Dear Log,
Hither:
«I remember when Bush in the famous debate in Iowa said that Jesus Christ was his favorite political philosopher. I always thought the problem was not with that answer, which is a legitimate answer. But when he was asked to explain this, he basically said, "If you haven't had this experience, you don't know what it is."I was offended by that, because I thought, in a sense, in a tolerant democracy, a politician has an obligation to explain things to people who don't necessarily accept their religious terms.
I had an assistant at the time who was a Democrat, no friend of Bush's, but an evangelical Christian. She was upset with me, because she said, "That's how we talk. You should understand that." I think it's those moments, when Bush speaks like that, that evangelicals know in their hearts that he's one of them.»
-- E.J. Dionne, interviewed in Frontline's episode on Bush's religiousness
And yon:
«I think, fundamentally, many of these Evangelical and social Christians like George Bush. They like what he's done on partial-birth abortion, they like what he's done in terms of appointees, they like what he's done in the war.I was down in Georgia the other day talking to some pastors; and when I talk to them about the war in Iraq, they understand fundamentally, in ways that George Bush does not talk about, that this is part of a millennial crusade -- Bush got in trouble using the word "crusade" -- You talk to to some pastors in suburban Atlanta, they understand that this war is against the Muslems, against the Infidel, in a way that in fundamental ways hasn't changed in a thousand years.
They see that this is the president who's engaged in something bigger than just this moment. »
-- a Fresh Air interview with Wayne Slater, who appears in Frontline's episode on Bush's religiousness
I'm achingly tired of being trapped in other people's country-fried mythologies. It's like being confined to a fur con, except they're running the country. It's like Ren-faire Taliban.
Three Yawns for President Ignignokt
TorgoX on 2004-05-19T07:31:37
The problem is that Bush's answer wasn't the real answer, because it wasn't an answer at all, it was a self-aware shirk, avec smirk.Even if I consider the "You totally wouldn't understand" subject to the niceties of moral relativism (everyone has their own mythologies...), it's still too obscurantist (by far) to be coming out of the mouth of anyone even pretending to be a public leader.
Re:Three Yawns for President Ignignokt
pudge on 2004-05-19T07:39:25
it's still too obscurantist (by far) to be coming out of the mouth of anyone even pretending to be a public leader.
Oh, please. If he had stood up there and explained why he believes what he does, you'd have bitched about that too.
President Counterfactual
TorgoX on 2004-05-19T07:57:09
If he had stood up there and explained why he believes what he does, you'd have bitched about that too.Exactly! Why tell the truth (much less the Truth) when someone will always complain?
(Hint: it's how democracies are supposed to work. But tell no-one, it's a secret!)
Re:President Counterfactual
pudge on 2004-05-19T14:50:21
He did tell the truth. Futher, it's not like he was hiding anything. He merely didn't evangelize on national TV. Oh, the horror!Re:President Counterfactual
pudge on 2004-05-19T14:55:33
Further, Führer!Re:President Counterfactual
TorgoX on 2004-05-19T21:39:20
He should have explained, instead of dodging or evangelizing. Instead he just sort of blithered.Re:President Counterfactual
pudge on 2004-05-19T21:59:29
And I am saying, if he did explain without evangelizing, he would have been accused of evangelizing. And probably by you.Re:President Counterfactual
TorgoX on 2004-05-19T23:49:52
Shoulda, coulda, Prada!
