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And now, my words for the next election cycle...
Sorry, that's pompous--but this will be my new creed, I hope. We need a new battle plan--here's one of mine.
Some conservatives do hate liberals--for what reason, I don't know since I've never bothered to ask them (though I probably ought to have).
This was posted as a comment in another live journal recently. I think it's a fine hook for me to hang my last (I hope) post related specifically to the election, as opposed to politics in general.
I live in a red state (ghod, do I live in a red state) --take a look (if you can find them--the site I think I found them through, www.AndrewSullivan.com, is down) at the maps of the USA showing the voting patterns by state shaded for true percentages of votes or actually shown county by county (this falls apart in true New England, because of townships instead of counties.) The shades of mauves may make you feel better.
Also, I've heard at least three people tell me that they voted for Bush because "He made the mess, let him clean it up."
As a Texan, I can tell you that this may be wishful thinking--as governor, he gave all the money to his buds and got the h$#% out of Dodge before the proverbial hit the fan. Some things will come home to roost before 2008--some will not. Will it be enough? If the Democratic party carefully charts its course, starting now, we can bring the country's elected officials back to center.
To answer this question, I will reiterate this, having posted earlier an acquaintance's comments on when the tone among liberals and "conservatives" (please note the quotes--I am not talking about real conservatives, I am talking about the pseudo-conservatives, either neo-cons or religious right, voting for Bush's policies) changed drastically:
I don't know exactly why the neo-cons hate anyone to their left, but I believe it started anywhere from 10 to 20 years ago--fueled by Religious Right radio, Limbaugh, Coulter, etc. If you listen to educated people good at grandstanding tell you that Liberals are EVIL, that Democrats are Evil and that anything other than what you believe is not merely another opinion, or even wrong, but true Evil or Traitorous--then you slowly develop an atmosphere like today, where you have people deeply divided. Because you can't tell a moderate Democrat who believes that something has to be done about the poor, and why not let homosexuals in committed relationships get married, and what the hell are we doing in Iraq, anyway? that's s/he's unpatriotic or evil. Won't wash, and just gets them insulted and ultimately, mad.
I think fear is the big factor right now--the RR fears the jihadists (whom they understand, because they are as fervent about their own religion) and they fear homosexuals (whom they're convinced want their children.) End of story for them. (Ironically, the divorce rate in the south is twice the rate of MA.)
The only thing that will change this is our starting to help out one person, one project at a time. And start listening--just listening to the conservatives rhapsodizing about their boys. Listen carefully. Because if certain buzz words and phrases keep being repeated, you may have your first chink in the armor.
To use everyman right now (thus avoiding mentioning people who don't have LJ accounts and don't want to be on the internet, I goofed earlier telling this story, (slap!), someone notices that "Bush is a moral man" is a biggie where s/he works. So the next time, s/he asks specifically "why?" S/He's taken lots of deep breaths beforehand, and stays on target. "Well, no, I don't think he's a moral man. He killed more people in Texas in history who were on death row, including a woman who was a born-again, repentant Christian. He left the Afghani people stranded in their destroyed country without enough help to hold off the people who we tossed out, the people who caused 9/11, and then he went off and picked a fight with one of 40 dictators in the world, who had nothing to do with 9/11, thinking he could change an entire culture overnight. Now he's trying to change the constitution to include discrimination, instead of leaving it to the states to decide their own laws. No, I don't think he's a moral man at all. He's really disappointed me." And then s/he walks off. Silence.
Do your homework. Know your facts, and have non-threatening web sites to send people to--if you can find something, you can find a place like Sojourners (as opposed to a hard left blog, perhaps the first salvo on a topic) to send them to--just keep digging. Will this work long-term? I've been suggesting to people to send anyone saying, "Well, I'm against abortion" to this link:
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.display&issue=041013#5
a blurb written by a devout Catholic (with a child damaged in utero by measles, who Walks the Walk) who was troubled to realize that abortion GOES UP during republican administrations--because the middle and working class can't afford another child, apparently the reason for 2/3 of all abortions.
One person has tested this in action--we're waiting to hear the results.
