The Oblivious Fringe

I've been reading many of the blogs out there, including some of the more out-there blogs, and I have to wonder out loud just what some of these people are thinking?

Given the present political climate, given what the present administration has done and wishes to do in the future, I just don't understand what exactly these people find so compelling?

Andrew Sullivan, for example, says that he cannot support George W. Bush because of his position on Gay Marriage and his blurring of the boundaries between Religion and Government. The second issue leads directly to the first, and why is he suddenly surprised by Bush's blurring of the distinction? Bush is a Born-Again Christian in that way that only the religiously fanatical can be! He believes that only the righteous, as defined by the Born-Again Christian community he belongs to, will achieve Heaven and that they are the only ones who "know" what is right for all of us. Which, of course, has led to the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fanatics are battling the fanatics. There are other, more prozaic issues involved here as well, but this is the one that is talked about least. The Bush Administration has populated the highest levels of Governemnt with individuals who make Cotton Mather and Torquemada look like agonists. So why is Andrew Sullivan surprised?

But what really gets me is that there are people who have excoriated him for his position! Not only do they believe that he is misguided, they attack him for being a traitor to the cause. Not all of his readers, but a good segment seem to believe that if you have misgivings about Bush, you are insane.

Now, let's be clear: Andrew Sullivan is a homosexual. He is for homosexuals having the same civil rights as white men in the US. So for him, the Gay Marriage Amendment is a big issue. Therefore, if he decides Bush does not represent his position on this issue, why shouldn't he change who he votes for?

But that's only part of the problem. If you're a libertarian, believing that the Government has no right to be in your bedroom or making choices about what you read and say, how can you then argue that Bush and Co. are the best choice for the country? We already know that the Administration wants more access to your private information; We already know that the Patriot Act allows for secret trials and being held without being charged; We already know that John Ashcroft wishes not only to make the Patriot Act permanent but to actually strengthen rules that would further encroach on our liberties; yet there are people who call themselves libertarians and conservatives who support an Administration whose every position pushes the very boundaries of restricting our liberties and would push them even further. And we're not talking about the "so-called" liberal causes here; We're talking about what books you decide to check out of the library or who you decide to sleep with. We're talking about what you do in your own home when it doesn't impact on anyone but yourself. We're talking about giving up what makes America America because of the moral beliefs of a bunch of religous fanatics. Something like The Taliban or Iran.