The Transformation of Andrew Sullivan
Sullivan is a terrific writer who happens to be gay, Republican and a former supporter of Bush’s military adventure in Iraq. He was interviewed by Salon.com with regard to his new book, The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get it Back. Sullivan’s blog, “The Daily Dish,” can be found here.
Sullivan’s interview touches on the topics that include gay Republicans and Bush’s alleged “war on terror.” Here’s an excerpt:
I don’t know why, by the way, the angriest people in this country are not those who opposed the war but those of us who supported it. I mean, we were completely deceived. It never occurred to me that they would not send enough troops to keep the peace or establish order, or, when presented with the evidence that they needed to do so, would simply refuse to entertain the argument. It’s still incredible to me. . . . I feel a deep sense of responsibility for not being more skeptical about the Bush people and what they were telling us before the war. I think I was way too gullible. I wanted, in a time of war, to give the president every benefit of the doubt. I was dumb to do so. And I certainly also feel, as a supporter of the war, extreme anguish about the lives that are currently being lost in that country by innocent people, as well as the horrible betrayal of American values.
All I can do — part of what this book is about — it was really prompted partly by my own frustration at the Republican Party, but it was also directed at a criticism of my own certainty before the war. It really shook me, that I had bought hook, line and sinker this entire certain ideology. I realized if I had stuck to my principles I would have been more skeptical, and I regret that. I think, and the only way I can explain that, and it’s not excusing it, is the shock of 9/11 and the fear of the unknown. If you look back, it’s easy to say that we shouldn’t have been afraid of a possible attack with WMDs, but that distorted my judgment. This book is an attempt to atone for that and to ask the deeper questions about why I made the wrong judgment.
