Response to All the Uniters
I was planning to add a new entry to the discussion thread from "The Aftermath," but then decided it'd be too long of a comment, so here it goes:
A common theme I hear from Bush supporters on the radio and in the news is this: I don't support the war in Iraq/ I don't think the economy is doing well/ the job market is really bad, BUT I'm supporting Bush because I'm against abortion/ I don't want gay people to get married/ religion should not be banned from public schools.
I don't know if there IS a way to reach these voters. If they feel abortion is as morally indefensible as murder, I don't think they will budge just because a candidate offers them a plan that may or may not lead to a better economy.
If they believe homosexuality is totally repugnant and evil and can be "cured," Kerry's (or any other centrist Democrat's) wishy washy "I'm against gay marriage but for civil union" stance is not going to cut it. For crying out loud, Dick Cheney had an openly gay daughter and still acquiesced to Bush's push for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages!
If these voters want "religious tolerance" in the schools by forcing creationism to be taught as an "alternative viewpoint," and the rest of us want our children to learn real science, is it even possible to reach a middle ground?
Of course, there are others who voted for Bush for reasons that are more easily debunked. They equate his stubborn refusal to acknowledge mistakes and correct course as "strong leadership." They buy into his average-joe persona even though the man attended Andover, Yale and Harvard and claims the "haves and have mores" as his base. (In any case, why is it important for the president to be so likeable that you'd want to have a drink with him/her? Do you want your best friend to perform brain surgery on you just because he/she is the coolest person ever? I want a president who's exceptional in every way and is capable of leading the most powerful nation on earth, not a drinking buddy.) They question the patriotism of anyone who criticizes this administration's cronyism, obsession with secrecy, and flat out lies. We can win these people over if only they would stop watching Fox News and tune out conservative talk radio. But getting them to trust anything published by the "liberal media" is no simple task.
As you can see, although I wish we could persuade the other side to agree with us, or even to see our point, I don't have much faith in it actually happening.
A common theme I hear from Bush supporters on the radio and in the news is this: I don't support the war in Iraq/ I don't think the economy is doing well/ the job market is really bad, BUT I'm supporting Bush because I'm against abortion/ I don't want gay people to get married/ religion should not be banned from public schools.
I don't know if there IS a way to reach these voters. If they feel abortion is as morally indefensible as murder, I don't think they will budge just because a candidate offers them a plan that may or may not lead to a better economy.
If they believe homosexuality is totally repugnant and evil and can be "cured," Kerry's (or any other centrist Democrat's) wishy washy "I'm against gay marriage but for civil union" stance is not going to cut it. For crying out loud, Dick Cheney had an openly gay daughter and still acquiesced to Bush's push for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages!
If these voters want "religious tolerance" in the schools by forcing creationism to be taught as an "alternative viewpoint," and the rest of us want our children to learn real science, is it even possible to reach a middle ground?
Of course, there are others who voted for Bush for reasons that are more easily debunked. They equate his stubborn refusal to acknowledge mistakes and correct course as "strong leadership." They buy into his average-joe persona even though the man attended Andover, Yale and Harvard and claims the "haves and have mores" as his base. (In any case, why is it important for the president to be so likeable that you'd want to have a drink with him/her? Do you want your best friend to perform brain surgery on you just because he/she is the coolest person ever? I want a president who's exceptional in every way and is capable of leading the most powerful nation on earth, not a drinking buddy.) They question the patriotism of anyone who criticizes this administration's cronyism, obsession with secrecy, and flat out lies. We can win these people over if only they would stop watching Fox News and tune out conservative talk radio. But getting them to trust anything published by the "liberal media" is no simple task.
As you can see, although I wish we could persuade the other side to agree with us, or even to see our point, I don't have much faith in it actually happening.
posted by Gary at
1:31 AM
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