Another straightforward commentary...Criticism of obama brings on allegations of hypocrisy: I don't slam Bush; hater for calling him b Hussein obama, and stupid if I am critical of the global warming fraud. Yes Ed you are right on target. Sadly those who claim to be the most tolerant are the least.
deserttrek
Palm Springs, CADesert Sun
[Makes you wonder how they treat their family and co-workers when they say politically threatening things, Dez. I know that the first ones to give you a one-finger salute on the road are the ones with the CHANGE bumper stickers. What are they gonna change -- the finger they salute with -ED?
So, it is Ok for conservatives to be hateful even when they are wrong?
historystudent
Mansfield, OH News Journal
[Do you get hate mail from Conservatives? -ED]
"...to be hateful; to be motivated and driven by the forces of hate." That's one of the best descriptions of right-wing, conservative, christians I've seen anywhere online.
Patrickster1964
Wilmington, DE News Journal
[And when was the last time you were sworn at or hate-mailed by a Christian -- let alone a right-wing conservative one? -ED]
You are truly VILE. . . . but I don't "hate" you.
kennethkaniff
Salisbury, MD Daily Times
[No, but you hate my "vile" opinions. Hate is hate. -ED]
Bravo, unimpeachable logic, there, eddo. Here's another one, you have a mustache because you have a mustache.
Philboyd Studge
Burlington, VT Free Press
[But if I shaved it off I'd still be a Conservative and you'd still hate me for that. -ED]
Ed, I say this piece is much ado about nothing. My observations show there is hateful expression on the right and on the left. For example, I don’t care for Michael Moore but I also don’t care for Ann Coulter. There is much emotional commotion about not anything with both of these people and others like them. It is a vast group of sensible thoughtful Americans in the middle, maybe a little to the right or a little to the left who drag our country forward. The whole time they have to listen to the extreme left and the extreme right scream at each other with every step.
Georgetoo
Salisbury, MD
[That's fair. -ED]
You know I agree with you totally. Liberals can really get mad and say out of the way things if you get out of line with what they want.
Luvnurses
Touche. Liberals DO seem to love freedom of speech...as long as it's theirs. If you have a Conservative point of view they label you a hate monger. Try watching the View (if you can stand it for more than five minutes) Elisabeth is the only conservative on the panel and they don't let her get a word in edgewise. I can't stand Ann Coulter but they wouldn't even let her talk or attempt to defend her views and I for one was interested in what they had to say.
WestsideJohn
It's the same on both sides. We need less of talking heads and more intellectual dialogue. I understand people get passionate about their beliefs (both left and right) but we need to stop just saying that liberals act this way and conservatives act that way. We need to just be logical and talk.
Anonymous
[Yeah, Barry-0 and the First Lady of Pants Suits are doing real well with that Rodney King shtick. -ED]
It sounds more like you are a Libertarian so why not just vote for them?
Anonymous
[Mainly, because in most elections it's a wasted vote. Also, after Ron Paul, their credibility goes downhill fast. -ED]
YOU GOT THIS RIGHT! They demonize all who disagree with them. AND... they distract and deflect to get attention off a topic, and magically elsewhere. All so they can do and get what they want. A shame, because I'm sure they, too, want freedom. That is... the ones who believe in a Republic and our Constitution. They've just forgotten the Constitution is the ONLY way to their freedom, & feeling good.
Anonymous
I think Georgetoo basically had it right, there's a lot of name-calling and disrespect for the other person's opinion on both the left & right. Though I must add that it seems kinda inconsistent, shall we say, for you to criticize liberals for not criticizing other liberals like JFK, and then in the next breath criticize Cindy Sheehan for criticizing Obama. Especially after most of the right spent the last 8 years in lockstep with W, even as he ignored many principles conservatives supposedly believe (like balanced budgets, smaller government & respect for the Constitution).
East75
Iowa
Thank you Ed! I couldn't have said it any better. I have liberal friends, or should I say "had" liberal friends that cannot stand to hear the truth. The minute I call them on one of their liberal lies they whack out on me. I've decided that they are not worth my time or effort. Thank you for a great post!
Anonymous
I just finished a study on the book of Esther. Very insightful. We always win.
Sometimes it is good to let "them" figure it out on their own. Otherwise they will always fight the truth. But that does not mean we cannot or should not do what we are supposed to do to protect the truth.
FaithC
Greenville, SC News
[So we need a strong woman and a mole on the inside. That would make a great plotline for a political novel. Keep the faith, Faith. -ED]
The sidestepping of logic and principle is a marxist technique that was widely taught in the 60's and 70's because they don't care about eternal principles. It is also an attempt to distract those who raise points of fact, principle and logic and confuse those who don't do their research to find the truth. It's all about FEELINGS and their ego, not principle, morals common sense or logic.
Reyne
NY
When comments of this nature are published. When we group one set of ideas into one general statement, the readers are left with the possibility to de-value anyone. I don't say ALL members of the GOP are brainwashed because of the many sins of Bush and Cheney.
Anonymous
That's a home run; right on the money.
George
Yonkers, NY
As a Christian who is politically liberal, I find the supposition that all liberals are hate-filled to be particularly upsetting. My beliefs and actions couldn't be further from hateful. Yup, I believe that we are destroying our planet, and I do my part to try to be a good steward of what God has created for us. Yes, I absolutely think it's simple smoke and mirrors to consistently refer to Barack Obama by his middle name, in order to insight fear and religious tension. And, of course, I think it's a travesty that we demonize and cast judgment on a woman who has suffered an inexplicable tragedy and reacts in a way that we may not all understand (you may want to ask yourself, "What Would Jesus Do?").
From what I know of my Savior, Jesus called ALL people to live by 2 commandments...to love God with all of our hearts, souls and minds and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He called rough-around-the-edges fishermen, corrupt tax collectors, adulterers, prostitutes, liars and other various sinners to follow Him...while he repeatedly rebuked the Pharisees for putting on the cloak of godliness and sitting in constant judgment. Jesus Christ came because every single one of us fall short of the Glory of God...yes, even conservative Christians!
After reading some of the comments to your blog and others, I am more concerned than ever that the Christian right has taken Jesus out of the equation all together. Jesus Christ never taught us to be smug...at least not the Jesus I know.
ohthehumanity
Wilmington, DE News Journal
[For the most part, it's the so-called Christian Right or the Godless Left. As a Christian who happens to be Conservative (and one who gets the hate mail from the left for opinions far less controversial than this one) I'm sticking to my guns. Furthermore, although I don't think abortion or same-sex marriage should be political issues, as Christians we need to stand for our beliefs. So how do you square the left's secular progressive-ism with what you read in the Bible and/or hear in church. We ALL need to be careful when we open the "What would Jesus Do?" can of worms because NONE of us is Jesus. -ED]
The Truth that rings in a liberal's ear is what really makes them hate conservatives. There would otherwise be no reason to be so disdainful of non-liberal ideologies.
Anonymous
[I'll remember that gem of wisdom the next time Chris Dodd or Barney Frank get caught up in a blatant lie and not one liberal calls them on it. -ED]
You'd think they'd be used to being wrong by now.
Anonymous
I'm a Christian, & since it's a sin to lie, i really hate liberals.....hate gets hate back, i really admire the ones who can turn the other cheek, but i'm tired of it getting slapped all the time....for their sake, they best be right that there's no hell, kind of like gambling to me , heaven on earth in exchange for eternal damnation in hell, oh well, couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.....oops there i go again, acting like a liberal!
Anonymous
["There is none righteous, no, not one." Disagreeing and criticizing is one thing... -ED]