Fire, Brimstone, and the Republican Party November 4, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Politics, Religion.Tags: Conservativism, FUD, Negative Campaigns, Theology
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At the time of this writing, most voters in the United States who are going to cast a ballot have probably made up their minds who they’re going to vote for in the Presidential race. In my case, my work was going to take me out of town for Election Day (today), so I cast an absentee ballot last week. (No, I’m not going to reveal who I voted for. You’re free to make assumptions and guesses, but one of my favorite aspects of the voting process is its anonymity and privacy.)
As the title suggests, this post concerns the campaign of Arizona Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for President. Being the representative of the Republican Party, the expectation in the US is that he will be supported by social and theological conservatives, generally known here as “the Right.”
In recent days, I’ve started to notice that Senator McCain’s campaign is starting to take on some of the attributes of lesser-known elements of those on the theological Right, both in tone and substance. As a registered Republican, I’m not particularly happy or comfortable with this development. (more…)
The Impoverishment of America October 10, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Morality, Politics.2 comments
Below is from a comment to the Washington Post. I don’t agree with the tone, but this comment struck a chord with me that needed to be struck.
Amazingly, Christians have supported the behavior described below, and called it “conservative.” I’ve been guilty of supporting some of these behaviors myself. Now, I’m not naive enough to think that the Democratic Party is better–I’m just tired of giving the Republican Party a blank moral check, and trusting them to behave in a manner that pleases God. Being pro-life on abortion legislation doesn’t mean that the GOP values life the way God intends. One could argue that, based upon the demonstrated behavior of the last eight years, the opposite is true.
I’m more and more convinced that God will hold me accountable for not speaking out long ago… for not saying to the GOP “You will no longer be allowed to associate yourselves with people of faith. You’ve demonstrated that you’re not morally better, and in countless ways morally worse, than the liberal Democrats you so willingly demonize.”
I may not vote for a Democrat in November, but I’m feeling quite certain that I won’t be voting for the Republican ticket. They just don’t deserve another chance.
Digging Through the Mud September 13, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Politics.Tags: Biden, McCain, Obama, Palin
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For anyone interested in figuring out what facts really are behind the various ads and speeches, check out the Annenberg Political Fact Check. It’s a non-partisan publication funded through a foundation, with the intent of performing research and analysis on the various claims of political candidates.
Then again, if you’d prefer to continue believing everything your preferred candidate or party says, just keep reading the partisan stuff from each side. It makes it so much easier to believe falsehoods about the “other” candidate and ignore the truths about your own.
As for me, it’s not caused me to suddenly like one side more than the other, but it’s helped me sort through some of the misinformation about Governor Palin and Senator Obama. (Senator McCain and Senator Biden are more well-known, so it’s easier for me to spot blatant falsehoods.) Where I sit now is a position of having less respect for both candidates, and for their campaigns.
It should be an interesting November.
The Political Blog Non-Entry September 7, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Politics.Tags: Christianity, Governor Palin, Senator McCain
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Recently, I sat down and wrote out a series of questions that I, a registered Republican, have for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. It was long, and expressed my frustration with the candidates and their recent decisions.
Then I thought, “Why bother?”
Can Houston911Truth Handle the Truth? August 7, 2007
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging, Flatulence, Politics, Voting.6 comments
Although my knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss conspiracy theorists pretty quickly, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt by doing a little research into what they’re saying. Accordingly, when people started suggesting various plots behind the 9/11 destruction of the WTC, I did my homework, and came to the conclusion that they were looking for conspiracy where it simply didn’t exist.
Such is the case with the various “9/11 Truth” sites. They invariably point to flawed research, connect dots from hearsay, and use faulty logic to make a case for “the official report isn’t really what happened.” One characteristic that is particularly noteworthy of such sites: They will not tolerate critical thinking to be applied to their “facts.” (more…)
A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted 