Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: People With Minds

Author:berkley.lynch@ariad.com
Posted:12/22/1998; 12:52:25 PM
Topic:DaveNet comments
Msg #:1639 (In response to 1607)
Prev/Next:1638 / 1640

Dave, you say: "I think right now the Republicans are a little ahead of the Democrats, they are deliberately going against the polls, and I totally support them for doing that."

On the one hand I can understand your respecting the Republicans for this. It is possible to view their stance as one of acting honorably based on principle. It is possible as well to view their stance as a very cynical attempt to appear to be acting honorably based on principle. As a long time observer, I think that some Reps were acting on principle, but that the party leaders were in fact cynically over-promoting this view, and that on balance, the impeachment process operated on much deeper levels then you seem to recognize.

Why do I think this? Several things, really. Why were the House Judiciary hearings done so oddly, so differently than the Watergate hearings, with no calling of witnesses, no apparent, objective attempt to "get to the truth"? Why wasn't a vote of censure allowed on the House floor? Why is it that the Republicans seemed to take such a UNIFORM approach to their descriptions of their reasoning (which smacks of party manipulation to me...)?

Note that I agree that the Democrats also acted in a partisan manner. This gets to my second point. I believe the entire process is in fact symptomatic of very deep religious, political and social divides in this country. I DO see the impeachment process as driven significantly, but not entirely, by the "Christian Right". This whole process is re-exposing some deep divisions in our country- maybe for the good. Partisan behaviour reflects this to an extreme degree.

How, you ask rhetorically, is it possible that intelligent people from many persuasions might support impeachment (implying they must be right)? Very simple. Bill Clinton screwed up, acted immorally and quite possibly illegally. Of course people are mad at him, and reasonable people might want him impeached. This doesn't mean that the motives of the Republicans is neccesarily pure, of course...

"People with Minds", intelligent people, can disagree about many things. This case intersects many difficult legal, religious and political issues. Many of us, perhaps even you, if you were honest, reached a decision about this case based on a multitude of feelings. Once reached, the decision is defended passionately.

(Also: I disagree that historians condemn Clinton-- I hear just the opposite.)

Cheers!

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