Sorcerer in the Past

Going There: Politics and Friends

The amorphous and omnipresent “they” advise that we should never discuss certain subjects with friends, politics included. Yesterday, I broke that rule — and I broke it not with some borderline, persuadable friends, but with three of the most hard-right, Limbaugh-like friends I know.

OK. So what possessed me to do that? What did I hope to accomplish? My goal was nothing more complex than to clear my conscience. In every prior political discussion with these friends, I had meekly defended Obama on certain points, but I never crossed the line of actually admitting that I planned to vote for him. “Coward,” my brain told me. “You can canvass for Obama, promoting him to complete strangers, but you can’t tell your closest friends, because you know they’ll ridicule you and possibly, friendship or not, think less of you. Buck up, man. If you’re gonna pull the lever, have the stones to admit it.”

So I did admit it, and then — in the bravest fashion I could muster (by email, with a self-deprecating touch) — defended my decision by attaching to it a list of conservatives/Republicans who are far more credentialed than I, but of similar mind. I even included links to the reports of these individuals’ Obama endorsements and their reasons why. That last touch was, in part, a final flash of cowardice — I could not be perceived as a lone ranger — but it was also my strongest potential defense. I even (foolishly) hoped it might make my Hannity-wannabe friends pause and question their own decisions.

So much for that. Friends or not, these men didn’t blink on their way to disparaging my decision, hurling every proverbial stone within their reach — most of which were of similar ilk to the tossed stones that Jon Swift recently and brilliantly excoriated.

Below the fold, I’ve pasted my email to these friends of mine, followed by their various replies, left in raw form with the most minimal of edits, largely to remove names and other identifiers and to insert a relevant link. After reading their replies — in particular, the two longer replies — those of you who have likewise decided to vote for Obama might wonder how I can consider these men my friends, given the disparity in our views. It’s simple, really: First, we’re free to disagree with each other on politics and still get along — that’s America, or at least, that should be America. Second, when I follow the advice of the omnipresent and amorphous “they” and avoid discussing politics, I find these guys to be decent and delightful souls. They are, all of them, loving husbands and fathers, uncles, brothers, and sons. They are also selfless givers of their time and talents to worthwhile causes. I defend them, not their words, for the same reason Obama defended the person of Rev. Wright without defending his remarks: What my friends say is not the sum of who they are.

Julianne hough

And no, not one of them would appreciate being mentioned in the same paragraph as Rev. Wright. So be it.

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TEXT OF EMAIL TO MY FRIENDS

Gentlemen,

At least two of you already know — and the other one is about to find out — that I’ve gone insane and plan to vote for Obama. I suspect you’re baffled how a lifelong Republican could make such a decision. For what it’s worth, I’m not alone. You’ve obviously heard of Colin Powell’s endorsement. Below is a list of a few other prominent conservatives and/or Republicans who are supporting Obama, with embedded links to relevant sources. Some of the names on this list are “moderate Republicans” -? so I’d understand it, if you were not impressed by them. But others on this list are not so easily discounted, including:

* Larry Hunter, who includes the following among his credentials: “a lifelong Republican — a supply-side conservative ? worked in the Reagan White House ? chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for five years ? helped write the Republican Contract with America ? served on Bob Dole’s presidential campaign team and was chief economist for Jack Kemp’s Empower America.”

* Ken Adelman, who is reported to have held “a key role in George Bush’s defense agency” and “senior policy positions under Reagan, Ford, and ? Nixon.”

Also, I don’t want to forget what might be the most persuasive set of endorsements this political season, from Opie, Andy, and the Fonz.

Sincerely,

Pete “Yes, I’ve Lost My Mind” Abel

PARTIAL LIST OF REPUBLICANS/CONSERVATIVES SUPPORTING OBAMA

Susan Eisenhower Christopher Buckley

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