I actually think this was very well written and I agree there are lots of things that we should not tolerate. I too am of the opinion that Michele Bachmann is an evangelical nut case and does nothing to better our nation. I guess you can tell on most social issues I am pretty liberterian. My biggest issue with liberal politicians is in their economic ideology. It is a tried and failed ideology that is sinking us all but I suppose that's another thread. :biggrin1:
I think the problem I'm having with this thread is that you seem to be conflating liberals as a whole with "liberal politicians." The two populations are not one and the same. On the one hand you have a group of people, arguably between 30 and 40 percent of the population, who have vastly divergent viewpoints that center on a core of common themes. On the other hand you have people who make their livings serving in public office.
When you say "liberals are less tolerant of the views of others" you're not just talking about politicians - you're talking about bankers, bakers, stay-at-home moms, lawyers, gardeners, farmers, school teachers, and yes, politicians. Then, on top of it, you set up an argument that assumes that "tolerance" is a virtue.
Well, as vince pointed out so eloquently, tolerance is NOT a virtue a lot of liberals admire. Nor is it something a lot of us seek. I, for one, don't want Michele Bachmann to tolerate my homosexuality. In fact, I think she already tolerates is just fine. She is, in fact, still alive, no matter how gay I am. That's tolerance. What I want from her is acceptance. I am who I am, and she needs to accept that. When it comes to economic policy, I prefer the economic system of our founding fathers. If the agrarian economic system was good enough for them, and so many of our non-economic policy is still based on working with the agrarian economy, I don't see why it can't be good enough for us! But, I guess, that really makes me a conservative who's just out of his time.
*shrug*
In any case, I'm not a politician. I don't like being lumped in with them. They do the job they do, wether I agree with them or not, and I do the job I do. Please stop taking your distaste for politicians out on me.