Posted on 11/04/2004 7:19:30 PM PST by The Loan Arranger
Before the country can find common ground, those with differing political views must be willing to listen to each other. John Kerry has conceded; now it’s time for the rest of us to do the same.
I’m not talking about giving up on anything, or even about "rallying around the president," which remains optional in a democracy. But couldn’t we all, Republican and Democrat, admit that it’s been awhile since any of us really listened to someone with whom we disagree politically?
Mutual pig-headedness may not be quite the common ground that the president had in mind when he spoke of a “season of hope’’ yesterday. But you know, it’s where we are at the moment. And if we stay there, we will never move forward together.
(My husband, reading this over my shoulder, is mocking me with an off-key rendition of the Chet Powers's song: "C'mon people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together …") But the fact remains that many of us—people who wouldn’t dream of judging somebody on the basis of race, color or sexual orientation—are not at all subtle about not caring to hear from anyone who thinks the least bit differently. A woman at my son’s school recently asked me to coffee, but then added, “As long as you’re not voting for Bush. You’re not, are you?’’
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
The larger problem is that he tries to dig at me every now and then; and has no respect for me and my beliefs. I will not kowtow just to soothe his bruised ego.
I told him that for him to insist that Keyes "wasn't really black" was offensive to me. I hear enough of that kind of crap from other quarters. I will not abide it from my own damn family.
I may apologize to him. Eventually. But not yet.
I might be pig-headed, but damn it, in a case like this, I'm entitled.
Melinda, go suck an egg.
Most of the Democrats heard on t.v. or during the day seem to still hate Bush. We are dealing with people who have little common sense in their lives. Why deal with them?
Why not avoid them and devote energy to communicating with people who at least have some common sense. The best strategy is to ignore them. They have no power unless you give them power. It is very similar to driving a car around people with road rage. Why wreck into them or give them the time of day. They are not going to change regardless of your efforts.
I think most of the article is elitist-lib crap.
Prairie
Melinda Hennaburger.... hey is this Rush's new girlfirend?? =o)
Then he IS being hypocritical.... even if he is your brother.
Liberals are content to hear your views as long as you don't base them on your religious beliefs. Basing your political opinions on religious principles is not allowed. According to them, it's a violation of the separation of church and state.
OKAY....I've read it.....I'd say she's trying to get a job with the White House......a little late......sorry, my trust of liberals is REALLLLLLY LOW.
Well, the premise here is all wrong in the first place. The country is not divided at all, and I don't just mean the nearly solid-red county maps that look so lovely right now. To the extent that Kerry got more than 20% of the vote, it was because 1) traditional trade-union support of Democrats; 2) traditional support of inner-city blacks; 3) average Americans who are conservative but were afraid Osama would strike if Bush won; and 4) average Americans in regions hit hard by job loss. The leftist element of Kerry's win was no more than 20% of his entire election.
Traditional unions will always support the Dems, particularly at the local level, because big manufacturing companies that are heavily unionized have become entirely dependent upon government intervention in the marketplace (witness Bush's caving on the steel tariff issue). Local governments also set local code regulations which are more likely written to benefit trade unions (such as carpenters, plumbers, roofers) than to set safety standards. I suspect that many of the union guys may have held up signs and driven Dems to the polls, then voted Bush when the curtains were drawn. No real hope for more votes here until moral issues become unbearable for the membership (e.g., gay marriage, abortion, etc.). Immigration issues will loom larger and larger for these guys too.
Black voters vote Dem as a result of incessant media propaganda, and more particularly because their "leaders" depend upon demonizing Republicans as a means of retaining their own power base. Working class blacks are just as conservative as working class whites, but when these ideas are associated with Republican candidates, they cast a reactionary vote the other way. Probably the most intractable problem Republicans face, given the state of the educational system where more blacks are going farther in school and college, but receiving incredible amounts of liberal propaganda on the way. More conservative blacks in the media would help, and the demise of the MSM should help in that.
Those in the third and fourth categories (scaredy-cats and numbskulls) are non-factors in future elections as the demographics in these categories are impossible to predict.
In other words, the country is overwhelmingly center-right and there really is no reason for us to compromise with the radical left. What we need to do to get another 30-35% of the country in our column is to expose the lies of the radical left and emphasize the overwhelming agreement that already exists on social (Judeo-Christian values) and economic (Libertarian/conservative) issues.
Sorry, in the last sentence I didn't mean that people who lost jobs were numbskulls but that blaming Bush was stupid.
This election was Smackdown. They went into the octagon and were forced to submit or be choked down. They lost. We won. To the victor goes the spoils. We should not extend a hand to them. If the dems want into the game they should get on their belly and crawl. They made themselves irrelevant and they still do not get it. We should not put them on a tit like babies. They are what they are. Submit and try to understand or remain banished from power. Even today after such a thorough beating they still say they have some sort of claim on power. We must never forget what they, nor who they are, nor what they have done to our laws, our society, our very way of life. This is not to say I am bitter.
The only time the left wants to "play nice" is when our side wins. What goes around, comes around.
We can't even do that in my family. After many heated arguments while coming home to FL to visit with family, it was decided that we could no longer - ever - discuss politics.
Now that I am living in FL, the same rule applies. I am considered the black sheep in a liberal family and politics will always remain a taboo subject. It's really very sad.
The only reason they want to talk is because they find themselves in the monority. You can bet your ass that if it was the other way around they would ignore anything any of us said.
Dear Melinda - Bush won. It's a mandate. Get over it.
Sorry to hear about your brother.
My mother and I decided to "agree to disagree" over how to react to 911. She hasn't spoken to me in years now.
To a liberal, most of the time "agree to disagree" means "Be quiet and listen to what I have to say"
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