Like Anyone Cares Who I'm Endorsing
I would venture a guess that at this point in my column's short life, I have actually managed to get an audience of regulars who read this column every week. Having said that, I'll bet you think you know me pretty well, especially on the political side of things. Well, I have a confession to make, and I hope you all are prepared for what I am about to share with you. After all, considering Mr. Bush admitting his DUI a while back, it is the fashion right now to make public statements about the things we have done in our younger years, or in my case all 21 years and 359 days of that.
I am a moderate.
Yup, you heard me, I am a moderate.
I have often said that being a moderate is the easiest way to get everyone upset at you. After all, if you're conservative, then all the liberals hate your ideas, if you're liberal, then all the conservatives hate your ideas, and if you're a moderate, then BOTH conservatives and liberals hate your ideas. And I DO have ideas, by the way. As part of my job, I have to run Rush Limbaugh's program (I can see the sympathy posts coming now...) I have to listen to him go on about how moderates are wishy-washy and not worth anyone's time, and that if the "right" or the "left" were to cater to our needs, they would be in effect "selling out". No wonder people are sick of the conventional two-party system, nobody listens to you if you're in the middle. And the supposed "voice of the middle", the Reform Party, is run by Mr. Buchanan, who is only slightly right of Hitler on the political spectrum. So, who, as a moderate, am I left with?
Well, first off I should also mention I am a registered Republican, which combined with being moderate, pretty much makes me an enemy of the state to many of the right wing. They'd rather I not be in the party, I'll bet. I registered, along with a lot of young people, I'm sure, on the wave of the McCain candidacy last winter and spring; we thought he would be best for the party and best for America. Better than Bush, at least, and on that I still believe I'm right. During the primaries, I considered George W., who I shall henceforth refer to as Junior, a "blithering idiot". That opinion has not changed. However, I do believe that given the major party candidates, Junior and Vice-President Gore, better a blithering idiot than a pathological liar. Nader doesn't even show up on the radar screen, as on most things, he's farther left than Gore.
As you can tell from the title of this column, I'm sure you couldn't care less who I'm voting for in the election, but I'll reveal that it will most likely be Bush. Call me 99.9% sure, that's the best you'll get out of me until I step in the booth on Tuesday. You may all feel free to call me an idiot for being pro-choice, pro-gay rights, anti-Microsoft, and agnostic to boot, and yet still voting for Bush. However, let me say that there is no sure thing that the Congress will stay Republican, and that will serve as a check on the right wingers if that does happen. Even if the GOP still controls Congress, I do not believe that there are a bunch of right-wing, Rush-repeating, conspiracy theorist types who will ride in with Junior and make sure that Roe v. Wade is overturned and that things like Vermont's civil unions law are invalidated.
Sure, if you listened to talk radio, and being a producer, it's part of the job description, you would think that such were the case. However, remember one key thing I was taught in the early stages of my career. Only about 2% of people actually call talk shows, and based on the people I've dealt with, a good chunk of them are often times on the extremes. I mean the people that are so gung-ho about their ideals and feel so much like they have an ax to grind (preferably in the other side's skull) that they are willing to spew their venom to the airwaves. Now, of course, I've dealt with a lot of sensible people who make very good points, and I'd like to see more of that, rather than people who claim that Clinton and Gore are the spawn of Satan or that by electing Junior, we have no shame, because we are electing "an alcoholic" and "a criminal". Often times, though, when you agree with the host, you aren't so eager to get off your chair and call to express that. You call because either you disagree with the host or because you want to give your own opinion, and frankly, you couldn't give a rat's ass what the host's opinion is.
I've known enough people in my life to know that the average American cares about important issues, like gun control or abortion or the military or taxes, but that they wish for compromise. Pride may be the biggest problem in Washington. Lawmakers are too proud and too fearful of embarrassment or taking some from the 2% who call the talk shows to even give an inch on principles. I tire of hearing about "the slippery slope" we'll be on if they even give an inch. I think the generation I am a part of, despite what many think, will get very involved in politics and try to change the way things are done, try to rock the establishment. Forgive me for being idealistic, but I haven't seen my spirit crushed yet nor my hope of an America where we can actually work together and not try to discriminate or divide extinguished.