The point is, we know what we want--we're just going to have to go about it the most devious way of all--one heart at a time. Fortunately, it can be expotential...
Some conservatives do hate liberals--for what reason, I don't know since I've never bothered to ask them (though I probably ought to have).
This was posted as a comment in another live journal recently. I think it's a fine hook for me to hang my last (I hope) post related specifically to the election, as opposed to politics in general.
I live in a red state (ghod, do I live in a red state) --take a look (if you can find them--the site I think I found them through, www.AndrewSullivan.com, is down) at the maps of the USA showing the voting patterns by state shaded for true percentages of votes or actually shown county by county (this falls apart in true New England, because of townships instead of counties.) The shades of mauves may make you feel better.
Also, I've heard at least three people tell me that they voted for Bush because "He made the mess, let him clean it up."
As a Texan, I can tell you that this may be wishful thinking--as governor, he gave all the money to his buds and got the h$#% out of Dodge before the proverbial hit the fan. Some things will come home to roost before 2008--some will not. Will it be enough? If the Democratic party carefully charts its course, starting now, we can bring the country's elected officials back to center.
To answer this question, I will reiterate this, having posted earlier an acquaintance's comments on when the tone among liberals and "conservatives" (please note the quotes--I am not talking about real conservatives, I am talking about the pseudo-conservatives, either neo-cons or religious right, voting for Bush's policies) changed drastically:
I don't know exactly why the neo-cons hate anyone to their left, but I believe it started anywhere from 10 to 20 years ago--fueled by Religious Right radio, Limbaugh, Coulter, etc. If you listen to educated people good at grandstanding tell you that Liberals are EVIL, that Democrats are Evil and that anything other than what you believe is not merely another opinion, or even wrong, but true Evil or Traitorous--then you slowly develop an atmosphere like today, where you have people deeply divided. Because you can't tell a moderate Democrat who believes that something has to be done about the poor, and why not let homosexuals in committed relationships get married, and what the hell are we doing in Iraq, anyway? that's s/he's unpatriotic or evil. Won't wash, and just gets them insulted and ultimately, mad.
I think fear is the big factor right now--the RR fears the jihadists (whom they understand, because they are as fervent about their own religion) and they fear homosexuals (whom they're convinced want their children.) End of story for them. (Ironically, the divorce rate in the south is twice the rate of MA.)
The only thing that will change this is our starting to help out one person, one project at a time. And start listening--just listening to the conservatives rhapsodizing about their boys. Listen carefully. Because if certain buzz words and phrases keep being repeated, you may have your first chink in the armor.
To use everyman right now (thus avoiding mentioning people who don't have LJ accounts and don't want to be on the internet, I goofed earlier telling this story, (slap!), someone notices that "Bush is a moral man" is a biggie where s/he works. So the next time, s/he asks specifically "why?" S/He's taken lots of deep breaths beforehand, and stays on target. "Well, no, I don't think he's a moral man. He killed more people in Texas in history who were on death row, including a woman who was a born-again, repentant Christian. He left the Afghani people stranded in their destroyed country without enough help to hold off the people who we tossed out, the people who caused 9/11, and then he went off and picked a fight with one of 40 dictators in the world, who had nothing to do with 9/11, thinking he could change an entire culture overnight. Now he's trying to change the constitution to include discrimination, instead of leaving it to the states to decide their own laws. No, I don't think he's a moral man at all. He's really disappointed me." And then s/he walks off. Silence.
Do your homework. Know your facts, and have non-threatening web sites to send people to--if you can find something, you can find a place like Sojourners (as opposed to a hard left blog, perhaps the first salvo on a topic) to send them to--just keep digging. Will this work long-term? I've been suggesting to people to send anyone saying, "Well, I'm against abortion" to this link:
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.display&issue=041013#5
a blurb written by a devout Catholic (with a child damaged in utero by measles, who Walks the Walk) who was troubled to realize that abortion GOES UP during republican administrations--because the middle and working class can't afford another child, apparently the reason for 2/3 of all abortions.
One person has tested this in action--we're waiting to hear the results.
The point is, we know what we want--we're just going to have to go about it the most devious way of all--one heart at a time. Fortunately, it can be expotential...