On Clint Eastwood, Pres. James Carter and not-so-nice extremism

From a Time magazine article (2/28/05):

Interviewer: There's a notion that Clint Eastwood, the Great American Icon, has somehow disappointed a significant portion of his constituency with this movie [Million Dollar Baby].

Eastwood: Well, I got a big laugh out of that. These people are always bitching about "Hollyweird," and then they start bitching about this film. Are they all so mad because The Passion of the Christ is only up for the makeup award and a couple of other minor things? Extremism is so easy. You've got your position, and that's it. It doesn't take much thought. And when you go far enough to the right you meet the same idiots coming around from the left.

I copied this part of the interview because I think it reflects the mood of the current discourse in American politics. The Conquering Right has not one good thing to say about the Defeated Left, and vice versa. To be fair, I can be just as extreme as the next neanderthal because, as Mr. Eastwood said, it is so easy. From the arguments posed by both political extremes, you might find it hard to believe that their targets were actually able to do any of the following:

1. Raise a family.
2. Be good neighbors.
3. Pay taxes.
4. Serve honorably in the military.
5. Do decent things, like saying hello to their neighbors, opening doors for strangers at a shopping mall, cleaning out their parents' attic, visiting their friends at the hospital.

For example, I get disturbed when the Right tries to belittle President James Carter. Sure, he wasn't a great leader and the problems we had during the late 70s were pretty severe. But let's be honest: we also had two other Presidents, Nixon and Ford, during the 70s and the only achievement I can remember that either one did was Nixon "opening" China. Which, I guess, was pretty big. But I dig Carter because he went back home, helped to build houses for the poor, worked with the UN to find peace and monitored elections around the world. Although I am not a Christian, I respect him because he practices decent Christian values that had helped to improve countless lives. You might disagree with his views on North Korea or the Middle East, but when was the last time Newt Gingrich or George H. Bush lifted a hammer to put up a door frame, or visited Central American slums to watch illiterate peasants cast votes for people who will probably continue to rob them blind?

In summary, Eastwood and Carter: Good for America. Gingrich and G. H. Bush: Not as good. Unless you like America supporting a Saudi Arabian family named bin Laden. Sorry. I was being a little extreme...