Posted on 02/12/2004 4:52:48 PM PST by Pokey78
I'm beginning to worry that the Republicans might be behind this smear-job on Kerry. So does a reader:
"Well, this may be it. As a life-long Republican, I have defended my party and its leaders through thick and thin over the years, but I don't know if I can do it any longer. I voted for Reagan in 1984 (my first Presidential election), despite my misgivings about the rising influence of the Religious Right and my displeasure at the ludicrous budget deficits, because of his moral clarity on the issue of Communism. I voted for Bush Sr. in '88 and '92, and for Dole in '96. Both were serious men, deserving of respect. Nevertheless, I was disgusted by the conduct of my party in the 1990s, vis-a-vis the Clinton scandals. That man has no moral compass, in my opinion, but the debased and lurid tone of the Republican attacks was reprehensible. The further intrusion of the Religious Right into the private lives of the American people, including the President, was not what I signed on for when I joined the Republican party.I agree. If the Republicans are behind this, they deserve to be trashed. This is absolutely not something that deserves to be a factor in our current debate.
When 2000 rolled around, and the "Clinton Wars" finally seemed to be behind us, I breathed an enormous sigh of relief. I was not overly impressed with George W. Bush (I voted for McCain in the primaries), but I was confident that the "grown ups" in the party would steer a responsible course for the ship of state. That has obviously not happened. The budget deficits are nigh unforgivable, and though I agree entirely with the vision of the President's foreign policy, the diplomatic execution has been, shall we say, somewhat less impressive than his father's. Further, the proposal to reverse the course of history and once again enshrine discrimination in our Constitution via the Gay Marriage Amendment, about which you have spoken quite eloquently, almost makes me embarassed to admit I'm a Republican. This is what the party of Lincoln has come to?
Now, after all this, it appears that the conservative/Republican diaspora is preparing yet another round of peeping-tom character assassination rather than a substantive debate on the very important issues our country actually faces, using Drudge as its point-man. I just can't take it anymore. I realize the feelings of one person are irrelevant in political calculations at this level, but if the Republicans really do take us back down the Lewinsky path, this is one vote they will most assuredly be losing in November."
Something other than Sullivan's brain was at work here...
How many of us can say this ? I know I cannot. I was raised to hate republicans.
Excuse me! What garbage! This girl friend thing was either thought up by the Clintons, or it is being touted by the Democrats to cover up something else evil Kerry has done that they don't want the public to dwell on.
Anyway, the Republicans don't have the guts to play this dirty.
I don't think I can live through all that whining again. I hate election years.....and I do mean YEARS. It never ends!
He was never a conservative from the get-go. I liked some of his articles, but like most homosexuals, his sexual addiction has overcome his intellectual and common sense.
The truth is this is not the 90's. President Bush is practicing a NEW POLITICAL TONE, which means IMHO, abstinance from trying to screw your political opponents. They seem to do enough of that on their own.
Do you remember under the Clinton Era, Clinton, his administration, and FOB's spoke of this well-financed organization that was out to destroy his presidency because they were angry that Clinton won, even though the people voted him in? As you recall, Clinton's wife, without an ounce of shame, named it "The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy". Mrs. Clinton's fictional VRWC became the invented enemy, that they could blame, ridicule and marginalize. All great fodder for the airwaves and cable networks. This allowed Clinton's other more critical transgressions become less of the focus of news.
President Bush, nor his administration, nor his FOG's (Friends of George) has spoken negatively about Democrats. Mrs. Bush has not gone on the Today Show with Matt Lauer and talk unabashedly about a vicious, well-financed organization that has been angry ever since her husband won the presidency and are out to destroy him, and call it "The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy".
President Bush seeks to reach out to everyone, including hard-working illegal aliens, Ted Kennedy and the "religion of peace". He's never blames, or ridicules, or denigrates his political opponents, but resolutely forges onwards.
You see, his new tone is for all Americans. He does not treat us, or certain groups as his enemies. The Clintons did. They sought to divide and disturb, and agitate the people constantly.
But, President Bush has clearly and emphatically defined who the enemy is and his "New Political Tone" carries resoundingly well because he is not just talking about the "evil doers", he is doing something about it, and that new tone can be heard loud and clear.
So, I agree, I'd rather press Kerry on hiw political activities and direction he wishes he could take us if he were elected President. Focusing now on some cheap and tawdry relationship he had with a woman other than his wife will not stop al Quaeda from threatening our nation, our lives, our heritage, and most of all our children, our future.
In closing, we need to evaluate the character of our elected officials and their allegiance to their vows, marriage and our great Constitution.
Enough said.
Andrew Sullivan is a very intelligent man. Unfortunately, no matter how inconsistent, every interest of his is subordinate to his personal desire for guilt-free, socially accepted, homosexual relations. He therefore supports all kinds of heterosexual bad conduct, so that homosexuality seems tame by comparison.
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