Thanks Allan for the long response. I think the funny thing is that there are a lot of liberals and conservatives that know there is a middle ground which most of the country will be happy with, but we argue at the extremes so it’s very frustrating.
I’m a liberal, but back in 99 I actually wrote a letter to Richard Gephardt demanding that Clinton be impeached for lying under oath. I think it’s consistent to hold the leaders of both parties to the same standard (which, of course, means I’m unhappy with the Iraq War and the lack of plans for reconstruction).
Today’s ruling on the DC handgun law is very interesting. I haven’t followed it super closely but when I lived in DC I had a rifle in the home. I don’t know in oral arguments how alternatives to handguns were argued, but I would imagine that for home defence, a shotgun would be more effective than a handgun or for militia purposes, a rifle with its range would be better than a handgun. Guess that the SCOTUS didn’t want to delve into the specifics of each type of firearm. Sort of disappointed in the decision.
As for Obama and McCain, if either of them perform poorly, they’re out in 4 years, I can live with that. I don’t know if this country would be best serve with a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court (nor a 6-3 liberal majority). For our laws not to swing back and forth, I think I’ll be fairly happy with a 4-4 and Kennedy as a swing vote. That alone would dictate a vote for Obama.
Please remember that it was liberal judicial activism that destroyed the “separate but equal” doctrine.
For all the hue and cry, can you imagine living in a country where colored folks have separate bathrooms. [Hmm, I’ve always wondered what Asians did in the South, did they go to the colored restrooms or the white restrooms or did they just go outside).
Let’s not pretend that separate but equal, mandatory school prayer, mandatory Bible readings were not in effect during (for some of us) our lifetimes. I have to remind some of my immigrant relatives how things were so they can appreciate some of the aspects of social liberalism (even though I’m essentially a fiscal conservative)
And I look at someone like Justice Brennan, who came out of WWII as a Colonel and was one of the most liberal judges during the last 40 years as someone who got what this country was about (freedom of choice, freedom from oppression, fundamental fairness).
