Disgraceful? Divisive? Crass?

Conrad has managed to work himself up into a lather of self-righteous indignation concerning something John Kerry said in the final presidential debate.

He finds it "crass" that Kerry should have mentioned that Dick Cheney's daughter is a lesbian "for a vile and divisive political objective". Really?

So is it a secret? No. (from The Observer):

Cheney himself frequently mentions Mary as his 'gay daughter' on the campaign trail when he is trying to paint his party as compassionate conservatives, so being used is nothing new.

So Mary Cheney is totally unconnected with the Bush-Cheney campaign? No. (from The Guardian).

Mary Cheney is the director of vice-presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. She held a public role as her father's assistant in the 2000 campaign, and helped the Republicans to recruit gay voters during the 2002 mid-term elections.

This has been an election of negative campaigning and personal attacks from both sides on the candidates. By the currently accepted standards this was mild stuff, possibly intended to embarass Mr Bush by highlighting that (in this regard at least) his running mate is more of a compassionate conservative than he is. Cynical maybe, but no more so than usual.

Anyway, Conrad, don't worry - the polls are turning back in Bush's favour. He doesn't need your help.

Meanwhile, The Guardian has started a silly and misguided campaign to get its (liberal) readers to write to electors in the State and ask them to consider the international impact of their vote. Yesterday they printed some of the responses, and, guess what, Americans don't take very kindly to foreigners telling them how they should vote.

Comments

[fumier]

"Divisive"? Isn't that what the PRC calls those who support democracy in Hong Kong?

[Chris]

You mean that divisive is just an all-purpose insult that doesn't mean very much?

Actually, I wonder what is more "divisive" - Kerry's comments or the way they have been exploited by right-wing bloggers and talk radio hosts?

Maybe I've underestimated the impact of them banging on about this issue (possibly because reading the Gweilo Diaries is the limit of my exposure to that type of stuff), because it is now being cited as one reason for Kerry losing support in spite of winning the debate.

Or maybe Conrad's views really are representative of what Middle America is thinking.

I'm not sure which of the two alternatives is the scarier!

[fumier]

Yes, 'divisive' is just another label used instead of coming up with a proper argument - a bit like labelling something 'moral equivalency' because it inconveniently exposes a weakness in one's own position. It's the Internet equivalent of putting your fingers in your ears and shouting 'I can't hear you, I can't hear you.'

[Eshin]

It's ironic really. Of course Americans don't like people to interfere with their democratic process. But it doesn't stop some of them, like Conrad, from banging on about the flaws in everyone else's democratic process.

[dave]

It's ironic really. Of course Americans don't like people to interfere with their democratic process. But it doesn't stop some of them, like Conrad, from banging on about the flaws in everyone else's democratic process.

And it doesn't stop them thinking that they have to right to interfere in other countries by e.g. invading them.

[Chris]

No, no, they're not interfering, they're helping

This is nothing new - people were just as ungrateful when the British Empire tried to help civilise them. It's all very puzzling.