Clemen's personal politics

I don't often try to analyze my political beliefs, usually try to keep them veiled, and take little pleasure in arguing about them. Except, of course, when I do.

I don't much think of myself as either a Democrat or a liberal, though that is what most people who know me would think. I took a little internet quiz on politics (you know, like the one that insulted people by claiming they were Dutch, or worse, French) and came up with "more liberal than Bill Clinton but less liberal than Hillary."

I usually tell people I am a "wishy-washy liberal." A card-carrying Communist once told be I was no such thing, but was deep down a "timid anarchist." Which, he added, could be mistaken for a wishy-washy liberal, but was not.

I don't see ideological ends as useful since they are usually deluded and when not, or at least less deluded, are carried out with too little thought and too much fervor, and too little competency and too much authoritarianism.

Basically I want to see efficient, bipartisan pragmatism that sticks to issues and facts rigorously and ruthlessly analyzed. The politics of personality, the bizarre hatred the Right has for the Clintons matched by the hatred the Left has for the Bushes (all of them, apparently), finds little echo in me. But alas, this no longer appeals to the voting public. Dirt sticks and smears sell.

Always remember the lawyers' jingle: If you have the facts, argue the facts; if you don't have the facts, argue the law; if you have neither the facts nor the law, argue personalities. Substitute 'logic and reason' for 'the law' and you have a motto that will help you dismiss about 85% of what passes for political discourse these days. If a person's arguments hinge on personality, they have lost the argument by admitting they have neither facts nor reason on their side. Calling someone names is not an argument.

Nor is saying someone else did the same thing your guys are accused of doing: at best you are admitting that your side is at least as bad as the other side just for starters. Besides, if you are trying to argue with someone as wishy-washy as I am, I'll simply deny I am a liberal ... or a conservative... or whatever opposite is appropriate.

Just keep these points in mind as we enter this looonngg new presidential campaign.