Sound Politics: Separated at Birth?

November 05, 2006

Separated at Birth?


Ted Haggard	Jamie Pedersen

UPDATE: Judging from the comments, some readers have wildly misinterpreted this post. A "Separated at Birth" gag is little more than a humorous juxtaposition of oddly similar headshots. I didn't mean it as much more than that, certainly not to imply that Pedersen shared any of Haggard's lapses. I hadn't even heard of Ted Haggard until last week. When I saw the photos and videos, I was struck by Haggard's obviously gay facial expressions and mannerisms. He reminded me of other gay men that I've met. I did noticed a resemblance to Pedersen and mused on the irony that while they might have been born with similar characteristics, they ended up making very different choices about how they live with being gay, and on the irony that they both made their names on opposite sides of the gay marriage issue. I don't always agree with Pedersen, but I do think many of his choices in life have been more positive and constructive than a lot of Haggard's choices. Here's hoping Haggard might use his current situation as an opportunity to make some course corrections. He might start by acknowledging to his congregation that some people just might be born gay and should be accepted for who they are.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 05, 2006 12:07 PM | Email This

Comments

1. Are you joking?? What has Pedersen done to suggest he is anything like Haggard?

The fact that they are white, male, and tilting their heads to their left doesn't come close to saying they look alike.

What you're trying to do is disgusting. And you know it.

Posted by: Bell Dud on November 5, 2006 12:20 PM

2. They look like brothers, which all he is implying...

Posted by: H Moul on November 5, 2006 12:28 PM

3. It's let's see how stupid and childish we can be day at sp.

As to implications we know what he was trying to imply, just as all the morons who post pics of chimps alongside a pic of the POTUS.

This is why all politics is bullshit, and voting is a futile gesture.

Posted by: Steve Ramsey on November 5, 2006 12:37 PM

4. Yeah you democrats, voting is a futile gesture. So don't bother.

Posted by: pbj on November 5, 2006 12:40 PM

5. I made the comment that dems were stuck on stupid and pubbies were stuck on dumb. I was looking for an example that pubbies are stuck on dumb, you provided it. Is there any reason to believe that Pederson has the same character issues that plague Haggard? Unfortunately, blogs like this have become the new public square. Two bad much of the public square has become the gutter. Some of the issues discussed here really are worthy of thought and discussion. This isn't one of them.

Posted by: WVH on November 5, 2006 12:51 PM

6. Ramsey, keep voting the same way you've voted (which sounds like not at all, from what you say) and you'll keep getting the same thing you've been getting.

The number to call is 1-800-WAH-WAHH.

Posted by: sro on November 5, 2006 01:18 PM

7. hmmmmmm, definately have some resemblence in facial character, but when it comes to moral character, I will cast for Jamie. He's out, and the "Party and Play" Pastor is still in.

I am still opposed to gay marriage. Get the Gov't. out of all marriage. Civil Unions for all, church marriage for the rest.

Posted by: fRed on November 5, 2006 02:02 PM

8. Congrats Guppy, just when I am conviced that you have sunk as low as I think is possible you just dig deeper. You are quite a pathetic excuse for a human being, please give my condolences to your wife.

Posted by: RobK1967 on November 5, 2006 02:17 PM

9. WVH: Is there any reason to believe that Pederson has the same character issues that plague Haggard?

Not to my knowledge. Is there any reason to believe I was implying that?

Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on November 5, 2006 02:30 PM

10. What's next Stefan, are you going to be saying all asians look the same, all blacks look the same. And no, they don't look like identical twins.

Posted by: John McDonald on November 5, 2006 02:54 PM

11. Of course we all know what you meant - it is called the Pepsodent Smile - terribly photogenic on any human being, male or female. Maybe good dentist too. Or just general good looks.

That is what you meant, isn't it?

Of course, if you are insinuating that good looks of one somehow reflects their bad charazcter to the other --- Haggard to Petersen, well, if that, you are a vile pig.

By the way, Jamie does not live any lie to millons - spanning his whole adult life. Hypocrites of the worst Biblical sort ... I thidnk they go to Hell don't they?

Posted by: George Bakan on November 5, 2006 03:04 PM

12. I don't get it.

Is it funny?

Posted by: JohnA on November 5, 2006 03:16 PM

13. If you are not implying that the characteristics are similar, what is the point of the comparison?
Is this some lame attempt at humor - like John Kerry? If so, you both miss the mark.

Posted by: WVH on November 5, 2006 03:37 PM

14. Democrats have to make up their mind: too often they promote the idea that gay is good, and then when they see a political opportunity, they change their tune and start in with the "look---that guy is gay! How could you vote for him? Or anyone who is associated with this gay person!"
They can't have it both ways.

Posted by: Misty on November 5, 2006 03:49 PM

15. Haggard is married with five kids, I believe. Five!
In my book that makes him bisexual, not gay. The latter is someone who has accepted the entire lifestyle. Why does the "massage" make him gay while a marriage and five kids does not make him straight?

