I was amused to read this comment at Dispatches from the Culture Wars: Dobson is Lying:
McCain has already promised, in the last GOP debate on CNN, that he won’t appoint an O’Connor conservative but instead a Thomas-like conservative. I understand Ed takes that one step further on the “short-list” comment.
That promise by McCain nailed it for me. Even though I’m an embarrassed Republican, I’m voting for the Dem in 2008. My own party made me a one-issue voter, with me on the other side. We need people like Ginsburg and Stevens to defend our rights, not more justices like Thomas and Alito that defend gov’t power on liberty issues.
Posted by: Michael Heath | February 8, 2008 12:08 PM
Now I don’t know Mr. Heath, and I don’t normally read that blog. I followed a link from Henry Neufeld’s place. Maybe that comment is not representative of his views in total. But when someone self-identifies as a Republican and simultaneously holds the view that Ginsburg and Stevens should be the future of SCOTUS, then the tent is obviously way too big. The GOP is not the party is used to be. Eminent domain alone ought to disqualify Stevens. And Ginsburg isn’t a big fan of the Constitution, something that really should be a deal-breaker.
We can’t be all things to all people for the sake of “winning.” Winning what? Should we be satisfied to hold the reins of power without regard to the fact that we’re driving in the wrong direction? How cynical. How depressing.
It’s a comfortable postmodern convention to pretend that all views are equally good, but that’s simply not how the world works. We do, in fact, ALL think that some views are superior to others. Some ideas are good and others are harmful. And that’s really what’s at the heart of the ideological purity arguments – determining exactly where people stand and why. Right now there is a big push against conservatives – “calm down,” shut up! It’s over. You lost. The time for talk is past. Go gentle into that good night.
Well, maybe so. Maybe we should let the new “improved” GOP take us to our new socialist society on the slow road, rather than the DNC’s express lane. And as far GOP nominees go – hey! Could be worse. Could be Huckabee.
