Bush Derangement Syndrome: EXPOSED!

Glenn Reynolds knocks out Andrew Sullivan...

HERE'S WHAT INSTAPUNDIT POSTED on 10/14/04:

STILL MORE: Andrew Sullivan writes: "The usually even-keeled Instapundit says that Kerry's 'position on gay marriage is the same as the President's.' I can't see how that's even remotely the case."

Well, it was this Kerry statement that led to my conclusion:

"The president and I have the same position, fundamentally, on gay marriage. We do. Same position."

Call me crazy, but I took that to mean that they had the same position. Since it was a Kerry statement, I should have realized that I was probably missing out on a crucial nuance. My bad. Andrew also writes: "One last gripe about Glenn: he also writes that Kerry 'dissed' Mary Cheney. How? Is calling an openly gay person gay an insult?" Of course not. It's not even an insult to call a straight person gay. But it is disrespectful to drag people into debates on sexuality on national TV. And it's disrespectful to do so as an effort to -- as Mickey Kaus suggested -- swing the votes of homophobes. I'm surprised that Andrew is so untroubled by this.

I think this illustrates that those who are expecting some special degree of sensitivity toward gay issues -- or privacy in general -- from a President Kerry are likely to be disappointed. Apparently, it's all just stuff to be manipulated for advantage.

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As I wrote to Glenn, Sully only proved that he's twice deluded:

(1) He thinks Kerry is a hawk, and (2) he thinks Kerry is pro gay-marriage!

This type of delusion (a willing suspense of disbelief induced by BDS) is prevalent - AND NECESSARY - among Kerry supporters because Kerry has been on every side of every issue.

And, it seems to me that Kerry supporters seem to think (or want to believe) that he's winking at them whenever he expresses a view OPPOSITE of one they hold dear.

For example, Kerry's dove supporters think he will be a dove; Kerry's hawk supporters think he will be a hawk.

And so on - on every issue.

Kerry's ambivalently nuanced, wishy-washy flip-flopping and reflexive straddling - on virtually every issue - SCARES the bazeejus out of me.

What might president Kerry do in a crunch - when a president has to be decisive!?

WHO CAN SAY? Your guess is as good as mine....

I find Bush's resoluteness, decisiveness, and clarity more assuring. Kerry supporters see this and say Bush too simple.

But I wonder: If Kerry is elected, what will be his compass, his bedrock - the foundation and North-star of his administration? I fear it will be whatever is popular - at home, and with his comrades in Old Europe and the UN. And I believe that will mean we will be in for 4 years of ineffective leadership - unlike any administration since Carter.