WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COMMON GROUND? - Just A Minute for Friday 8/22/08

            It’s really Friday – no kiddin’ – !

 

            Even tho’ the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune – turn out to be political that doesn’t mean we have to get down in the same mud hole. Today’s JUST A MINUTE details a fact I did not know until the other night. Be sure and read it down below or listen to the audio track.

 

            Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel are on opposite sides of the political fence. But Cal, I know, is a born-again Christian – and there is an account written in WORLD © magazine about Cal leading Bob to the Lord some time ago… which – although they are on different sides of the political fence – makes them brothers in Christ. I’ve not read the book and know very little about Beckel, for he’s from a totally different background and location than I am. But I take the point they make that the American political scene could use a lot of cleaning up and cleaning out. That is to say pure and simple manners and treating one another with civility and respect would be a good place to start.

 

            There’s hardly any civil discourse on the tube or in political campaigns these days. Even among conservatives, people are so intent on making their point and winning the ‘match,’ they interrupt one another, raise their voices and generally end up engaging in conflict that contributes a lot more heat than light. This even spills over into local and relatively low level races. It’s a contagion that needs to be curbed and contained. Anyway… there’s a lot more than I can say or observe within 60 seconds… so read their book… It sounds like a winner. I know Cal to be a Christian gentleman who acts like one on TV and off – and Cal vouches for Bob, so I think that’s a good place to start.

 

            Surely we will often see things from different viewpoints – but being disagreeable and unmannerly does not *have* to result from that. There are people you’d just as soon not associate with – but there’s no need to be boorish about it and descend to their level. We need to – in the words of Scripture –“… not let your good be evil spoken of.”  Our real first concern in Christian love ought to be for the welfare of one another’s eternal soul – not winning a political race.

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

            Jack

 

http://www.jebcovoice.net/audio/jama08-22-08.mp3

 

http://www.jebcovoice.net/scripts/jamt08-22-08.doc

 

 

“JUST A MINUTE”

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COMMON GROUND?

Just A Minute – Democrat consultant Bob Beckel and Republican columnist Cal Thomas – have together written a book entitled -- “Common Ground.” They agree American politics is presently in trouble and wonder how we got here?

My thought is we have more political strategists and consultants in campaigns from dog-catcher on up – and nobody likes to lose. So if you’re losing and nothing seems to be working – go negative.

Karl Rove – former advisor to President George Bush – was asked about that by Sean Hannity, and cited a campaign in which he said every day for five months one candidate attacked the other and the other simply refused to respond. Who won overwhelmingly? -- George W. Bush in his TEXAS gubernatorial campaign. Immensely popular incumbent, Anne Richards, hammered Bush every day – Bush let it pass and was elected. At her death in 2006 he said: “Her charm, wit, and candor brought a refreshing vitality to public life.”

That’s class folks – the kind we can use now in this election -- and we could use a good dollop of it right here in Greenville County.

<> I’m Jack Buttram

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