It is an interesting phenomenon that the well informed people I have met who support Bush, find it necessary to qualify their views by elaborating on how well informed they really are- to the point that it becomes difficult to get past the “here’s how smart I am” and get down to the “here’s what I know.” And I think this goes beyond establishing the foundation on which an argument will have merrit. Perhaps it speaks to the common belief among the Democratic “intellectuals” (know-it-alls) that anyone who could support Bush’s policies must not be very smart or informed. Or maybe you feel you must establish your intellect because you believe that most of those who support Bush will do so, in spite of what they know- which is wholely irrational.

You are probably right in thinking that you didn’t change any minds last night. You are also likely to be correct in thinking that you are more informed than those you dined with. It is, however, quite presumtuous of Old Dad to suggest that your aquaintances posses “a surprising degree of cultural and political illiteracy” because they have not formed their opinions an a diet of political blogs.

When it comes to war and national security, Bush is not really all that difficult to understand. I’m not exactly sure what Kerry’s policy is, but I know it’s different, and that’s what most people who are voting for Kerry are looking for- change. All the rest of the information we can gather, only helps us to argue for that ideology. Either you believe in the man’s ideas or you don’t. How well you can articulate an Oil For Food spin, is practically irrelevant. It seems to be a nice bit of self-gratification to amass a huge arsenal of arguments for and against something you believe so strongly in, but all of this rhetoric seems a lot like showing someone a hand full of leaves and telling them how big and strong the tree they came from is. Show me the tree, and I’ll decide for myself how strong it is. I certainly don’t need a blog to “inform” me as to what those leaves look like.

Just as architecture transcends our need for shelter, our quest for information about politics goes far beyond a useful understanding of policy and its implications.

I am certainly not an advocate of being uninformed, but to suggest that people who simply know less than you are uninformed, is arrogant and preposterous.

That’s OK. We still enjoyed your company last night.