Friends, Have you ever looked up to, or admired, someone who held different views than you?

[Mike03]

Some of the attacks on our leading Dems seem to me to be very short-sighted. I remember when I was young. I have to admit, I was not fully formed spiritually, politically, or in terms of having a fully formed conscience. I have admired, looked up to, and considered as mentors, people who were imperfect, who held different views than I do.

But I'm mature enough to separate the views they have that I don't agree with from the views they have that I do agree with.

Why is this so damned hard for some people to grasp?

I don't know if people don't comprehend this because they have never had a mentor, or someone they looked up to, or because they simply want to despise, ridicule, charicature, stigmatize and detest the opposition.

We can look within, and then we understand why others believe or say what they believe or say.

[Olney Blue]

1. Yes, and I consider interacting with people with different views to be

highly enriching- and never boring!

[Demeter]

2. Sure. And I Kept Both Their Hands In Sight At The Same Time

Some truly evil people are works of art--fascinating in all their twisted ugliness of the soul. The confidence crook is always charming--otherwise, he finds some other line of work.

I can admire a snowjob, even if I hate snow, if it's done artfully.

[rug]

3. What is particularly fucked up here is that the candidates' views are virtually identical.

[anonymous171]

4. I used to like McCain. Then he sold his soul to the GOP and became McCain 2.0

My father is conservative (moderate) and I look up to him.

[JohnnyLib2]

5. Yup, Barry Goldwater, after we defeated him.

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

6. Honesty, empathy, sincerity, altruistic

Sure, people can have a strong moral character and see different solutions.

[Barb in Atl]

7. I can't say I look up to, admire...

Bush, but I really felt sorry for him when that crowd booed him at the baseball game.

Needless to say, I don't get into the YOUR CANDIDATE SUCKS game.

[Texasgal]

8. Sure I have..

THis is what makes me a liberal. I am not short-sighted.. I have no blinders on...

[Beregond2]

9. Yes

I had a professor in college who I disagreed with on many, many things, but I still admired him, and he had a huge influence on me. So yes.

[featherman]

10. My uncle was a great guy but a conservative and a Republican

I enjoyed his company and respected him greatly when he became my "de facto" dad (he and my aunt lived nearby when I was in college; my actual parents were still overseas) for occasional weekends. He was kind of a William F. Buckley type of conversationalist and we had many long, occasionally angry, frequently enjoyable arguments about a wide range of politics and world events.