That said, I am now off to get rip-roaring drunk so I can admit my "youthful indiscretions" to the press 30 years from now...
I am a moderate.
Yup, you heard me, I am a moderate.
I have often said that being a moderate is the easiest way to get everyone upset at you. After all, if you're conservative, then all the liberals hate your ideas, if you're liberal, then all the conservatives hate your ideas, and if you're a moderate, then BOTH conservatives and liberals hate your ideas. And I DO have ideas, by the way. As part of my job, I have to run Rush Limbaugh's program (I can see the sympathy posts coming now...) I have to listen to him go on about how moderates are wishy-washy and not worth anyone's time, and that if the "right" or the "left" were to cater to our needs, they would be in effect "selling out". No wonder people are sick of the conventional two-party system, nobody listens to you if you're in the middle. And the supposed "voice of the middle", the Reform Party, is run by Mr. Buchanan, who is only slightly right of Hitler on the political spectrum. So, who, as a moderate, am I left with?
Well, first off I should also mention I am a registered Republican, which combined with being moderate, pretty much makes me an enemy of the state to many of the right wing. They'd rather I not be in the party, I'll bet. I registered, along with a lot of young people, I'm sure, on the wave of the McCain candidacy last winter and spring; we thought he would be best for the party and best for America. Better than Bush, at least, and on that I still believe I'm right. During the primaries, I considered George W., who I shall henceforth refer to as Junior, a "blithering idiot". That opinion has not changed. However, I do believe that given the major party candidates, Junior and Vice-President Gore, better a blithering idiot than a pathological liar. Nader doesn't even show up on the radar screen, as on most things, he's farther left than Gore.
As you can tell from the title of this column, I'm sure you couldn't care less who I'm voting for in the election, but I'll reveal that it will most likely be Bush. Call me 99.9% sure, that's the best you'll get out of me until I step in the booth on Tuesday. You may all feel free to call me an idiot for being pro-choice, pro-gay rights, anti-Microsoft, and agnostic to boot, and yet still voting for Bush. However, let me say that there is no sure thing that the Congress will stay Republican, and that will serve as a check on the right wingers if that does happen. Even if the GOP still controls Congress, I do not believe that there are a bunch of right-wing, Rush-repeating, conspiracy theorist types who will ride in with Junior and make sure that Roe v. Wade is overturned and that things like Vermont's civil unions law are invalidated.
Sure, if you listened to talk radio, and being a producer, it's part of the job description, you would think that such were the case. However, remember one key thing I was taught in the early stages of my career. Only about 2% of people actually call talk shows, and based on the people I've dealt with, a good chunk of them are often times on the extremes. I mean the people that are so gung-ho about their ideals and feel so much like they have an ax to grind (preferably in the other side's skull) that they are willing to spew their venom to the airwaves. Now, of course, I've dealt with a lot of sensible people who make very good points, and I'd like to see more of that, rather than people who claim that Clinton and Gore are the spawn of Satan or that by electing Junior, we have no shame, because we are electing "an alcoholic" and "a criminal". Often times, though, when you agree with the host, you aren't so eager to get off your chair and call to express that. You call because either you disagree with the host or because you want to give your own opinion, and frankly, you couldn't give a rat's ass what the host's opinion is.
I've known enough people in my life to know that the average American cares about important issues, like gun control or abortion or the military or taxes, but that they wish for compromise. Pride may be the biggest problem in Washington. Lawmakers are too proud and too fearful of embarrassment or taking some from the 2% who call the talk shows to even give an inch on principles. I tire of hearing about "the slippery slope" we'll be on if they even give an inch. I think the generation I am a part of, despite what many think, will get very involved in politics and try to change the way things are done, try to rock the establishment. Forgive me for being idealistic, but I haven't seen my spirit crushed yet nor my hope of an America where we can actually work together and not try to discriminate or divide extinguished.
That said, I am now off to get rip-roaring drunk so I can admit my "youthful indiscretions" to the press 30 years from now...
posted by Dave | 7:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home