball as usual, and he tells me: "We've talked it over, the rest of the family, and we decided that if you vote for Bush none of us is going to talk to you again." Me: "Can I get that in writing?"
I mean, WTF? In my activist leftie days (pre-9/11) I could neither get anyone to listen to me, nor vote "my way." Yet I don't recall ever threatening to boycott Thanksgiving or Christmas, and I don't recall ever saying "vote Nader/LaDuke or your kid doesn't get a birthday card, capiche?"
Ashcroft I can handle, but when your mom tries to restrict your democratic rights--the terrorists win!
Posted by: Kelli | March 3, 2004 10:01 AM
Can I get and agnostic Amen?
Posted by: datarat | March 3, 2004 12:35 PM
Y'know what? I've never met a Republican who wrote me off because we didn't see eye to eye on everything. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but speaking as someone who has beliefs that are multidirectional, I get to see both sides of this coin.
I don't see a who lot of ideological orthodoxy imposed on the Republican side of things. I can name pro-AA Republicans in offics, pro-choice Republicans, all sorts who don't toe what is represented as the party line. I can't do that for Democrats.
I don't toe the party line. When our Bush/Cheney sign was dropped off by what I like to think of as a Republican fembot, she nearly broke her neck looking at our house. But she smiled and gave us the signs, and has been pleasant each time we've met since. Die hard Republicans might try to argue a point with me, but they'll do it over a drink, with good spirits.
I cannot say the same for my friends on the left. I've lost quite a few. It seems odd, but I think they really believe that Republicans want dirty air, black slaves and workhouses. And they seem able to believe this of people AFTER having known them. After working with them, playing with them and sharing friendship with them.
They try to make you feel as if you've betrayed them somehow.
You're not a 'traitor' to anything, Michele. Having beliefs that conform to the world around you rather than to a arty line isn't treason, it's sane.
Posted by: jack | March 3, 2004 03:15 PM
John Kerry recently said he wants to increase the size of the military by 40,000. He has been advocating this since December...
Posted by: SSJPabs | March 4, 2004 02:10 AM