An Open Letter to McCain Supporters

I am very middle-of-the-road in many respects, and I try to reach out to those who disagree with me when I can -- OK, not always, and more often than not it's nice to be polite and not get into arguments -- during important elections. For that reason I appreciate the tone of this open letter to McCain supporters by Adam McKay, who wrote and directed Anchorman and Talladega Nights (so, yes, he is an evil Hollywood libertine). There are many points here, on taxes, abortion and ugly rumors, addressed in a calm, diplomatic fashion for Republicans. I especially like this excerpt:

If you are a person who is voting for McCain because you think Obama is a communist who wants to redistribute the wealth, I know you are smarter than that. Bush already gave obscene tax breaks to people like me and Warren Buffet and we are saying it's not fair. Why would we work against our own interests? The answer is simple: because fair taxation makes the whole country stronger and if the country isn't strong our money ends up disappearing anyway (see massive stock market crash currently in progress). Bush redistributed the wealth and McCain has been very clear that he will continue to give tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthy in the name of trickle down economics. He really truly has. It's a big fat fact.

I also know that from years of Corporatists and fundamentalists turning the word "liberal" into a code word for gays and hippies and commies you think that blue staters all want to corrupt our country and have people marrying dogs and smoking crack and burning Christmas trees. Here's the real truth: We're pretty much just like you. We really, truly are.

And finally if you are not voting for Barack because of the color of his skin, then there may be nothing I can say to you. But I just ask that you really consider this decision. Can anything good come of a backward way of thinking like judging someone based on skin color? No way. And I think in your heart of hearts you know that is very true. The world is changing and if we think and act like it's the 1600s then America will slip hard.