(Community Matters) I like David Brooks description of the Republican response to President Obama’s speech. here
This from a former friend who twice supported Bush:
“Although it is interesting to debate… It really does not matter what the right and left think about the speech and the response. The Dems watched and slobbered over the speech with a Pavlovian predictability, just as the Reps did over Bush. Likewise, both groups clobber the poor sap that has to follow with the response.
It has taken me awhile to figure it out, but the real work in politics is not in the left or the right, but in the middle. Time will tell if the middle feels hurt by the stimulus and if the result is a new migration.
Die hard Dems will always vote their party, so do the die hard Reps. It is those “middle of the road” folk that vote their Heart/Wallet/Family.
-Pat True Die Hard Republican”
2/26 update: The dialogue with this former friend deteriorated further. Despite his promising reference to interests of the “middle,” his positions are unrepentant of GW Bush politics. It’s been years since we worked together. On several levels I’m quite fond of him. I’d forgotten that he relies on talk radio to form his opinions and talking points – as do, unfortuantely, millions. Wish I had more patience and time, but today I don’t. One of my goals is I will. Probably best for us both that I’ve simply unfriended (my first on Facebook – my “loves the sinner, hates the sin” friend probably the next)