Without a Doubt, an article on George W. Bush. If you do not already subscribe to the Times online, you may need to register - but it's free.
Oh, and BY THE WAY, feel free to comment.
The article makes me think of a certain Hans Christian Andersen story...
10 comments:
I've often thought of that story as such a great parallel to this and many other situations in today's society. Isn't it amazing? Love your blog, by the way M. I too have a 12 year old boy (plus a few more), and could only dream of accomplishing half as much as you do with yours!
Either Elizabeth is the bravest soul here, or the least busy, that she read the article and responded! At BigLaw today, a group was talking about it in the elevator. I know a hot-topic read when I see it. ; )
Also being discussed here in the hills of West Virginia.
FYI - "Reality Based Community Member" T-shirts and buttons are available at http://www.cafepress.com/2004primary/404604
MargaretWV
Thanks, Darby.
"Reality-Based Community Member" stuff at cafepress? cool. I'd also love to know where I can find a "Reality-Based Member of the Swedish Army" mug, tee-hee...
I remember stumbling upon your blog one other time and now here it is again. I like this place. I'll have to bookmark you this time so I don't lose you!
I started to comment on this article when you first posted, then didn't, then started to again, then didn't, etc.
I am an evangelical Christian from Missouri, so perhaps I can give an "insider's view".
I think some of the assertions that the writer of the article (whose name now escapes me; it's been a few days since I read it) made were a bit simplistic. Evangelical Christians are not supporting George Bush merely because of his religion. Jimmy Carter is an evangelical Christian as well, but his politics are not embraced by evangelical Christians as a whole. I disagree strongly with much of the Democratic Party platform, and agree on most issues with the Republican Party. That is what guides my choice in a candidate.
As far as the exuberant crowds at Republican rallies, please remember that the last Republican presidential candidate was Bob Dole. It's nice to be supporting a candidate that possesses charisma for a change.
I was also a little puzzled by the heavy treatment the article gave to GWB's response to evangelical's assertions that they were praying for him or felt that he was God's choice for president. Thanking someone for their support is pretty standard. I don't thank a handshake session during a political rally is the time for a deep theological discussion on prayer or the will of God. I'm pretty sure if Kerry had the support of evangelical Christians, he too would thank them for their support, no matter how unbalanced they might appear.
Do I think GWB is perfect? Mercy no. In fact, my support of him is more of a "lesser of two evils" kind of thing. I have voted Republican the whole of my voting life, and will probably continue to do so unless both parties make some radical changes on their positions on certain issues.
Thanks for posting this article. It was very interesting. I enjoy your blog very much.
Thank you for your comments.
I do understand what it is to live a lifestyle of faith; I actually attended a seminary for women in Tzfat, Israel. For those who are not familiar with that part of the world, a seminary in Tzfat may be the "ultra" of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish faith.
I do think the writer of the article introduced faith to convey a bigger theme: our President's rejection of facts (or "circling of the wagons" as described in the article) when determining national policies. I am wondering, as you are also an educator, if you were bothered by any implication of our President's reluctance to engage in a discourse of facts?
Or an apparent lack of curiosity about the world (i.e., "neutral Swedish army")?
And yes, I know Bob Dole pretty well...he was my neighbor when I lived in Bal Harbour, Florida.
I am glad that we can discuss this here, and I hope most everyone feels it is safe enough to do so on my blog. : )
Yes, the neutral Swedish army incident is disturbing. I would have been willing to tell myself he simply misspoke, had he not come back with the, "Ya know, you were right," as if they had been discussing baseball stats.
But I do think part of the reason why the media is so puzzled by the president is that he is not as poll-driven as previous presidents. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of opinion, but previous administrations were seemingly unable to make any sort of decision without first seeing what the media was saying they should do.
I have come to the point where I take everything I read about politics with a large grain of salt. I can read or listen to one report that will tell me GWB is a buffoon who engaged in the war with Iraq to settle a personal vendetta. I can read another article that will say that France, Germany, Russia, and the UN were all tangled in the Oil for Food program, and had a vested financial interest to keep Saddam Hussein in power. One report will say that there was never evidence of WMD, another will say that Iraq had the capabilities of making WMD in a matter of months, which was in violation of the UN. Some days I listen to the news that convinces me we're in good hands for comfort. Some days I listen to the other side's take. Most days I turn it off and read a book. :o)
Mostly, I am disillusioned with politics in general. There are the people like you and I who are going to vote for a candidate because of the issues. And then there are the people that are going to vote for whoever is funnier, handsomer, or whoever their favorite soap opera star is endorsing. In a close election like this one, these voters are the ones that will decide the election. The result is that the rest of us are subjected to a bunch of rhetorical dribble.
I have thoroughly enjoyed hogging your blog with my opinions! Thanks for the interesting discussion.
Okay, I guess it's rhetorical drivel we are subjected to, not dribble. Although in some instances, dribble is pretty accurate.
I usually don't go to such pains to correct typos, but I am suddenly feeling like the unofficial spokesperson for Midwestern Evangelical Christians. Heaven help us all.
Have a great weekend!
Staci
oh goodness, I commit more errors than simple typos here...no worries with that. : )
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