Posted by: Arnold on November 5, 2006 03:51 PM

16. Please! I love this website but your so far off on this story.

While what Haggard did was wrong I feel sorry for him because as a conservative gay Christian teenager I know what its like knowing that people arent born gay but struggle with fighting these feelings that we know are wrong. I just hope he has some people in his life to back him up.

Posted by: Kyle on November 5, 2006 03:56 PM

17. Arnold,

Give it up. He has admitted it.

He is a holy roller hypocrit. Just as it is right and just we should call out Democrat hypocrits, we should do the exact same to a guy like Haggard.

Posted by: pbj on November 5, 2006 04:00 PM

18. Stefan, give it up ... lame joke, lame explanation. Gays don't look alike, anymore than all Jews look alike.

Haggard has five kids he needs to be making sure they have a good education and grow up as productive members of society instead of worrying about what hole he wants to stick his member in.

I think active gays can be wonderful, nice, or not nice like everyone else … their gay activity however is very gross in the extreme. I put being gay in the same category as people who don't take baths, never brush their teeth, pick open wounds, or over eat to an obese size. There are many unhealthy habits many with a genetic component that we should strive to fix, not just accept.

Perhaps some gays are just guys with a testosterone deficiency so just give them a pill. Some depressed people have a serotonin deficiency ... they take a pill. Some diabetic people have an insulin deficiency so they take a shot. It’s no big deal. Let’s fix the gay problem compassionately and medically and let them find out what a great life with a good female is like. Accepting gayness is okay if nothing can be done, but helping them overcome it much better.

Fixing the medical problem will help the rest of us as HIV/AIDS patients are causing many common bacterial diseases to become resistant to antibiotics at an alarming rate due to their poor immune systems and repetitive infections.

Posted by: John McDonald on November 5, 2006 04:39 PM

19. Rallying the base, Stefan? Nice.

Posted by: Nancy on November 5, 2006 04:52 PM

20. John,

Please cut and paste your above comment and send off to Ms Burner. She can use it in a Speech. It will surely show how educated and the compassion she feels toward the Gay population. I mean, just make available to all gay people a PILL, and the "problem" will just disappear.

My goodness John, you can cure alot, Aids, HIV, and Bacterial Resistant infections because of these dirty gay people.

Send this to Darcy or even Maria!!! They both need this information ASAP. It would help in their campaigns.

Posted by: Chris on November 5, 2006 05:04 PM

21. Hi Chris,

I think Darcy and Maria are in line with Stefan's comments. The Democratic party would complete freak at anything other than calling being gay a normal, healthy, wonderful lifestyle.

It really is the cruel position to call being gay normal and healthy. The two gays I knew in my youth both died of AIDS, so much for normal and healthy. It's like saying that being overweight has nothing to do with heart disease.

The World Health Organization is losing the battle against TB primarily because HIV sufferers contract it 50x more easily then non HIV patients and it is harder to cure. This is just one example of a linkage between HIV and drug resistant diseases there are many more.

Posted by: John McDonald on November 5, 2006 05:24 PM

22. liberal~john - you are a repellant waste of oxygen.

Posted by: alphabet soup on November 5, 2006 05:41 PM

23. Alphie, you've really upgraded from the potty mouth and suicide advocacy. I just want to tell you thank you. I use The Google to search "repellant waste of oxygen" but this is a unique term in the history of the world and something I don't understand.

Posted by: John McDonald on November 5, 2006 05:56 PM

24. > their gay activity however is very
> gross in the extreme

I feel the same way about sushi.

Posted by: JohnA on November 5, 2006 06:15 PM

25. Don't be hating on Stefan, guys.

Posted by: South County on November 5, 2006 07:04 PM

26. Kyle---don't give up. I heard at least two stories (actually, I guess it was three) last year about guys who lived the gay life and are delivered from it. "With God, ALL things are possible."

Posted by: Me on November 5, 2006 07:16 PM

27. "I was struck by Haggard's obviously gay facial expressions and mannerisms."

Substitute any racial or ethnic identity for "gay" in the above sentence, and you might start to understand just how off you are...

there comes a time when you should apologize, rather than try a Kerry...

Posted by: Captain Wierd on November 5, 2006 07:47 PM

28. This is just another example of how you appeal to the most base emotions as a means of political manipulation. It's disgusting and destroyed what (little) credibility the opinions expressed in this blog had to begin with.

Posted by: Chas on November 5, 2006 08:05 PM

29. What's puzzling to me is how ones who are "born that way", decide that they're not, get involved in a heterosexual relationship, get married & live happily ever after. If you're "born that way", wouldn't you want to stay that way? Especially when you have the freedom to do so? Why have so many renounced the homosexual way of life? It seems as though they must have a choice.

Posted by: Susu on November 5, 2006 08:53 PM

30. A juvenile, inane comparison. Not much else to say.

Posted by: Outis on November 5, 2006 08:54 PM

31. IMHO, Ted Haggard looks like the movie star Tab Hunter

The Official Tab Hunter Website

Posted by: Janet on November 5, 2006 09:26 PM

32. So this is part of your class act and superiority, eh Stefan. Again, your blog may not use vulgarisms as much but is just as obscene as HA.

