Yucky Speeches

First I'd like to apologize for the light posting this week. I have a friend visiting from out of town, and it seems rude to write blogs in front of him.

Anyways......

I couldn't watch the State of the Union. I just couldn't. Aside from my responsibilities as a host, and the fact that my wife has declared that "That man is not allowed in my house," the simple fact is that I just can't put myself through that kind of torture.

Which makes me wonder, are Democrats who avoid watching Bush's speech behaving appropriately or responsibly? Clearly we are acting to avoid psychological discomfort, but isn't it better to come to grips with that discomfort than pretend it's not there. We as liberals pride ourselves on our ability to rationally approach issues, to way all sides and reach a reasoned conclusion. But how can we do so if we don't honestly watch what even our enemies have to say? And there is of course the strategic necessity to know what the enemy is up to.

So maybe next time I should steel myself and watch the Shrub speak. Maybe it's my job as a political analyst and a good citizen. Maybe I'm taking the easy way out.

Or maybe I should just skim the transcript........