Is anyone running for President saying anything truthful?
I’ve become a regular reader of Andrew Sullivan’s excellent blog.
Andrew is a proud conservative and I am not, but I’m finding his blog a better way to track politics than even the New York Times. He’s struggling with principle against the creeping fascism and pro-torture position of his party, the Republicans.
I wish I had the same level of interest in the details of politics to be as effective a voice about the Democrats. I consider myself an independent and registered that way. How deep are the Democrats problems? They couldn’t get a Jewish lesbian Canadian immigrant to register Democrat.
The truth is that I really am not so attached to what I call myself. I never have been. My sense of myself is deeper an probably more complex than the “tags” lesbian, straight, bisexual and politically I don’t find Republican or Democrat appealing.
I am concerned about honesty, integrity, caring, intelligence and effective problem solving wherever it rears its head. I don’t believe any one group has a lock on truthfulness or a right way. To be attached to that is similar to the kind of religious fundamentalism that has created such pain in the world in the name of the safety of those who will blindly agree there is only one right way.
Perhaps that’s why I find myself drawn to the Ron Paul clips Andrew Sullivan has been posting. He’s running for the Republican Presidential nomination. I disagree with a lot of Ron Paul’s political views but at least he seems genuine, human and principled, rather than a brand created by marketing team. I would love to see someone within the Democratic nomination race speak as plainly to that party.
And I would love to see, more than anything, government stop being a broker for round-trip (decidedly unfree market) financial deals, whether it’s through debt financing a developing country or creating a massive wealth transfer via war.
Yep, I agree with you. Registering Independent can be said to be like pissing into the wind, but I think that there are plenty of people who can’t stomach to register for either party – since they have both forgotten that government is for the people, by the people – and that means everyone, not just pollsters, politicians, and lobbyists.