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I used to go to a Southern Baptist church south of metro Atlanta. If you're looking for a bastion of rock-solid Republicans, they're it. Or that's what I thought.
I ran into my erstwhile pastor and we discussed politics for a few mins. (he noiticed the big Kerry sticker on my bumper) and he let slip that quite a few of his flock have voiced concerns about our sitting president. Even if only 15% of that congregation votes Kerry, or stays home, instead of voting for the usurper, I will wager that that would be triple the number of people in that church who did likewise in 2000.
Moreover, it's a sign to me that some Christians, from all areas of the liberal-conservative spectrum, have finally awakened to the paradox between the claims and the reality of the usurper:
"Compassionate Conservatism" vs. "Don't kill me, don't kill me"
"Raising the level of debate" vs. lies, attacks and distortions about political opponents (John McCain, Joseph Wilson, John Kerry)
Massive distortions about WMD in Iraq
"Decisive leadership" vs. sitting on his ass for seven interminable minutes in a kindergarten classroom while people are dying in waves in the World Trade Center
Honoring and lifting up his spouse before the world by going on record with a description of his wife as "the lump in bed next to me" (Good Lord, we need a first lady with a spine!)
"Education President" vs. unfunded standards mandates and unfair assesment standards for schools and teachers
"Conservative values" vs. mortgaging a generation's future with appalling deficits
"Tax relief worked" vs. a jobless "recovery" (would you like fries with that?)
If this man is a genuine Christian, he sure could fool me. He acts like a damned Pharisee - or, more to the point, like a Roman governor. He lies, he oppresses the poor, he courts the rich, he wages war outside the law and under false pretenses, and he will stop at nothing to keep power. The son of a bitch is the spitting image of Herod, complete with a bevy of dead children in the Middle East.
If you want to understand a person, look at the people who surround him/her. Kerry's longtime friends and the men he served with have stepped up because they believe in the guy. The people closest to Bush are a tight and tight-lipped circle who say little and, I suspect, mean less. I watched Kerry greet the men who served with him on Thursday night. It was clear from their expressions that those men revere John Kerry. Is there anyone out there who reveres the usurper for anything he's done? Surely not his wife and kids. Apparently not his close friends and associates. No, people who revere Bush are people who know as little as possible about him. And aside from maybe Colin Powell, the same can be said about just about everyone in his administration, and about 99% of his political party, for that matter.
These are unadmirable people. No wonder our allies are unwilling to back us in anything. Kerry and Edwards are admirable. You may not like them, but they command respect in their very personae in a way that George Bush never, ever, ever will. No wonder he's so vicious. He can be made dictator for life and still be less than half of what these men are, and in his heart of hearts, he knows it. He'll go to his grave knowing it, and if the course of history changes, he'll know that WE know it too.
And you know what? I haven't much pity for that, because the man has had every opportunity in the world to be more. He could have turned himself around early - he could have done what Kerry did and volunteer for service - but he was too selfish, failing even to distinguish himself in Guard service. He could have made a new start at 40 when he quit the booze. Instead, he just turned into a bigger asshole. He could have used the incredible power and authority of his administration to transform this nation. Instead he let himself become the willing tool of the powerful and rich, and has played as an unwitting tool to the enemies of this nation (whose ranks have swelled as a result of his presidency).
In the heart of 90% of Republicans, this knowledge resides. Most won't face up to it, is all. A few have such hatred for anyone who disagrees with their narrow opinions that they will likely never see it. But most people who are likely to vote for this guy do so with the treacly feeling that they're letting a devil into their house. I've talked to too many of these folks to think otherwise. I see it in the faces and hear it in the inflections of their voices.
These folks may not wake up for this election but they are having very, very uneasy dreams.
Mac in Ga
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