From this morning’s email:
I want to preface this by saying that I am a pretty through and through liberal–I have some moderate stances (on gun control, in particular) but I’m what most moderates/conservatives would call liberal. I’m a student at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR, if that tells you anything (and if it doesn’t, just know that Eugene makes Berkeley look like a NASCAR event).
… I read the Times article when it broke last night, and I was thinking to myself “Wait… some so-called former aides thought that maybe McCain could be spending too much time with a female associate and that that might, possibly, somehow be a sexual relationship? THIS is journalism?”
The points brought up about the Keating Five deal and the potential favors done on behalf of the lobbyists–okay, that I believe is something to be “vetted” (as our lovely Billary is ever so fond of saying) given his crusade against the interest groups. Fine, swell. Same as Obama should be more forthcoming about Rezko and Billary should release their taxes. But to try to turn this into a new Lewinsky sex scandal is just disgusting–the nation didn’t need it then, and we sure as hell don’t need it now.
I truly hope this doesn’t ruin McCain. Despite the fact that I’m an anti-this-war liberal and he’s unquestionably a hawk, I do like McCain, for the same reason I like Obama–they’re honorable. And to be honest, I love the idea of seeing these two going head to head in a campaign, not because “my guy’s gonna win” but because both of them are so against the failing orthodoxies of the last 20 years, and because I think both have enough honor that, if they can keep the establishment dogs on their leashes, we could see an intelligent, thoughtful, relatively clean campaign with two candidates who clearly care DEEPLY about the future of America–they just happen to have different opinions on what is better for the future, and I can respect them both for that.
Actually, I don’t know how far left this kid really is. If McCain can be the presidential nominee of the Republican party, surely there’s room in the big tent for a gun-loving, Eugene-mocking college student who cares about honor and the nation’s future but who’s skeptical of the Iraq war. My advice: Just go down to the U of O library and ask for a copy of Road to Serfdom. If they have it, read it. If they don’t, you’ll know how far down the road to serfdom Eugene has already gone. Give Rush a try for a month or two (before you’re out of school and working during his show). Read The Black Book of Communism, Free to Choose, Reagan’s speeches, Liberal Fascism. Freedom is the future.