Posted on 11/12/2004 8:53:32 AM PST by NeoCaveman
Maybe I'm speaking too soon, but has anyone else noticed that the debate about Arlen Specter on the right has been... really civil? Hugh thinks the right is making a mistake by trying to block Specter from the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, and he is referring to the "Corner militants", but he still calls Kathryn a pal.
Kathryn observes that Hewitt is in an odd agreement with Republicans for Choice, but isn't going after Hugh personally, calling him a traitor to the right, or anything like that.
Maybe it's the contrast to the election we just had, or maybe a comparison to the anger and rage we're seeing on the left ("Smeagol hates stupid red state voters!") but I think it's reassuring that in the midst of a fairly high-stakes fight, the pro-Specter folks on the right and the anti-Specter folks on the right are sticking to respectful, detailed arguments of what is best for the country.
The e-mail I've gotten so far on this is pretty much, "I see where you're coming from, but I think you're wrong, and here's why," or, "Yeah, I'm a big fan of Hugh too, but I can't see where he's going with this."
Here's the thing, and there's no getting around it.
Considering the fact, that if the President had swung his weight towards Toomey, Arlen would be on his way to private citizenship,If he had any sense of gratitude, he would either, A: Pledge to do the right thing PUBLICLY by the President, or B: Renounce the seat himself.
Failing that, IMNSHO constitutes the first salvo in a fight to usurp the Presidents right to appoint, and should be dealt with in a measure of nastiness commensurate with the level of Betrayal.
This piece reinforces the fact that we MUST maintain civil, rational discourse on this topic. To disintegrate into sit-ins and demonstrations and the like only makes us look as loony as the left.
I totally agree EXCEPT for this: If the president had been nuetral or even merely lukewarm in his support of Specter, Toomey would have won. Instead Bush and Santorum actively supported Specter which was not good strategery.
Bork Specter
The argument of a viewpoint based facts is an intellectual exercise.
The argument of a viewpoint based on emotion is something most people grow out of by 6th grade.
Facts require research, comparison, some degree of intelligence and contemplation.
Emotion just requires emotion.
The biggest contrast between Deomocrats and Republicans is the emotional versus the intellectual approach to positions.
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