I’m not, so not a centrist. I’d like taxes to be increased on the wealthy. I think arrogance, and remorseless self-interest in banks and corporate boardrooms warrants public shaming. I believe in marriage equality. I vote largely based on reproductive-rights issues. I believe in Keynesian economics—gimme high-speed trains, and gimcrack infrastructure. I believe that it’s our moral imperative to keep people fed and sheltered. I’d like the end of America as world cop—a radical downsizing of the defense budget. I’d like to pay teachers like corporate lawyers. I’d like straight-up socialized medicine.

I’ve been posting respectful stuff about Romney and his ueber-gracious concession speech. No doubt, I think privatized Social Security would be madness, but I think you have to give Paul Ryan credit for being the only dude with the guts to bring up the impending trainwreck—putting his career on the line by touching the third rail. It baffles me that nobody gave W credit for the diversity of his cabinet.

We liberals are loathed by the conservative base because we’re so thoroughly sure we’re right. We jawbone about how working-class white people are fucked by the party they vote for, but don’t notice the ugly dismissiveness towards their bedrock beliefs. 

I can’t believe we all were aghast at Republicans’ reaction to stimulus—just utterly shocked they’d reject it—and didn’t go, “Well, maybe their sheer hatred for alternative energy is something we shouldn’t pretend they’d just give up because, hey, we’re obviously smarter.”

I think that, whereas Democratic legislators have been uncooperative and persnickety in terms of cooperativeness with the other party, the Republicans have been vicious, ruthless. I think Fox News is a nest of troglodytes. I don’t think this makes it a good idea to relentlessly sneer at the Republican base.

My Twitter feed is full of obnoxious hostility, taunting, vindictiveness. This is Liberalism? Isn’t our creed one of logical rigor, thorough self-questioning, seeking to understand those we disagree with?

Before you respond angrily, please re-read my first paragraph. I’m not saying that to be snarky. I’m saying that because I want you to know where I’m coming from. Whenever I post something pointing out what I think is a logical inconsistency in my fellow Liberals’ thinking, or some modest defense of a Republican, I get a ton of shit. This is so, so weird to me.

Do we want to implement our ideals, or do we want to beat the other team?