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August 10, 2009
Are conservatives consistent?
Posted: 11:09 AM ET
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Why didn't the conservatives support professor Gates?
Why didn't the conservatives support professor Gates?


Al Vivian
Special to CNN

As an independent moderate, it never ceases to amaze me how political loyalists contradict themselves and flip-flop on social issues. Both parties regularly engage in this practice; but rarely are they challenged or called out for it.

Let's look at the most recent case, the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. It has been more than three weeks since this incident, which was the first story big enough to knock Michael Jackson's death out of the headlines, while simultaneously sidelining President Obama's health care agenda; all resulting in massive media coverage and even a "Beer Summit."

But within all that time and coverage, there is still one question that is yet to be asked: Why didn't the conservatives support professor Gates?

As practically every conservative on the Judiciary Committee so passionately spoke of at length during the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings, legal matters should be decided on the facts alone and not on personal opinions or empathy.

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4 Comments
4 Comments
Steven Barbour   August 10th, 2009 11:16 am ET

I understand that those on Medicare, and over 65, will keep it. What about those that are under 65? If the Healthcare Reform passes, will those under 65, still get to keep Medicare?

Arachnae   August 10th, 2009 12:26 pm ET

"Why aren't the conservatives supporting professor Gates?"

Two reasons; conservatives may be using one or the other or both:

1. Gates was black; the officer was white. Us versus Them.

2. Gates is a friend of President Obama. The friend of my enemy is my enemy as well.

Consistency has nothing to do with conservative politics. If it did, they would be supporting a patient's right to refuse extreme and intrusive medical care in the last few days of their life. But it's more politically powerful to call it 'euthanasia' and crank up some hysteria about it.

If consistency were important, conservatives who hollared about the bank and auto company bailouts would see the anti-healthcare reform for what it is – supporting the right of big insurance companies to continue to profit by denying care to their subscribers.

Looking for consistency or principles in conservative thought is like looking for the Holy Grail – no one knows exactly what it is, no one knows where it is, and no one really knows for sure if it even exists.

russel   August 10th, 2009 1:52 pm ET

omg this guy needs to get a life the cops wear called and they thought he was breaking in o to bad the have u have good cops that come when called onlike detroit it takes over two howers for them to come if they come =at all get a life if u never ran your mouth things might have been difreetnt it is not because u r black and ps obam needs to renber who got him in office running his mouth like that

RLWellman   August 10th, 2009 3:42 pm ET

This has got to be one of the stupidous articles that you have written!

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