Posted by: Michael Caine on November 5, 2006 09:40 PM

33. One of the reasons that I read blogs is that newspapers have ceded what should be their natural strength, which is providing facts and fact checking. I admire you Stefan for your investigative work, it is first rate. I also admire the fact that you post documents. The superior work that you do is overshadowed by a post such as this. All I want to say to you is keep up the good part of the work you do, that is the real public service. My hat is off to all the "pajamahadeen" bloggers. They have become one of the sources of info.

Posted by: WVH on November 5, 2006 10:05 PM

34. You have to admit, there is quite a resemblance.

Posted by: Michele on November 6, 2006 12:36 AM

35. Love all the righteous indigation here from those who enthusiastically and righteously call the President chimpymchitler or whatever trash mouth they can come up with........

Sit in your own excrement....

Posted by: Hank on November 6, 2006 07:13 AM

36. Misty @ 14
Of course, as usual you miss the point. The Democrats don't go around trying to write legislation, or convince their minions that being gay is an abomination. When these Gay Republicans are outed, it is normally because they are the ones leading the anti gay issues.

It's called Hypocrisy, get it.

As for the "Gup" what give up on the John Kerry hates the troops thing? didn't have enough sleazy traction for you?
Tilting at "Gay' Widmills now?
Kinda like O'leily, marking Foley as a Democrat on his show.

Critical thinking please, think of all the Nobel prizes that we have one, and you still pander to the Xenophobes.

Posted by: danw on November 6, 2006 08:35 AM

37. It's that they have identical gay-looking haircuts. Haggard and Pedersen probably both got it out of some fashion mag they subscribe to. Who knows whether Pedersen buys meth and uses male "massueses." Nobody said he does.

Posted by: Alphonse on November 6, 2006 09:53 AM

38. pbj:
You missed the point. He has admitted the sexual liaisons but not that he is "gay." My point is that marriage with five kids and homosexual liaisons translates into bisexuality rather than being "gay." For some people like yourself, evidently, even one homosexual experience makes you an unqualified "gay."

Posted by: Arnold on November 6, 2006 11:01 AM

39. Having been lumped in with a group called "cheap date" a term used derisively for those considering themselves evangelicals, I don't take too kindly to labels of any type. Many who don't post here, probably are of many political ideologies. I imagine the vast majority of posters consider themselves republican or conservative. Dick Morris, who has analyzed some of the poll data concerning the closeness of the current election. One of the underlying trends is the fact the the republican base has not been as solid as the democrat base. That may change because of the Kerry comment. I am amazed at the insults directed at "cheap dates" and other people of faith considering their importance to the republican base. Are those in control here secret democrat moles? :-)

Posted by: WVH on November 6, 2006 11:47 AM

40. The Shark wrote ... "I was struck by Haggard's obviously gay facial expressions and mannerisms."

It's a sad day for polite society when a genial smile from a male marks them as "obviously gay". Does the Shark prefer that males wander around with this clearly hetero face ... ??

http://vote.wa.gov/Elections/VotersGuide/Statement.aspx?c=ac6ba586-ad9d-4b34-9b28-d3415b43bdb9

Posted by: GrimGus on November 6, 2006 11:53 AM

41. Arnold - Having 5 children doesn't make you "straight" either. I know several gay men that were married at one time, and had children, not because they were heterosexual, but because society puts enormous pressure on live a heterosexual life, even if you are not.

Given that Haggard said something to the effect that he "has been fighting these dark forces his entire life"... I take that to mean he has always been gay.

Posted by: Splinter on November 6, 2006 09:08 PM

42. Since Haggard has resigned. What is the news significance of this post?

Posted by: WVH on November 6, 2006 10:09 PM

43. #40, the post about Brian Thomas, made my day. Oh my god, what a scary, crazy individual! Actually, I'm sure if I knew anything about psychology, it would probably be clear that he's textbook something or other (delusions of grandeur, repressed anger, etc). But anyways, it's neither here nor there. Ted Haggard is a good example of the fact that there are some crazy, messed-up gays out there. Folks like Brian are a good example of the fact that there are plenty crazy, messed-up straights.

Maybe, then, these things are NOT a function of one's sexual orientation? Maybe we're missing the WHOLE POINT by obsessing about it? I mean, God, straight Republican Christians talk more about gay sex than liberal gay Democrat secularists. That says a lot.

Posted by: AD on November 7, 2006 12:02 AM

44. As one who has been disparaged by a comment at this site, I think AD, that although people may disagree, there is something to be said for treating one with whom you disagree with courtesy. We are still going to disagree, but we don't have to be disagreeable. Anyhow, there are more important political and social issues to deal with than this inane post. My best wishes to you.

Posted by: WVH on November 7, 2006 12:51 AM