Told you so
Steve Barnes has a good point.
We have a situation right now where an increasing number of Conservative Republicans are questioning their support of the Bush White House. At this point, beyond almost any doubt, I think Bush is the worst, most dishonest and incompetent president of my lifetime… but, of course, I could be wrong. If I’m right, though, dear God are we in trouble.
As more Republicans begin to admit their dismay, it is VERY important that they be allowed to expose weakness without being laughed at, attacked or “I told you so’d.” One day the shoe will be on the other foot, I promise you. As citizens of this country, we have to be able to admit to weakness and mistakes without being savaged. I can’t do anything about the hyena laughter on Air America as new information strongly suggesting Bush lied to our faces, or at the very least, stretched truth to the breaking point. I don’t approve of the mockery… but then again I didn’t approve of Rush Limbaugh or Micheal Savage either. Their job is to stir the masses, not encourage reasoned discourse.
If things fall apart as badly as they seem to be, remember that we’re all in this together. Welcome them with open arms, and realize we’ve all made mistakes. Let’s do what we need to do to heal the country…
But it can be so hard not to say “I toooooold you soooo!”
Bruce Bartlett, the author of “Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy,” is an angry man. At a recent book forum at the Cato Institute, he declared that the Bush administration is “unconscionable,” “irresponsible,” “vindictive” and “inept.”
It’s no wonder, then, that one commentator wrote of Mr. Bartlett that “if he were a cartoon character, he would probably look like Donald Duck during one of his famous tirades, with steam pouring out of his ears.”
Oh, wait. That’s not what somebody wrote about Mr. Bartlett. It’s what Mr. Bartlett wrote about me in September 2003, when I was saying pretty much what he’s saying now.
I've always been of this POV. It's also crucial to winning votes, gaining a majority, making coalitions, doing politics, and winning elections.
You can't do any of those things by demanding confessions and spitting in people's faces.
That's the practical side. On the aesthetic and perhaps moral side, doing the demanding and spitting thing is simply ugly human behavior.
It bothers me to see so much of it on the left.
Self-righteousness is never admirable, even from people who are right (and not even from me).
Posted by Gary Farber on April 13 2006 10:37
Now if we can just get people to stop voting for either of the two major parties we might make some progress.
Posted by Fats Waller on April 17 2006 00:18
Ah, the thinking that brought us George W. Bush in 2000.
Yes, there certainly was no meaningful difference between the two candidates and parties.
Fantasy is so much better than compromise.
Posted by Gary Farber on April 21 2006 13:15