"Bush.. .would have preferred to avoid the same sex marriage issue, but the Massachusetts Supreme Court forced his hand."The operative word here is "...would have preferred to avoid" cause it lost him some votes.
"And it was John Kerry, not Bush, who made stem-cell research a political issue."
Wrong. Bush made a law against it and that made it a political issue
"It may be true that religious conservatives helped Bush win re-election."
When the New Mexico Cardinal sends down an edict to parish priests they are to speak against voting for Kerry the Sunday prior to election (which is my personal experience)...there is no "may be true".
"The bland truth is that Bush is unlikely to deliver on religious conservatives' expectations in any dramatic or immediate way simply because it isn't his style."
The honest truth is that Bush did nothing "to deliver...religious...expectations" in his first four years. Ask Laura Bush who publicly stated (albeit only once) tat she supported Roe vs. Wade.
"Neither Bush's personality nor his ideology meshes with the profile of dogmatic social engineer."
And how does one recognize a "dogmatic social engineer"?
"...split the baby down the middle (a something Solomon would only threaten to do and only because he understood the honest reactions of a true mother).
"...funding research on existing stem-cell lines" (splitting hairs to save some grace?)
"...but withholding funding for new research that would destroy human embryos." (placating both sides?)
We do understand it is quite clear - the only "moral values" that were even considered deal ONLY with sex and sexual matters.
"On same sex marriage, Bush supports a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman"
Here's the farce! Legal marriages became part of our laws to protect property. The Gays and the Hetros are talking blind about this subject. The 'sanctity' of marriage should only be a subject to religions. If ALL governmental recognized unions between couples were called 'civil unions' instead of 'marriages' there would be no conflict. The terms 'sanctity' and 'marriage' need only be found in a church of one's choice. Then, if Gay couples wanted a 'marriage' they could form their own church or join one that allows Gays to marry.
In other words, let us get government out of the marriage business all together and have only 'civil unions' performed by government.
"Bush surely has been honest about his religious conversion... and other American presidents have been far more "religious" in their public conduct."
What other president has called a war they were about to begin a "crusade"
or "I believe God chose me to be the leader in these times," ?"Bush's invocations of God...funeral...prayer breakfast, or "God bless America." Hardly the rantings of a theocrat."
Because his handlers stopped him i.e. he only used the "crusade" word one time (though it still vibrates in the Muslim's head)
Besides...he got the Christian Evangelicals votes and can't run again.Bush's articulation of what is surely the central narrative of his presidency: "Freedom is not America's gift to the world. Freedom is the almighty God's gift to every man and woman in the world."
The problem here is, theocrats have the history of taking away this freedom in the name of security.
It is only when man to man, neighbor to neighbor, we treat each other how we wish to be treated - when we understand one man's freedom lost is freedom lost for all men...we can agree as a nation to guarantee freedom to all its citizens - we do not have to fear some future theocrat describing those freedoms...e.g. like a woman's right to choose, or e.g. like anti abortionists who would protect a sperm and an egg once united, no matter how violently this union occurred.
"Again, this is not rain dancing. Such is the seed that grew the United States of America."
And boy and oh wow could we use some rain dancers now - these unUnited States of America may well implode.
"They are in a crisis of patience," he says, "and are likely to be disappointed."
There is always hope - votes are still being counted.
Ohio may refind her Beautiful.
interviews
editorials
How to Grow Vegetables
