Laughter at gullible Republicans requires a unique blindness

[jpgray]

Most people enjoy being lied to. Every day they are consistently misled, and they enjoy it. The only reason people by and large don't enjoy being lied to is if they don't like the lie, or they don't like the person doing the lying. In fact, if one likes the liar, one will twist him/herself into a dozen knots trying to prove the flasehood true. Greens and Nader, Republicans and Bush, center Democrats and Clinton/any candidate, you all swallow and rationalize, to various degrees, some lies of your leaders. Each of us will try at some point to put a likely lie in the best possible light, assuming by an act of will a total lack of guile on a politican's part. As for the candidates, well--they are politicians, are they not? Above all, politicians are out there to acquire and maintain power. If you believe your politician is an honest, long-suffering champion for downtrodden meek folks, I have a bridge to sell you. No one is called up to be a politician, it is a calling that must be actively sought, and many compromises must be made along the way. Those compromises begin with the earliest campaigns, where money must be sought from somewhere. If there is an honest politician, he/she is the rarest of creatures, and by necessity would be thrown to the dimmest corner of the political world to fade away quietly.

Kerry with his lonely night of the soul debating over how to vote on Iraq? Nonsense, he voted with the coming campaign, his career, in mind.

Dean brought up the Confederate flag because he wants a discussion about race? I prefer to think he wanted more votes, and fouled it up by using a symbol of slavery to identify the voters he sought.

Nader talks much about worker's rights, crackdowns on the corporate and the like, he must be telling the truth? I see him getting rich investing in Walmart, using profits from his consumer advocacy groups for grand stock market adventures, and refusing to allow his workers to unionize.

Each of these people would be immeasurably better than Bush. But laughing at people in Free Republic for trusting Bush and then turning around to nod vapidly at the lies a Democrat or other progressive puts forth is pathetic. Keep your eyes open. Not one of the candidates is honest, and not one will hold to every promise. Whoever has more charisma will probably fool more people more of the time, and that person will win the nomination.

Remember, the only true measure of a politician is his/her record--what they SAY of course should be immediately assumed an empty promise if the two are in contradiction. In the course of world history, this much has been proven time and time again.

In most of the bash threads, we see a black and white view. This view is wrong, but more dangerous than that, it leads to that level of total faith that no leading candidate deserves. The bash threads polarize, so that candidate supporters feel that they cannot give an inch, leading to the most ridiculous contortions and the shakiest arguments. DU would be healthier if faults were admitted, and the best way to neutralize them thoroughly discussed by all. Refusing to admit they exist does no one any good; except perhaps our enemies. Denial is easy if one chooses to believe the lie, or likes the liar--all of us succumb to this at one time or another. The media, and the electorate, are not so well-disposed towards Democrats.

[jpgray]

1. Kick, because I want to see it go down again. (nt)

[Must_B_Free]

2. yes

i like thinking like this.

[jpgray]

3. We all do this sort of thing--the important thing is to recognize it (nt)

[snoochie]

4. You're right about one thing

We shouldn't let ourselves be lied to.

I don't think that the 'bashing' is what you think it is. Sometimes it's trash, obviously, but we can ignore that. Some supporters are blindly loyal, too, but I like seeing both sides argued. I think most supporters are more open minded, and not just shoring up their own beliefs.

I disagree that not one of the candidates is honest. I also don't think any will hold to every promise, because that's impossible. But I do expect they'll TRY to keep their promises with varying levels of tenacity.

[jpgray]

6. I would say the closest to honesty is Kucinich

But it is a practical impossibility to be wholly honest in national politics. If you ever want to be elected, you will be forced to lie about something at some time, and sooner rather than later.

Integrity, I believe, is possible, and the candidates have it in varying degrees.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jpgray]

7. I'll give it a last kick before bed (nt)

[DUreader]

8. good writing

kick

[jpgray]

9. Not good enough to read, unfortunately

:)

I should say reply to. I hope a few people read this.