Irrational Hatred

Paul Greenberg, demonstrating his ability to write the same article as everybody else, uses a popular Republican meme. His article is entitled "Will Hatred Be Enough?", and it contains this paragraph.

"The glue that holds Senator Kerry's campaign together will be a visceral dislike - no, a sheer hatred - of George W. Bush, his policies, his personality, his accent, the way he walks and talks and smiles and wears his belt buckle . . . [ellipses from original]

You see what Greenberg did there? He cleverly equated our disdain for Bush's policies with our dislike for his accent, personality and so on. In that way our disdain for his policies gets equated with our hatred for his belt buckle. Well I can't speak for any of my fellow liberals but I am way more concerned about President Bush's policies than his belt buckle.

I am concerned that President Bush's economy seems to reward those at the very top while the middle class and the lower class have to be constantly in fear of losing their job.

I am unconcerned about President Bush's accent.

I am concerned that President Bush's administration has basically abandoned Diplomacy as a tactic to achieve our global goals. The only negotiating we want to do is with the bayonet at our bargaining partners throat.

I am unconcerned about President Bush's wardrobe.

I am concerned about misdeeds done by Republicans including the outing of Valerie Plame and the stealing of confidential memos from Democratic members of congress (which may or may not have ties back to the White House, it turns out).

I am unconcerned about President Bush's smiles.

But of course I understand why Mr. Greenberg is doing this. The problems with President Bush's policies are so numerous and obvious, they need desperately to keep us from looking them over. One technique is to suggest that we are irrational haters, moved by insanity. Some intemperate comments made by a few liberals have given them fuel for this argument. But of course they have to pretend ferociously that we are all irrational in our disdain for President Bush. But most of us aren't. And your attempt to keep the failures of Mr. Bush's policies off the table will not work.

But, please, keep trying.