Op-Ed columnist (TN) calls Lieberman defeat "deeply discouraging"

[Human Torch]

Note to author David P. Gushee: He lost an ELECTION...he's not DEAD. You DO know that, don't you? This piece reads like a bitter, sour grapes eulogy.

:silly:



:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Lieberman defeat is discouraging

The defeat of Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman in his primary this week marks yet another indication of the triumph of partisanship and the disappearance of statesmanship in the United States. The extremes prevail while the middle ground disappears. It is deeply discouraging.

Joe Lieberman was a politician that an independent-minded person of faith could respect. He took his faith seriously in a culture that so often trivializes or scorns such faith. The fact that it was an Orthodox Jewish faith served to remind the often divided Jewish and Christian faith communities of our shared history and common values.

Lieberman paid a price for actually having a faith that required something of him. You may remember that he would not campaign during the Jewish Sabbath. (When was the last time a Christian candidate abstained from Sunday campaigning?) His religious sensibility surely played a role in his criticisms of our abhorrent mass media. Lieberman helped to protect the legitimacy of bringing faith-based moral convictions into the public square. It will be even harder to do so now.
I think it was also his faith that required Lieberman to seek common ground with his adversaries and to look for bipartisan compromises. Even a Republican, he seemed to think, could be a loyal American and a decent human being. Imagine that! Can it be? This helped evoke similar civility from like-minded Republicans, who were also encouraged to recognize the common humanity of actual Democrats. As people like Lieberman get driven out of politics, all we will have left are partisans who see the adversary as demonic creatures with horns and cloven hoofs.

The bloggers had a field day with Lieberman's did-he-or-didn't-he "kiss" of George W. Bush at a State of the Union address. No loyal Democrat would give the president anything approaching a kiss. It seemed to me that all of this fuss over a maybe-kiss drew uncomfortably on the betrayer's kiss motif found in the Gospels. Judas betrayed his master with a kiss, and so did Joe Lieberman. The fact that Lieberman happens to be Jewish makes me wonder whether a vein of anti-Semitism was tapped here.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Local Opinion Columnist



David P. Gushee is Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University. Write to him at The Jackson Sun, Editorial Department, P.O. Box 1059, Jackson, TN 38302. Log onto our forum and share your thoughts on this column.

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060811/COLUMNISTS09/608110305/1014

[Epiphany4z]

1. I like how

they keep saying this is end of any middle ground. Middle ground? from the GOP? ...OOOOOKKKAYYY...

[Nickster]

2. For cripes sakes! Where the heck were these people when the ultra-

right wing conservatives took over everything and began the campaign to remove any semblance of working together? Where are all the glorius Republicans working to reach out across the aisle? Oh, you don't see any of that now do you??

These bastids crying and wailing that partisan bickering is destroying our country because one incumbent Senator lost his primary is just making me want to scream. It was up to the Democratic voters of Connecticut, if they decide they made a mistake, they can vote out Ned Lamont after his six year term. That's how democracy works.

[AX10]

26. Exactly. The MSM believes that "bi-partisanship" only occurs...

when Democrats roll over and play dead.

[Chipper Chat]

3. What the hell did being Jewish have to do with it?

Liebermania must surely die soon. After all - we've got these terralerts to worry about. Are you listening Republicanland? Switch gears for gawd's sake.

[Avalux]

4. "Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University"

fundie nutjob. :eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Yup.

"As you ponder the important decision of choosing a college, we invite you to consider Union—a person-centered, student-oriented community. We invite you to consider Union—a university that is Baptist by tradition and evangelical by conviction. We invite you to consider Union—a community committed to academic excellence under the Lordship of Christ."

From the Message from the President, Union University

Why is it I would think that Southern Baptist evangelical liberal-arts university is an oxymoron?

[Avalux]

16. lol - I know. Doesn't quite go together, does it?

:rofl:

[Blue_Tires]

29. exactly

:wtf:

[opihimoimoi]

5. Nope, this swarmy columnist is way outta there what with Spin and Pub Shit

Joe lost his base with selfcenteredness and kissing Bushies Ass...

Partisanship ??? i don't see them Pubs acting with bipartisanship...its all Bush, he is the decider but the prob with that; its all him and his crew making stupid decisions...Joe was a part of that..the perception was there...causing him anguish on Tues nite.

Right Wing spin is what I see.

[burythehatchet]

6. I'm sending this man a quarter

so he can buy a fucking clue.

[Lautremont]

17. I'm sending him a get-well-soon card. (nt)

[CottonBear]

7. Why is he whining about partisanship? It was a Democratic primary in CT.

therefore, by definition, it was partisan. Is he just as upset that McKinney lost to Johnson in the 4th Distirct congresional race in GA?

Hey David P. Gushee: the Democratic voters in CT voted for Lamont. To quote the Republicans, "get over it!"

[Arugula Latte]

8. Their definition of bi-partisanship: "Democrats do our bidding"

:eyes:

[MallRat]

9. He's either stupid or disingenuous.

Lieberman lost because he no longer represented the beliefs and values of the people of Connecticut. It's just that simple.

Why wasn't there a similar rending of garments and gnashing of teeth over systematic purging of moderate Rockefeller Republicans over the past 12 years?

