Values
Congratulations to the GOP for getting their vote out and winning what appears to be basically a clean election. Of course, now you have to govern with no excuses that we Democrats are obstructing whatever your agenda may be.
The pundits last night were wondering about the future of the Democratic Party and why we supposedly have lost the value debate. Pardon me for asking this – but what values are they talking about?
Personally, I’m a faithful Christian married to a lovely women who values tolerance of others. Neither one of us would encourage abortions but neither would use the government to coerce choices nor discriminate against Andrew Sullivan because of his choices in life – even if we find a few of his op-eds rather objectionable. And many Democrats share similar values and life styles to that of my wife and myself.
So what values do those in the GOP think they have a monopoly over? Is it fear-mongering, hate, or the dishonesty portrayed so often by supporters of Bush-Cheney? But in my church, fear, hate, and dishonesty are not considered Christian values.
No, we Democrats do not have a value deficit. Rather, we have not been entirely effective in noting that the GOP’s incessant desire to spend more and tax less – aka deficit financing – is bad economic management. But more on the future course of fiscal policy later.
Update: Via Amy Sullivan and Andrew Sullivan we get this garbage from Bill Bennett:
Ethics and moral values were ascendant last night – on voters minds, in Americans’ hearts. To be sure, every anthropologist loves his own tribe, and I have long advocated a stronger tie between politics and the virtues. Last night it was evident that the American people agree… Having restored decency to the White House, President Bush now has a mandate to affect policy that will promote a more decent society, through both politics and law.
Of course, the ethically and morally Bill Bennett would wish to use “politics and law” to impose his sense of morality on the rest of us. And these fellows talk about “limited government”!