Whose Values are Superior?

[reprehensor]

Whose Values Are Superior?

While Democrats run away from the word “liberal,” Bill Clinton delineated the distinction between the liberal values of the Democratic Party and the conservative values of today’s Republican Party.

By Regis T. Sabol

What has infuriated me for years is the way the word “liberal” has become a dirty word to Republicans and Democrats alike. Republicans use it as the equivalent of “Communist” or “Satan worshipper” or, most damning of all, “wimp, weakling, wuss.” Democrats, afraid of being seen as wimps, weaklings, or wusses,” have shied away from the word as if it were the scarlet letter.

With all the talk of values during the current presidential campaign, George Bush and Dick Cheney use the word “liberal” like a red flag to enflame the electoral. John Kerry has the most liberal voting record in the Senate, Bush tells his adoring followers, and John Edwards has the fourth highest liberal voting record. I often wonder who has established the criteria for determining what a liberal voting record is.

When the first George Bush ran for president, he gave Democratic challenger Michael Dukakis the unkindest cut of all, calling him a “card-carrying member of the ACLU.” I couldn’t help but think of Joseph McCarthy waving around sheets of paper that, he declared, revealed the names of 247 card-carrying members of the Communist Party working in the State Department? Or was it 161? Or 239? The number changed every time McCarthy got in front of an audience or a camera.

Now, its 1988 all over again, or 2000 when son George W. used the dreaded L-word to attack his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore. Perhaps that’s why the Kerry campaign keeps throwing around the words “strength” and “values.” as if they were some kind of counter-mantra. It’s almost as if two kids are shouting back at each other, “My strength and values can beat your strength and values.”

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[mstrsplinter326]

1. Too true.

I am thinking of having shirt printed up with the word "liberal" on it and an arrow pointing up.

[fr3]

2. I told my freindes I am a Liberal

and they said I want to take their money and give it to poor people who are lazy.

I tried to explain to them that not everyone can learn and is able to get a good job, but they lauged at me. I think they think I don;t know how they used the system to get jobs.

Their intolerance is upsetting. But I need to know wjat to tell them. I tried to tel lthem this is about equality but they just say that equality is working hard in hisgh school. Thgen we start the sanme argumenbt about the inequality in corprate america, but I can;t give them referenbces.

Can you give me references so I can shut them up? They ares oo intolrant.

[thebigidea]

3. get a better class of imaginary friend, I suppose