I'm Not A Team Player

In the midst of a comment somewhere, I said, “If I am honest, I don’t like liberals.” First off, this isn’t strictly true; I’ve voted for enough of them that my commitment to opposing liberals in America is in serious question. On the other hand, I started as a conservative and a Republican, and I’m still very much that guy, modified by new information.

I mean to say, if I went into a room full of bog-standard Republicans, I’m more comfortable in that room than in an opposite room. Someone has every right to question my judgment in that, but I’m just telling you. It was really painful to stop identifying as such, and it still is.

I like those people. I understand what matters to them. When you get some young Republicans in a room, and they’re college-bound, I know what books they are reading. I don’t check in on the Wall Street Journal editorial page much—no time or money—but those associations from my young adulthood are all fond and positive.

I’m saying that I’d be insulting myself to some degree, to hang out in the comments online at the New York Times.

Left-liberal people can be vicious, especially when they don’t know an outsider is lurking. And it’s true that everyone participating needs to remember that your political opposites are still your neighbors, even if not literally.

I always appreciated a quote from Bono, the lead singer of the greatest rock band in the world, U2. His activism can be highly questioned as imprudent, but he said, “Pick a fight, and get in it.” By that he meant actually that no one person can solve every problem. Pick one, and try to make a positive difference there. I don’t give a flying fart in the wind if someone I’m working with voted for all the “wrong” people. If we’re trying to do this thing together, “politics” is no longer a team sport where we boo “them” and cheer “us.” We’re actually doing stuff.

Do yourself a favor, liberal neighbors: If there’s a policy you favor, tell me what it is, tell me why you think it will solve problem x. Then if you can, tell me why you believe the current policy/popular alternative will not actually solve problem x. OK, close your eyes.

We’re gonna pretend that time travel is possible, and that funny things like term limits don’t matter. Open your eyes. I’m George W. Bush. We’ll pretend that there were no wars that bogged me down, and we’ll pretend that I stayed in office President Snow style (without killing anyone). Convince me.

(And actually, I think convincing Jason Kettinger and convincing President George W. Bush would be a similar task on most things. Except I’m an idiot compared to him. Anyway.)

Jason Kettinger is Associate Editor of Open for Business. He writes on politics, sports, faith and more.