Centerfield

Oliver Willis is the Problem

Reacting to a suggestion from John Kerry that he will choose Republicans to serve in his administration if he wins, Oliver Willis says:

Have we learned nothing? Bipartisanship is dead. The much beloved John McCain sat silent as Rove & Bush orchestrated the Swift Boat smear, and gave a speech for them right after it. These guys want nothing to do with us, and we should have nothing to do with them.

If we win, we make them play by our rules. And if they win, we make 'em hurt. I didn't used to think this way, but then, I was naive before.

First of all, I heard nothing from John McCain after the "Swift Boat smear" other than the people making those ads where wrong and that the President of United States should say so and demand the ads be taken off the air. He then proceeded to do the right thing and attempt through a court of law to close the 527 loophole that he intended to close by working for the passage of campaign finance legislation that he created, and the President of the United States signed I might add.

You cannot be angry over those who smear John Kerry over his Vietnam record and then accuse someone who served just as bravely from ignoring that smear and doing nothing about it. It is just plain hypocritical.

Second of all, if Oliver Willis gets his way the divisions in this country that exist will continue to exist and the Democratic, or the Republican, Party will be worse off because of it. Whoever wins is going to govern a divided country and they cannot do so effectively without reaching out to the other side. I have said over and over that the Bush polarization is over exaggerated, and it is, but there is not a doubt in my mind that if the President wins he has to do a better job in his second term of doing what he did in Texas as Governor by befriending Democratic Lt. Governor Bob Bullock.

Oliver is a disappointment. What used to be a pretty good blog from a partisan "new Democrat" has joined the usual ideological, “hate Bush” or “hate Kerry” BS that is prevalent in the blogosphere today… And yes Erasmus, I have no problem with calling the rhetoric on Oliver Willis’s blog hate speech. It is a shame that such a useful tool as a blog is misused by so many.

Because of my "new" job I, unlike most Americans, will have no choice. I will support either Bush or Kerry because the winner will be the President of the United States, and to do so will be an honor. However, it is likely that many Republicans will never give Kerry a chance if he is elected, nor will many Democrats give Bush a chance if he is re-elected. A leader would have the vision to see beyond that problem and attempt to reach out to the other party regardless, rather than join all the other hacks in the mud like a bunch of pigs.

I commend Kerry for suggesting he would appoint Republicans. It was a very Presidential thing for him to do.