Rand Paul Has A Point
Of course, I want Democrat Jack Conway to defeat Rand Paul in the Kentucky Senatorial race. And I think Rand Paul's views on the Civil Rights Act and his support for merchants to deny access to their stores on the basis of race to be very troublesome. But, that said, I think Rand Paul had a point in his debate with Jack Conway about Conway's ad attacking him (Paul) for some anonymously sourced, unsubstantiated charge about some atheistic cultist college behavior. Rand Paul is right that attacking the basis of his faith from such a seedy, unsubstantiated source is gutter politics at its worst. So in that sense Conway is behaving like a heel. But what kinda bothers me much, much more is the realization that the issue really at work here is the attempt to play the "who is the real Christian" game. Conway is trying to one-up Rand Paul using the Christian card. I find the whole theocratization of the political environment to be really depressing. I would much prefer secular campaigns. Pointing to someone's religion or faith is a distraction from the real substantive issues we face as a country.
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4 comments:
"I find the whole theocratization of the political environment to be really depressing."
I agree w/ you here Huck. I have become more active politically over the last few years in my city, county, and state, and one thing it has caused me to realize is that my lack of religious zeal would prevent me from ever being able to attain a political office here, even if I wanted to, no matter how good my ideas were and how well I communicated them. That's fine with me, as I would much rather be a businessman who influences politics than vice-versa, but it is somewhat of a depressing realization.
I don't have a problem with candidates who use their faith as a way of connecting with voters, but find it sad that so many voters believe a strong (professed) faith makes for a better candidate. Just about every lousy politician in the history or our nation probably claimed a strong and guiding religious faith.
Huck, caught your article on a bing search. Let me agree with you from the right-wing evangelical view (that's me). I have no idea what Rand Paul's religion is, neither do I care. For that matter I don't really know Obama's religion - neither do I care. I vote based on policy, not theology. That said, I am a Christian, and as such I tend to support freedom-based policies (thus, I suspect we disagree on a TON of political questions). Government meddling in morality (whether sexual, substance, or charitable) all strikes me as going too far. Defend the rights, leave the rest to us.
Anyhow, nice post. I can be found spewing my own view here: http://bethsaidafigtree.wordpress.com
Anonymous - Thanks for your comment and I appreciate the positive spirit in which you made it. I know you meant well, so please take my comment also in a positive spirit, but I feel obliged to point out that I consider myself to support "freedom-based policies," too. Just because we may disagree on policies that best reach that goal doesn't mean that our disagreement implies one or the other of us is always an advocate of bondage and slavery. Your comment seems to imply as much. Follow your logic: you support freedom-based policies, thus you presume we will disagree on policy, therefore that leaves me as the antithesis to freedom. I just have to point this out because it is actually a common, unintentional thing these days among well-meaning conservatives to label those who disagree with them in such a negative light. I refuse to concede that ground to conservatives. I am as ardent a defender and believer in freedom-based policies as anyone. The rub comes in the nitty gritty of the details of what constitutes freedom-based policies. Anyway, thanks for your kind comment and I hope you come back and visit again. I'll be sure to check out your site, too.
Conway's ad is bad, but nowhere near as bad as most GOP ads. I think Paul is throwing tantrums over this to distract people from the fact that everything he does and stands for is for sale to wealthy campaign donors.
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