Flashback: November, 2000

I used to write for someone else, and found those writings deep in my hard drive. Here are a few excerpts from a slightly more innocent time...

Man, I Just Voted Four Years Ago

(11/3/2000 - Four days before the election) ...Turns out those damned Democrats and liberals played dirty pool and found out that George W. Bush was once arrested for...DRIVING DRUNK. And this after the damned Democrats and liberals got Bush arrested twice before for stealing from a hotel room and fighting at a football game.

Hey. Wait a minute. I thought we Democrats and liberals were the victims, according to the Rush Limbaugh rhetoric we've been subjected to for the last decade. Seems that Dubya is now a victim of dirty politics. He couldn't possibly be responsible for those "indiscretions" could he? Especially since those indiscretions were kept neatly tucked away until days before the election. Oops.

Bush is saying that the timing is suspicious - that it's all political maneuvering. Imagine that.

Look in the mirror, George. You'll see the same thing Gore, Nader, Buchanan and every other person who runs for office sees: A POLITICIAN.

Surprise! You're in politics, W. The very word 'politics' practically means 'playing dirty.' Why is this such a shocker to the recipients of political games?

It was politics that made Clinton's pants-dropping a national emergency. The main difference between Dubya and Clinton was, when Clinton performed HIS indiscretion, there was nobody in his way that he could swerve into and kill with his pickup truck.
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I come from a long line of Democrats. Our family always felt that the Democrats generally gave the regular guy a fair shake. And we always embraced the idea of helping others less fortunate than ourselves before that notion was called "big government" and "taxing and spending." Yeah, we have bigger problems today that we need to take care of, but I'm still for taking care of our own and I'm willing to kick in a few more dollars to help out.

So you'll understand why Bush lost me 'way back when he declared himself a "compassionate conservative." If you have to differentiate yourself from other conservatives by declaring your compassion, then you're admitting there's a teensy little policy problem with your faction. Thanks for letting me know I was on the correct side of the issues all along.

I'll toss up more gems from my past as I find 'em. It demonstrates how I've evolved into the angry old jerk screaming to himself in the park I am today.