The only sour moments:
- Senator Kennedy misusing FDR's "nothing to fear" to make a cheap political shot at President Bush.
- I do not like the Democratic Party's position on abortion.
This is my modest prediction, based on hunches, not polling data: Senator Kerry wins even without some of the battleground states. Use the Wall Street Journal's Electoral Vote Calculator to test out different scenarios. To paraphrase John Kerry, we are not really divided into "Red" and "Blue" states; we're all "Red, White, and Blue States!"
I am making a commitment to read columns by the Hippie Chick Pie Wagon to see what Republicans think of me. This will keep my anger level high enough to keep working for John Kerry's election. Here are some examples from her column of July 28 [my responses in brackets].
According to her, Democrats ...
- ... are representative of the nation only if the nation we're talking about is Brazil. For Democrats, there is [sic] only the maid and millionaires. There are no Americans in the middle. To the extent Democrats are forced to recognize working-class white men, they call them "fascists." [as a working-class white Democrat, I wonder what she's talking about.]
- ... weren't interested in liberating Afghanistan and Iraq from woman-hating Islamicist fanatics. [What about Saudi Arabia? As evil as Saddam Hussein was, he wasn't an Islamicist fanatic. He was more of an Arab-nationalist Stalin.]
- ... don't believe in capitalism and don't worry about taxes on earned income because they can't imagine there is any way to "earn" money other than the Teresa Heinz-John Kerry way. [I don't believe in capitalism? Huh?]
- ... unable to conceal their America-hating pacifism were relieved of their anti-war signs and escorted to the free-speech veal pens a few blocks from the convention center. [I am unable to conceal my God-fearing pacifism.]
- Convention organizers even forced the delegates to choke their way through the Pledge of Allegiance -- something the teachers' students are not allowed to say. The delegates play along, pretending they know the words and making the occasional random reference to "God," trying not to sound ironic. [Here in Oklahoma, my children still say the Pledge of Allegiance, and I know the words and recite it with them, at Scout meetings, for example. I have reservations about the potential for flag-idolatry--I am a citizen of God's kingdom first.]
- ... are not angry about 9/11. [Well, I am still angry that Osama bin Laden has not been the focus of my country's response to 9/11.]
Father, let me dedicate All this year to you
In whatever earthly state You will have me be
Not from sorrow, pain, or care Freedom dare I claim;
This alone shall be my prayer: Glorify Your name.
--from New Year's Hymn by Lawrence Tuttiett, 1864 (alt.)
In whatever earthly state You will have me be
Not from sorrow, pain, or care Freedom dare I claim;
This alone shall be my prayer: Glorify Your name.
--from New Year's Hymn by Lawrence Tuttiett, 1864 (alt.)
