On May 22nd appearing on Meet the Press, Howard Dean said the following:

“I’m not going to be lectured as a Democrat–we’ve got some pretty strong moral values in my party, and maybe we ought to do a better job standing up and fighting for them. Our moral values, in contradiction to the Republicans’, is we don’t think kids ought to go to bed hungry at night.”

This is exactly what I am talking about. I do not know one Republican, or one conservative, that who “think kids ought to go to bed hungry at night.”

This type of rhetoric is not helpful and both sides are guilty. Just because we differ on HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, does not mean we differ in our basic humanity. It really doesn’t.

It really does seem to me that conservatives, in general, think liberals are wrong, but liberals, in general, think conservatives are evil.

I am proudly a conservative and I do not think any kid, anywhere, under any conditions, ought to go to bed hungry.

The elitists, and the rednecks, are the 20% on each side of the spectrum. The other 60% are the people like you and me, where there is very little that actually separates us. We all want the same things, we just disagree on how to get there.

It’s when we try to villainize each other that it all breaks down.

How about us smart, informed, intelleigent folks figure out how to solve problems, instead of beating each other about the head and sholders over semantics and misperceptions.

You all do not understand America, or the American electorate. You elitists long for this country to be something that (hopefully) it will never be. You don’t understand the majority of “gun-loving, bitter, religious, stupid people” that must be won over in order to be elected to lead them.

Yes, I agree, it is a continuum but you called me an elitist (one side) who doesn’t understand the other side. Gore and Kerry barely lost. So apparently there are a lot of elitists like me. About half.

It’s actually a very interesting topic that deserves more debate — that of elitism vs. populism. I think it’s perhaps another false debate because the Right are elitists when convenient and populists when convenient. So are the Left.

I don’t know a gay couple who isn’t perfectly happy with civil unions. What they want are the rights and privileges, not the words.

I think this is one of my main problems with liberalism. “The same” does not mean “equal.” Men and women are not the same, but they are equal. Gays and straights are not the same, but they are equal. A committed gay relationship is not the same as marriage, but they should be equal.

I am glad that when I applied for a marriage license it said “husband” and “wife.” In California they are trying to change it to “Partner A” and Partner B.” I don’t want to be “Partner A” or Partner B,” I want to be the husband, the man. My wife is the “wife,” the woman. We are different but equal.

“The problem with this point, Micadelic, is that it is really 50/50 in this country”

Which sounds an awful lot like you’re either one or the other. It’s a spectrum of opinions, not black/white, etc.

I don’t even know which premise you are rejecting. The one that smart, educated and well-informed people should run this country?

Because I voted for Bush it the last election doesn’t make me stupid, or uneducated, or ill-informed. I also don’t think that all people who voted for Kerry are either. I think there are a bunch of folks in each camp that are stupid, ill-informed, etc.

Also, because I will NEVER vote for someone like Obama doesn’t make me a stupid, fag-hating, gun-loving redneck either. There are plenty of really, really smart people that oppose your views and your refusal to recognize that is disturbing to me.

Your view IMHO is so myopic, you are so convinced of the righteousness of your side that everyone who doesn’t agree is stupid and ill-informed.

So I reject your premise out of hand and I find it offensive actually.

I don’t consider myself a “gun enthusiast” or even a “gun person” even though I have five handguns and four long guns, and belong to a gun club…..wait, I guess I am a gun person?! at any rate…. yes, we, as Americans, kill each other with guns at an amazing level. Gun issues should be ‘brought’ to the table by both sides.

and as long as I am here, let me weigh in on the other issues.

Abortion is wrong. Abortion is a sin. Abortion should be legal and safe. It is your business not mine.

Gay Marriage. (and I have done a 180 on this issue in my short 47 years) have at it….I believe a Gay ‘union/ marriage’ should have all the rights and benefits that my marriage has. Do I agree that homosexuality follows ‘natural design’? …no I don’t…but again, it is none of my business…

I look forward to this election. I believe that we have candidates, on both sides, that have a level of intellect that we have not experienced in the White House in 7.5 years.