Friday, December 28, 2007

...Derangement Syndrome

Ten years ago Andrew Sullivan was my favorite online writer. He was not only one of the first to use an online journal as a way to increase his exposure and readership, he was also easily one of the best pundits on the internet. His opinions were fresh, his writing style was brief and clear, and he was impossible to categorize as being left or right. But after Sullivan developed Bush Derangement Syndrome, I could no longer relate to anything he wrote. His hatred for President Bush seemed to push him toward hating anything and everything associated with our President. It wasn’t enough for Sullivan to criticize the decisions of President Bush, he became unable to opine on matters Bush without demonizing everyone in the Administration and everyone who supported the President. His hatred for President Bush ruined his objectivity and my interest in what he had to say.

Hugh Hewitt has now become just as unreadable as Andrew Sullivan to me. He has developed such a bad case of Huckabee
Derangement Syndrome that he can no longer be considered to have an objective view of politics or much anything else.

As much as I like President Bush and think overall he has been a good President, part of me will be glad when his term in office expires. As much as I love politics, part of me will be glad when the 2008 election is done. I want to be able to read two of my favorite writers again. I sure hope …Derangement Syndrome is not fatal or final.

6 comments:

Buz said...

Unfortunately, 15 minutes after the last contesting (contestment, contestation?) of the 2008 vote is laid to rest, the 2012 campaigning will begin ... heck, I think the 2012 campaign may begin after the 2008 conventions. Whoever the non-candidate is for 2008, they will begin to try and make sure that they are the candidate for 2012.

I think it is a conspiracy. They are trying to make the average person so fed up with the whole campaigning hype that by the time elections come around, we are all so sick of it we decide to sit out the vote in protest. Then only the rabid extremeists will vote. I could see Hillary, Obama, or Mitt take the election with 4% of the population voting.

Buz

Count Grecula said...

You surprise me David! I would think that Huckabee's positions would not appeal to you. I'll have to take a second look.

I made my mind up about him in about 5 minutes when Hewitt first interviewed him. He would not answer a question directly in that annoying way politicians can do; he also threw out the idea of a federal ban on smoking in the workplace. Thanks for playing!

In contrast, my favored candidate, Rudy Guiliani was quite confortable disagreeing with Hewitt and giving him an answer hed didn't want to hear.

I agree with Hewitt though: Huckabee can't win. Rudy and possibly Romney can. I think Hewitt wants people to elect someone that can win.

I agree he has been especially strident in his anti-Huckabee posts, but as always he supports his positions well, and keeps it about the policy positions, except where character comes into view. And Huckabee does have some weak points.

It's a catch-22. Social conservatives can nominate someone they like (Huck) and lose in the general election, or nominate someone they don't really like and stay home and lose. It's going to be a tough one.

I'll look harder at Huckabee though. Just because of you.

David M. Smith said...

Hi Count,

You are right; Governor Huckabee’s positions do not appeal to me. I am not in support of Governor Huckabee at all. He favors way too many government plans and government solutions for my liking. To me, he seems like a good guy with some bad ideas.

However, Hugh Hewitt makes Huckabee sound like an evil hick. I think Hugh Hewitt has been so over the top with his disdain for Huckabee that Hewitt sounds more irrational than even big-gov Huckabee.

I like Rudy’s honesty, but I don’t like most of his positions, Iraq war excepted, any better than Huckabee’s.

Like you, I believe Republicans should nominate a candidate with a good chance to win. Unlike you, I don’t know who that candidate is or will be. Not a single candidate from either party seems Presidential to me.

David M. Smith said...

Hi Buz,

I don’t know about a conspiracy, but I’m sure every politician who is spending someone else’s money does what it takes to get elected. Convincing voters to vote for you is one way and convincing voters not to vote for your opponent is another way.

We don’t have the luxury of being fed up. We have to keep voting and trust God to work all things for His good and His glory.

Count Grecula said...

It's interesting what gets people riled up. I agree that Hewitt has been over the top, but it doesn't really bother me. I wonder why. It was the same with Michael Savage, who I used to listen to for about 20 minutes on my way home from work. Mostly, I found him annoying; and when I disagreed with him (which was frequent) it didn't upset me.

In contrast, statements by Senator Reid, the Democratic candidates regarding the war, and the liberal positions of many of my friends can send me through the roof. I'm still trying to understand that.

One explanation might be that I don't mind it when people are being true to themselves. Hewitt and Savage are in there own ways diehard partisans or "rock-ribbed conservatives" etc. Liberals and post-modern friends of mine I expect to be more subtle and non-partisan when it comes to the war.

I was never politically aware until about 2004. I wish I could become unaware.

All I hear Hewitt saying is Huckabee can't win, and he's pretty liberal. He has a lot of weaknesses that will come out. I came to that conclusion in about 15 minutes, so I guess I agree.

David M. Smith said...

Hi again Count,

I respect people who are fair regardless of their own political leanings. Michael Savage doesn’t appeal to me because he is so full of hyperbole. I made myself listen to Air America to get a feel for radical liberalism, but it also disgusted me because their hosts made no effort to be fair to any of the their political opponents.

A month ago I would have agreed with you that Governor Huckabee didn’t have a chance to win the nomination or get elected. I still don’t see myself voting for him, but I am starting to understand his appeal and I would now say, Governor Romney doesn’t have much of a chance to get nominated or get elected. Governor Huckabee is just more likeable and trustworthy tan Governor Romney even with Huckabee’s populist themes.