Some thoughts while missing Duke & The Drivers @ the Hatch Shell this evening...(betcha The Duke will be incognito! :)
I had intended a pretty light-hearted entry, but I'll hold that off 'til next time...Did anyone read of the Kerry fundraiser held Thursday in New York? Rush Limbaugh has NOTHING on the voices of hate and intolerance of the Entertainment Left; I can't recall having read of Rush calling the previous President a "thug," as Paul Newman did of President Bush at this soiree. This was a truly repellant event; I can forgive Whoopi Goldberg her ignorance, as I've never expected much in the way of reason or intellect from her to begin with. But some of the others...Chevy Chase saying of President Bush, "This guy's as bright as an egg timer." Um, Chevy? Where did you earn YOUR BA and MBA again? President Bush has degress from Yale and Harvard respectively. Meryl Streep bemoaning the fate of Baghdad civilians caught in the bombing. Putting aside the fact that The Coalition did as much planning as possible to minimize civilian casualites, where was Ms. Streep's similar concern and outrage when the previous Administration was lobbing missiles? Further, where was/is her outrage at the thousands upon thousands of innocent Iraqis who suffered for decades at the bloody hands of Saddam? Or the theme throughout the evening of referring to the Bush "regime," attempting to delegitimize this Adminstration? Folks- maybe you missed it? But EVERY org that investigated found that no matter how the counting was done, President Bush still would have won the Florida vote. Apparently the Entertainment Left is getting it's talking points from DNC Central, or wherever. But then, we're not talking the Mensa society here- these are folks who believe the Michael Moore movie is gospel, not one man's interpretation of events.
I should add- I have NO problem with folks voicing intelligent, reasoned, vociferous views. There is nothing unpatriotic or subversive about taking issue with policies and such, and working hard for the candidate of one's choice. But this opposition, if it is to be considered credible, should be principled, and it should be civil. Our national politics have become truly corrosive over the years; mere difference of opinion is no longer enough, the other side must be demonized, portrayed as utterly lacking in any redeeming value. From my observations of history, this contemporary lack of civility seems to have begun with the treatment of Richard Nixon, even pre-Watergate, by much of the liberal media and members of Congress. It was personal, and Nixon's own considerable misdeeds only added to it. President Reagan came in for similar attack (referred to as the "amiable dunce" by one elitist pundit, and scorned and derided by much of the "intelligentsia.") Conservatives got their revenge upon Bill Clinton, as the more rabid voices of talk radio and conservative media tore into him with a vengeance for eight straight years, for sins real and/or perceived. And if possible, this animosity has only increased during W's administration, as voices on the Left are exacting their revenge for- what?- the attacks upon the Clintons, or simply the fact that their candidate lost a razor-close election in 2000? None of this does our political process any good, when not light, but only heat, is brought to bear upon the candidates, important issues of the day, and their stances upon same. If this keeps up, heaven help John Kerry should he win in November, as the abuse heaped upon President Bush and his administration will most likely be returned in spades upon Kerry, by political opponents in Congress, by the conservative punditocracy, and by others not enamored of Kerry or of Democratic policies in general. It should not be this way. It is ugly. The Entertainment Left should be ashamed of themselves for their crass behavior last Thursday.
In disclosure- my politics are such that they are frequently at odds with both the predominating ethos around here (this Bluest of Blue States this election) and within much of the T "community." (I often think I would have made a GREAT New Hampshirite!) I believe in limited government. John Kerry- and most Democrats- does not. (Some could say that, given non-defense/security spending increases in Washington, President Bush and the current GOP Congress do not, either.) Having said that, and having seen his career for close to two decades, I do not believe John Kerry to be a bad man, someone who needs to be demonized or destroyed personally or politically. He's no worse and he's no better than most politicians. I do disagree with him, moreso and on many more issues, than I do President Bush. And differences between the candidates should be dissected and discussed. But civily. As much as who wins this November, this ever-increasingly polarized, embittered, poisoned atmosphere surrounding our politics is going to keep good people from across the political spectrum from getting involved, and will serve only to turn off more and more of the electorate. It has to change.
"Come gather 'round people/Wherever you roam/And admit that the waters/Around you have grown..."
