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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Apr 13, 2008, at 9:32 PM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:
> Bev, for me it crosses the line into bigotry when he paints those  
> opposed to
> him as jealous that they don't earn as much money as others and  
> THAT"s what
> drives them to support gun rights and religious issues.  Otherwise,  
> if things
> were going peachy for them, they'd forget all about gun rights and  
> religious
> rights.

Wow. That really stretches it. He gave one example. He has more. He  
was in a semi-private meeting, I believe. He was expressing what he is  
seeing and hearing in Pennsylvania, I think. He admits he used bad  
choice of words. But to read those remarks as bigotry? Bigotry is  
intolerance of the views of others--it is not reading someone  
incorrectly.
> Gene's idea of "Political Perfection" is correct, but it ONLY  
> applies to
> Obama.  Everyone else is fair game.

I apply the same standards to all candidates.

> No?  Well, let's try it.  Bush?  What, do you expect him to be  
> perfect?  What
> president hasn't spent too much money, driven up debt too far, used  
> the
> military in an agressive way?

The mind boggles. Moon sent a list yesterday. Spending, debt,  
aggression, that's the tip of the glacier.
> Obama is an idealogical vacuum.  The Rev Wright stuff rushed in to  
> try to
> fill that vacuum.  In lieu of knowing what Obama is about, other  
> than the
> mindless mantra of "We have to change the way we change", we look  
> closely at what he
> says to see what he's about.   The comments at the SF fundraiser  
> give us a
> glimpse into what he's thinking and it ain't pretty.

Now I happen to agree with some of this. Considering his background he  
has been a clever candidate. He knows the various traps that campaign  
strategists set for their opponents. He has been pretty careful. He  
has also written two best-selling books about himself and comes from  
that volume of saying where he has been, what has shaped him, and his  
understanding of the various issues. He has never before been  
subjected to the kind of campaign that the Clintons and McCain have  
suffered through and lived to go on. It is appropriate that he be held  
accountable for everything he says.

In one way, the protracted Democratic primary is creating an  
advantage. Many fires will have flared up and been dealt with and  
hopefully the main event will be on a more presidential plane.