Andrew Sullivan: THE LEWINSKY PATH

andrewsullivan.com ^ | 02/12/04 | Andrew Sullivan

[Pokey78]

I'm beginning to worry that the Republicans might be behind this smear-job on Kerry. So does a reader:

"Well, this may be it. As a life-long Republican, I have defended my party and its leaders through thick and thin over the years, but I don't know if I can do it any longer. I voted for Reagan in 1984 (my first Presidential election), despite my misgivings about the rising influence of the Religious Right and my displeasure at the ludicrous budget deficits, because of his moral clarity on the issue of Communism. I voted for Bush Sr. in '88 and '92, and for Dole in '96. Both were serious men, deserving of respect. Nevertheless, I was disgusted by the conduct of my party in the 1990s, vis-a-vis the Clinton scandals. That man has no moral compass, in my opinion, but the debased and lurid tone of the Republican attacks was reprehensible. The further intrusion of the Religious Right into the private lives of the American people, including the President, was not what I signed on for when I joined the Republican party.

When 2000 rolled around, and the "Clinton Wars" finally seemed to be behind us, I breathed an enormous sigh of relief. I was not overly impressed with George W. Bush (I voted for McCain in the primaries), but I was confident that the "grown ups" in the party would steer a responsible course for the ship of state. That has obviously not happened. The budget deficits are nigh unforgivable, and though I agree entirely with the vision of the President's foreign policy, the diplomatic execution has been, shall we say, somewhat less impressive than his father's. Further, the proposal to reverse the course of history and once again enshrine discrimination in our Constitution via the Gay Marriage Amendment, about which you have spoken quite eloquently, almost makes me embarassed to admit I'm a Republican. This is what the party of Lincoln has come to?

Now, after all this, it appears that the conservative/Republican diaspora is preparing yet another round of peeping-tom character assassination rather than a substantive debate on the very important issues our country actually faces, using Drudge as its point-man. I just can't take it anymore. I realize the feelings of one person are irrelevant in political calculations at this level, but if the Republicans really do take us back down the Lewinsky path, this is one vote they will most assuredly be losing in November."

I agree. If the Republicans are behind this, they deserve to be trashed. This is absolutely not something that deserves to be a factor in our current debate.

[Reelect President Dubya]

If the GOP were behind it, they would have waited until AFTER Kerry got the nomination.

What good does it do to waste your ammunition before the battle?

[Pokey78]

Ping list members, enjoy this last ping. The Andrew Sullivan ping list is officially on hiatus.

[Clemenza]

F--k Sullivan!

I take that back...

[stylin19a]

This is absolutely not something that deserves to be a factor in our current debate.

why not?

[July 4th]

If this were after Kerry's nomination, I would tend to agree that it came from a Republican. But I have seen no evidence of that, and at this point in the campaign, I'd suspect Bill and Hillary before I would the RNC. The above comment from an AS reader is pure conjecture.

[shhrubbery!]

Ludicrous. Sullivan is addled on this one. If Republicans were behind this, why would they spring this NOW? Much better to wait a few months...

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Further, the proposal to reverse the course of history and once again enshrine discrimination in our Constitution via the Gay Marriage Amendment, about which you have spoken quite eloquently, almost makes me embarassed to admit I'm a Republican

Barbra Streisand !!! Republican, my donkey.

[madprof98]

Well, that just goes to show you that the Base is really libertarian at heart. (/sarcasm)

[Neets]

Wake me when all this crap is over.

[illini20]

Jonah's response to sullivan is great.

[Unam Sanctam]

More Sullivan hate speech against the demonized "religious right".

[wimpycat]

This is Sullivan's latest post on his website:

NO, JONAH: I have absolutely no idea where this Kerry story came from. I posted the letter below because it strikes me as a slightly new angle on the story and worth airing. I wrote that the possibility that some Republicans might be behind it worries me. That's not the same thing as believing it's true. I think it should worry anyone who doesn't want this campaign to degenerate into one side yelling "Deserter!" and the other side yelling "Adulterer!" (Can it get any worse? Gulp.) If I had to guess, I'd say it strikes me as far more likely that this is a Lehane internecine Democratic smear than some Republican plot. But I don't know. Perhaps the best idea at this point is for me (and others) to shut up. So I will. Unless and until there's a real story with real facts that has actual merit. Promise.
- 6:25:33 PM

[VadeRetro]

From a letter to Sullivan: The further intrusion of the Religious Right into the private lives of the American people, including the President, was not what I signed on for when I joined the Republican party.

Andrew is too easily snookered by the Moby-ite seminar disruptors. No Republican wrote this.

[shrinkermd]

Sullivan gives absolutely no support for the Republicans being responsible for Kerry's image problem. With intent or unconsciously, Sullivan has been drifting left. That is where the homosexual marriage supporters are. We should be prepared to say goodbye.

[ErnBatavia]

This IS all very confusing.... if only for the fact that Wesley is endorsing Kerry tomorrow; I'm beginning to think that Drudge really hosed himself on this one.

The pieces of the puzzle just don't seem to be falling into place.

This whole thing today (shudder) may be a very deft trick by some shadowy "progressives"...

[mrsmith]

Some people believe you can't have freedom without morality, some believe you can't have it with morality.

I'll pencil Andy into the second group.

[wimpycat]

FWIW, Andrew Sullivan didn't write that...he got bamboozled by an e-mail from someone pretending to be a "lifelong Republican". Now everybody thinks he actually wrote it.

[Howlin]

I'm beginning to worry that the Republicans might be behind this smear-job on Kerry.

Sorry. That's far enough for me.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Ohhhhh... go register your china pattern at Penney's or something, Andy.

Jonah Goldberg's rebuttal to Sullivan, over at the NRO site, is crushing and (IMHO) irrefutable.