Some folks can't get past it
An instance of rejectionism of that kind occurred in a dialogue I engaged in recently on a popular conservative internet forum site. In question was an article I had written concerning significant distinctions between the views of Sen McCain and Sen Obama on some key issues.
Reader: "Where are the sections on immigration and energy/global warming?"
Myself: "Thank you for your reply.
On the one hand the purpose of the article was that of
“...examining issues on which Senators McCain and Obama differ significantly...”
My perspective being that - those issues where Sen McCain goes wrong - such as immigration and global warming - are the same as those where his Democratic opponents go wrong as well. But, the issues where Sen McCain is on the mark - almost everything else - are those where his opponents still go wrong. And, as a result, it should be clear that - on balance - it is most likely that, as president, Sen McCain would be much preferable to his opponents.
On the other hand, even on many of those issues - hate crime laws, global warming - where Sen McCain’s positions tips towards those of some liberals, he thinking and intentions are still well ahead of those expressed by Sen Obama.
That should be clear enough from the fact that Sen McCain supports a market based approach to global warming and believes that we have enough hate crime legislation already and are in need of no further efforts in that direction.
Some things to keep in mind:
*The idea of human Perfection - by human efforts - is the enemy of human goodness
*Not even the greatest of Biblical personages was - whilst still clothed in flesh - without human weakness
*We are not voting to fill a vacancy amongst the angels
*Our children will have to live with the results of this election,
and we fail them when and if we fail to reflect carefully on the balance of good and harm involved in the choices before us, but heed instead the council of the anger and disappointment we may feel over the parameters of those choices."
All the best!
(emphases added)
From here it seems entirely clear.
Conservatives need to undertake a determined effort to - at the very least
- retain the existing balance in the senate - if tipping it in their favour is
simply beyond reach, as it seems to be at this point. That way, there can be some
solid reason for confidence in the ability of conservatives there - along with those, such as Sen
Lieberman, who are allied with them on specific issues - to be able to use their
filibuster
threat convincingly enough so as to continue to block initiatives - such as
amnesty for illegal aliens, and extreme measures intended to combat global
warming - that are supported by both a majority in the current congress and each of the
candidates contending for the presidency. And that they - conservatives -will also need the
support of the presidential veto and other executive powers in order to
have some hope of being able to:
sustain funding for our efforts in Iraq - in the face of relentless Democratic
opposition as well as continued public doubts, continue to maintain the pressure necessary - up to and
including the threat or use of military force - to thwart the nuclear and
geo-political ambitions of Iran, sustain funding for the maintenance and further
development of our ballistic missile defence system - in opposition to pressure
from Democrats to reduce or terminate that program, sustain the expansion and transformation
of our military generally as required to meet the full range of threats we
are now
confronted with, continue support for Israel and other democracies
struggling against Islamist Terror and/or the threat of conventional aggression
aimed at them by
state sponsors of Islamist Terror, maintain current tax-cuts, protect charter
schools and home schooling families against discrimination, harassment and the
kinds of legal challenges they have been faced with recently in California and elsewhere,
defend freedom of worship against those who desire to erase all trace of
religious sentiment from our public lives, protect and extend the scope of
second amendment rights and other rights pertaining to self-defence generally, uphold
the gains of the pro-life movement and traditional values generally. defend
property rights, etc. And, given that it is highly unlikely that Sen Obama - if
elected president - will be forthcoming with support of that kind on those
matters, it would seem that conservatives also need to make a determined effort
to support his opponent - Sen McCain.
Oddly though, the logic of the circumstances mentioned above has not yet fully penetrated in some quarters. There are those who seem to be still struggling hard at matters most relevant to the primaries and to be doing so as if those were still in question. And who, as a result - and regardless of how intelligent, well-educated and articulate they are generally - cannot seem to read the words "John McCain" without responding in ways that seem little related to either the realities of the current political situation or - even - of the content of the articles they are reading and responding to.
Related:
Different
Americas
(C) David Aronin 2008