(no subject)
Politically, I am a registered independent who almost always votes Democrat, but who has a libertarian sympathy (while also thinking that the Libertarian party itself is a little bit scary). I am an extreme social liberal--as far as I'm concerned there should be no censorship or decency laws and marriage should be abolished--and my fiscal beliefs teeter between progressive and totalitarianistic. I didn't realize how terrified I was that Obama would lose until he won. I couldn't stop smiling afterward.
I like to think that in general I appreciate both sides of an issue. I am pro-choice, but I do understand the feelings of those who consider abortion murder. I believe in a public health insurance option, but I agree that we don't want to box ourselves in to having long waiting periods for "elective" procedures, like at MRI to find out why one's shoulder is excruciatingly painful all the time.
But I have to say, nearly every time any conservative Republican opens his or her mouth these days, they seem to me to be childish, whiny, not constructive, bitter, and mean. I feel that basically everything I hear from them is not just something I disagree with, but genuinely stupid and/or wrong on facts. "Get your government hands off my Medicare" takes the cake, but I feel like the intelligent, well-argued Republican is becoming scarce. And the fact that a huge swath of the country wants that Palin woman to be president makes me want to move to England.
What I wish I knew is, would I feel this way if I agreed with their side? Is this just my reaction to disagreeing with them, or are they actually acting like bratty children putting their fingers in their ears and screaming "no, no, no, no!"? Would I view Palin's inarticulateness as endearing (the way I do Biden's gaffe's) if she supported health-care reform and clean energy? I really think that right now my side is the only one conducting themselves with a modicum of decency, but maybe that's just what everyone always thinks.
I like to think that in general I appreciate both sides of an issue. I am pro-choice, but I do understand the feelings of those who consider abortion murder. I believe in a public health insurance option, but I agree that we don't want to box ourselves in to having long waiting periods for "elective" procedures, like at MRI to find out why one's shoulder is excruciatingly painful all the time.
But I have to say, nearly every time any conservative Republican opens his or her mouth these days, they seem to me to be childish, whiny, not constructive, bitter, and mean. I feel that basically everything I hear from them is not just something I disagree with, but genuinely stupid and/or wrong on facts. "Get your government hands off my Medicare" takes the cake, but I feel like the intelligent, well-argued Republican is becoming scarce. And the fact that a huge swath of the country wants that Palin woman to be president makes me want to move to England.
What I wish I knew is, would I feel this way if I agreed with their side? Is this just my reaction to disagreeing with them, or are they actually acting like bratty children putting their fingers in their ears and screaming "no, no, no, no!"? Would I view Palin's inarticulateness as endearing (the way I do Biden's gaffe's) if she supported health-care reform and clean energy? I really think that right now my side is the only one conducting themselves with a modicum of decency, but maybe that's just what everyone always thinks.