From the Backseat Philosopher (via Instapundit):
We Democrats are supposedly the party of the therapists, the teachers, and the 'relationship experts.' If anybody would be proud of the title, 'active listener', it would be a Democrat. We're the soft ones who understand where the other side is coming from and negotiate.Many Democrats think that our patience and understanding are our weakness. "We don't know how to fight like the Republicans," we all told ourselves after Florida 2000. "We have to be more like them: tougher, meaner." "We have to energize our base more."
Actually, no. Our error is that we Democrats are far less understanding than we think we are. Our version of understanding the other side is to look at them from a psychological point of view while being completely unwilling to take their arguments seriously. "Well, he can't help himself, he's a right-wing religious zealot, so of course he's going to think like that." "Republicans who never served in war are hypocrites to send young men to die. " "Republicans are homophobes, probably because they can't deal with their secret desires." Anything but actually listening and responding to the arguments being made.
Very vigorous debate doesn’t bother me, but I really dislike being psychoanalyzed instead of listened to.
Posted by David Boxenhorn at November 5, 2004 05:21 AMI agree. Sometimes things happen for simple reasons that you cannot attribute to someone not growing up poor or in a broken home.
Sometimes the bad people grow up with all the advantages and that is just how it goes. If people stopped rationalizing and providing excuses for behavior every time someone misbehaves it would be a better world.
Posted by: Jack at November 5, 2004 07:40 AM Permalink