To preface, on Facebook I voted on an approval poll for Bronco Bomber. The poll offered me a place to expand on my opinion. And you know me. I couldn’t pass that up. I wrote…

I tried to warn you guys. He’s an ignorant, inexperienced, naive, racist socialist with a big chip on his shoulder. He hates success. He hates prosperity. He hates everything that this country stands for and he WILL destroy it. Vote Conservative in 2010!!!

Ghosty, a frequent comment and ‘net friend, who holds views counter to my Conservative Christian stance (Did I say that diplomatically enough?) replied as follows (unedited).

ignorant – a generlization, and uncalled for.

Inexperienced – In what capacity? No, he doesn’t have a great deal of experience as a politician. Then again, I don’t believe he was elected because he was a great politician, but because he is an educated, thinking individual – something the Republicans can’t seem to come up with in a presidential candidate in any given year. All they HAVE to offer are politicians, it seems.

Naive – more generalizations. I’ll get back on this when you have something more specific.

Racist – For this bit of libel, I’ll just say “prove it” and ask you to put up or shut up.

“Socialist with a big chip on his shoulder. He hates success. He hates prosperity.” No, after reading his books and becoming familiar with his life’s doings before voting for him, I know he’s anything but. Instead, I see hard-core right-wingers hating the success of a black liberal from the Dems. I’ll vote Repub when they offer a thinking candidate, instead of more ideological bullcrap!

I didn’t have room to fully reply in the small comment box on Facebook, so I’m forced to bring this conversation here.

First, I want everyone to know that I don’t like to debate with Ghosty because I value his friendship. I know that we don’t see eye to eye. I also know that there is very little chance that either of us will change out views because of something the other says. But, since his comments asked for clarification, I offer this:

Ignorant: Because anyone who embraces polices that have failed in the past (either here or in other places) is either ignorant or willfully inviting failure (See taxation, deficit spending for economic recovery, socialized medicine, government control of industry, and appeasement diplomacy).

Naive: Because I really do think he believes his own rhetoric and that the fundamentalist nut-jobs in Iran, N.Kor, Hamas, Al Qaeda, et al, will change their core beliefs and hold hands with us, singing Kum Ba Yah, if he apologizes enough for US policy and (what he perceives as) our previous aggression.

Racist: Because his history, the people he surrounds himself with, and the things that he says, both explicitly and implicitly, are evidence that he follows the racist philosophy that whites are inherently bad and should be punished (or at least purposefully disadvantaged vs. other races) because of (what he perceives as) our previous aggression.

I agree that the Republican party has done a pitiful job in the last two or three years. The party, driven by a powerful few, has pulled the party to the center, in an attempt to draw in more moderates. This has failed completely and alienated the party’s base (including myself). I really really dislike the RINOs (like McCain) and I feel strongly that the party will tear itself apart if it doesn’t correct this leftward lean before 2010. That’s why I have stopped calling for people to vote “Republican” and changed to “Conservative.”

Many (big L) Liberals are shocked when a Conservative like myself accuse them of racism. But the simple fact is that a true Conservative doesn’t care about race. Upon deeper investigation, it is the (big L) Left that is always going on about race, insisting that minorities get special treatment (That’s racism, folks!), assuming that any opposition to a minority person must involve racism when, in fact, the opposition has nothing to do with race. I think you will notice that my comment never mentioned race, gender, religion, or any other demographic. I find it ironic, then, that anyone would accuse me of racism, thus revealing the fact that they are less “color-blind” than I am. Oh, and by the way, Bronco’s only half black and he was raised by his white mother, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I’m sorry that you “see” conservative hate in our opposition to socialism. I can only speak for myself and those close to me in that I don’t give a flying rip what race he his, what religion he is, what gender he is, or what flavor ice cream he likes. I don’t hate the man. I do hate his policies.

What I oppose, with my every fiber and to my last breath, is anyone or anything who would attempt to bring big-government socialism, that vile and despicable politic that is a proven failure all throughout history, to this, the greatest nation in the history of the world, which was founded not on the oligarchy of the few, but the democratic republican, grass roots, power of the populace. Anyone who really understands what socialism is, what it causes, and how it invariably ends, and still embraces it, must be an enemy of progress, freedom, and prosperity. Either that, or they are absolutely ignorant of history.