Rob Williams - Orangejack

Sigh. Another political post. Sorry. I think I've finally been able to capture what I have seen in this election that is really bugging me. Steve pointed me to an article that I am very impressed with. Before I get there, you should read this from Jeremy Jenks:

The tone of the opposition to the President was brutal and unyielding. I must tell my friends on the left how much I appreciated having the President called evil and malicious or stupid and dishonest...I especially enjoyed having these qualities thrust on to me for my support. There is nothing like having your character questioned while at the same time seeing things you believe in attacked cruelly and hatefully...So thanks, you wonderful haters of George W. Bush, you gave us a clear choice between your fanatical demeanor and quiet confidence. You gave us an opportunity to see inside the heart of the opposition...You gave us an image of hatred and malice and an image for us to stand up and reject.

Now onto Clinton. This guy understands what happened this week. He understands what Jeremy Jenks felt. I just hope others will listen. It's going to take a lot of work on both sides to bring the US back together. Clinton is off to a great start:

This election presents a great opportunity for President Bush and a great opportunity for Democrats, and the two are not necessarily in conflict...If we let people believe that our party doesn't believe in faith and family, doesn't believe in work and freedom, that's our fault...[Democrats] need a clear national message and they have to do this without one big advantage the Republicans have, which is they won't have a theological message that basically paints the other guy as evil...The Republicans had a clear message, a good messenger, great organization and great strategy.

But it's going to take more than this. This is only the beginning. And I hope this doesn't sound too cheesy, but I really feel we've GOT to begin focusing more on the word "United" in our country's name.