“Don't say anything too heartfelt or committed (on a subject like religion) lest it appear in the Washington Post and provide fodder for critics (like me!).”

Yes, and this is what I find upsetting. You and I can disagree bitterly about things like religion and still have constructive conversation. The only time I think we’ve been in much agreement on this bbs is when you helped me with my resume (which I am still grateful for, by the way). And yet even though we disagree we still can make intelligent conversation (or at least I enjoy reading what you have to say). Why do politicians have to be so careful and not take any real sides? My policy is to always be honest about who I am, and I enjoy talking to others who are honest about who they are. I call this “integrity.”


“To me, what somebody does, how they behave, what they are busy with, *is* the real man/person.”

Yes, this was my point and why I put “real” in quotes. Bush is the politician, just like all the others. That’s what disappoints me, because the people I respect for their honesty could never get elected.