Most political pundits and bloggers, including us, have been talking about the impact of right-wing evangelical Christian voters on Bush's re-election. Many on the left have come to see this relgious-political movement as our greatest enemy. But what makes them any more dangerous than any old free-market conservative? An article in the Anchorage Daily News addresses this question:
"Because of this extreme good-evil dichotomy, the political arm of evangelical activism destabilizes pluralistic democracy. Democracies dissolve because of one faction's denial of the right of the "other" to exist; and with no alternative factions there is no democracy, only totalitarianism. For most of the past decades, the American political scene has been a teeter-totter between two generally opposing perspectives: the liberal perspective concerned with social justice and economic equality and the conservative perspective concerned with capitalist economics and freedom from excessive regulation. While adherents believe theirs to be the correct approach, there is room for compromise as long as one believes there is a little bit of good in the other's perspective. But in hard-line evangelical activism, opposing points of view are perceived to be demonic, leaving little room for compromise."
The difference is while free-market conservatives certainly dislike us, most probably wouldn't go so far as to say we are evil and can even work with us from time to time for common goals. However, this right-wing religious movement seeks our utter destruction and all we have fought so hard for. That is why they are so dangerous, not just to the Democratic Party, but to our society itself. That is why we must defeat them. Nothing less than our democracy itself is at stake.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
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5 comments:
I think that's a fair comment. The truth is that there are those on the left who do demonize those on the right, and leave little room for compromise. Generally speaking most liberals or lefties repudiate people on the left who are generally accepted to be off the deep end; for the most part people like msyelf wish that those people would just shut up, because they damage the reputation of liberals everywhere. But even I'm willing to admit that there are people on the right who are bona fide nuts, and I won't hesitate to say that...but it's easy for those on the right to think that when we go after nutty Christians or tax-rollback wackos, we're going after the whole movement. The truth is there is room for compromise in the middle; that's the nature of good politics. It's just easy to forget that.
Well, I agree, but I don't think we are seeing far left elements taking over the Democratic Party, especially not like it is happening with the Republicans.
Well, overall Kerry had a very liberal record, but on a few major issues like the balanced budget amendment and welfare reform he split with the party so you have to put it into perspective. I would argue he was much more centrist than George Bush. At least when it comes to Bush's real policies, and not his stated ones.
I thinks there's been plenty of blowhards on both sides in this election season.
I haven't seen many critical of a centrist candidate. I think some, including us, have said that Democrats should be careful not to try and pick a Repub-in-Dem-clothing to try and win the next election though.
I don't think it is possible to win over evangelicals, the right-wing ones that is, when they believe the above.
I think Alex and I disagree about the extent of their impact. I think it certainly it is the main reason states like Ohio and Nevada, which Bush should have easily lost, went red anyway because of these "value voters" in the rural areas.
They already believe that. That's the problem. And their is no real threat to them. They are a threat to everyone else in the country though. While I believe that promoting your own ideas and values is always a better tactic, and what we mainly need to work on, we must also attack our opposition as well. The Republicans do this masterfully and unrelentingly, and they never suffer an setbacks because of it, no matter what people say about they don't like negativity. Well, turnabout is fair play, especially in politics.
I guess Republicans not winning! At least not the far-right kind that make up most of the party right now.
Again, I think you can't even base your entire strategy around trying to demonize the opposition (although sometimes it works for Republicans...) but I think we can expose a lot to moderates who don't know about the real impact they are having. This recent study showing these abstinence programs are telling wild lies to our kids is one example.
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