Extremists hijacking the Republican Party? GOOD.
Progressives taking back and unifying the Democratic Party? BAD.

Naked partisanship? IOKIYAR.

[AtomicKitten]

10. I'll bet it was discouraging ----- for the Republicans.

No more kissy-face for you!!!

[KurtNYC]

11. My question for stuff like this is

how much do they believe those are the real reasons for Leiberman's loss versus how much are they just trying to put spin on the truth?

If he really thinks Lieb lost because: 1) the democratic party has exhibited a stiff partisan spine for the last 6 years (?!) 2) he is observant and would not campaign on the Sabbath, then he is a fool.

This really seems like more of the calculated attempt to ignore the real reasons Lieberman lost:
- arrogant, whiney, self-serving
- wife is a lobbyist
- kissed *
- wrote off Lamont early then tried to make it up too late
- was a DINO from a state which is overwhelmingly Dem

[gratuitous]

12. Cry me a river, Mr. Gushee

Where was your editorial when people of faith were marching in the streets against the proposed invasion of Iraq, a country that wasn't threatening us, didn't have the means to attack us, and hadn't done anything to us other than be an annoyance with its petty dictator? I protested the Iraq war based on my religious convictions and got called a pansy, a coward and a traitor. The nicest thing anyone called me was naive for thinking that this war was about oil rather than any other geopolitical concerns. What did you say then, Mr. Gushee?

And now, more than three years later, I was right. Got that? Along with millions of other people all across the country from all social strata and across political lines, we were all absolutely, 100% right. This invasion was wrong. It was wrong politically, it was wrong strategically, and it was wrong morally. What did you write about the war, Mr. Gushee? Where was your light on this subject? On the table so that others could see and see more clearly, or under a bushel basket (maybe you recognize the allusion)?

Shame on you, Mr. Gushee.

[ixion]

13. all this talk about bipartisanship and statemenship from the GOP

is blather.

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...well, you know... won't get fooled again.

If they love LIEberman so damn much, why don't they nominate him for the GOP ticket in CT?

[Vincardog]

15. he RW nutz find it deeply discouraging I find it to be Hugely Inspiring

We need to keep up the momentum and kick the RW a$$ in November. NeoConvicts beware your lies are exposed and your days are numbered.

BTW what the F is David P. Gushee smoking?

[MoonRiver]

18. What a pile of..

Gore is a devout born again Christian. Did this fascist pig sing his praises like he's doing for Holy Joe? And the anti-Semitic meme was lame before it began. Feingold is a hero of the left, and guess what, HE'S JEWISH. :eyes:

[indepat]

19. Surely this op-ed emanates from a hot-bed of fundamental extreme RW

Christian-types.

[Totally Committed]

20. It's Tennessee, fercripessake!

That's a state where Harold Ford is still considered a Democrat! GMAFB!

During the last Presidential election, I did some phone banking for the candidate I was supporting, and I drew Tennessee. Believe me when I tell you, those were the most painful and frustrating calls I had ever made during an election cycle.

They are VERY conservative Democrats (the ones who ARE Democrats, anyway...)

TC

[TygrBright]

21. As my curmudgeonly old stepfather used to say...

..."The smaller the brain, the louder the mouth."

aphoristically,
Bright

[Human Torch]

22. As an English Major...I MUST salute you.

http://www.bartelby.net/101/489.html

:toast:

[dolstein]

23. I agree -- it IS deeply discouraging

Especially for people who aren't thrilled at the idea of a Senate filled entirely with Rick Santorum Republicans on the right and Maxine Waters Democrats on the left. And considering that, in a polarized political environment, the former will always outnumber the latter, especially in the Senate, the results of Tuesday should be discouraging for anyone who cares about moving politics in a progressive direction.

[noamnety]

24. Instead of mocking Mr. Gushee

We should be applauding his insight.

Everyone I know who voted for Lamont totally did it because Lieberman wouldn't campaign on the Jewish Sabbath. That was the number one reason they cited. Didn't the Lamont campaign even hand out buttons saying "Lieberman - refuses to campaign on the Sabbath"? I'm pretty sure they did that, right before they hired Al-Qaeda to hack his website. :)

[Human Torch]

25. Your ideas are intriguing and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter

Sorry...could NOT resist...

:evilgrin:

http://www.shanemcdonald.com/laughs/l-homer.html

[pearl]

27. Blah, Blah, Blah

etc.,etc.,etc.!

[calico1]

28. Joe Lieberman can certainly move to

TN if he wants. As long as he runs for office in CT, WE get to decide if he gets elected or not. :grr:

[Dr Fate]

30. Let me guess- the writer never voted for a DEM in his life. n/t

n/t

[betterdeadthanred]

31. The more I see

wingnuts like Cal Thomas, this columnist, Dick Cheney and their ilk express their *dismay*, the more I know the right decision was made to boot Lieberman out. All of this right wing support stinks to high heaven.

[Crunchy Frog]

32. They certainly have all of their talking points in order.

This one is throwing most of them, including the charges of ant-semitism. About the only thing missing is the talk of "Taliban" Democrats.

It looks like a very organized campaign is going on.