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January 28, 2004
Activists always know what's best for the rest!
Has the country evolved to the point where there is seething mutual contempt between party activists (said to be the "base" of each major party) and the great, soft-"l"-libertarian majority? While it may be premature to say this, it now appears that Democratic party activists are driving their party into a hopeless "Iraq = Vietnam" quagmire. Ironically, this was a major objection to the Dean candidacy. Republican activists, on the other hand, strike me as hell bent on ignoring Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory -- because they fear what it represents. They are spearheading a sour-grapes, show-of-strength, movement to unseat Arlen Specter, which, if it is successful, will replace a Republican with a Democrat. They would rather have Democrats win than sacrifice their "principles." They do not want Bush reelected. Some of them are now actively promoting an insurgency movement which states that explicitly: A conservative activist who has worked to help the Bush-Cheney campaign but asked not to be identified said many people with whom he talks are beginning to justify in their minds a one-term Bush presidency.While I see the point about immigration (I have warned about it), I am not a party loyalist, and I have drifted around from party to party, never feeling comfortable with either camp, as I am uncomfortable with activists and their agendas. "Needlessly provocative!" said Justin Case, when I ran this latest news past him. "Stinks of ideological purity!" (Sorry, Justin, but I had to insert the exclamation points, for effect!) Is Mikhail Suslov their spiritual advisor? (Whoops, I take that back; Suslov was godless!) Speaking of ideological purity, one of the big, respectable bloggers has delivered the following threat: If you link to "Wonkette" through your blogroll you cannot and will not enjoy, for what that might be worth, a link from The Rittenhouse Review. (Via Glenn Reynolds.)This otherwise excellent blogger called Wonkette a "despicable cretin." Sorry, but that's too much for me. I am often slower than I should be, which is one of my problems. I write long-winded essays, and it takes me time to catch up on doing things like placing links to deserving blogs. I just discovered (and linked to) Wonkette the other day, but I hadn't thought to add her to my blogroll. Just too busy, I guess. But if there's one thing I understand, it's a threat. Intimidation is something I saw for years -- before, during, and after my squalid little career as a low level political appointee, and I don't like it. I consider it unworthy of the Blogosphere, so I am linking to Wonkette right now! Hear me Rittenhouse Review! Wonkette is good! An excellent, amusing, refreshingly new blogger. As to what she said about Media Whores Online, well, I couldn't help but notice that they link to Ted Rall. I'll take an honest whore over Ted Rall any day. And I will strive to keep this blog as ideologically impure as practically possible. UPDATE: Larry Purpuro's characterization of bloggers as "armchair analysts in their bathrobes (with) no serious interest in leaving their living rooms to actually help with the campaigns" (via Glenn Reynolds) reminds me of the obnoxious smear of "chickenhawk" popular in the last year. Another ad hominem attack; logically, whether someone helps in a campaign has nothing to do with the truth of what he says. (And to the extent that it might, the effect of working for a campaign would be detrimental to the blogger's credibility -- even more than would his wearing of bathroom attire. And besides, not all bloggers wear bathrobes!) The assumptions made by Mr. Purpuro are remarkable. In my short life as a blogger, I've seen bloggers criticized and condemned for many things, but their alleged failure to help with campaigns takes the cake. Start with the most common complaint -- that bloggers aren't "real" journalists. Would Mr. Purpuro slam real journalists for failing to help with campaigns? I suspect that if any of them did so, Mr. Purpuro would claim that they had lost "journalistic objectivity." Certainly, one could launch a similar attack on any blogger who worked for a campaign. Is blogging a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't deal? posted by Eric on 01.28.04 at 12:41 AM
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Eric Sheie is annoyed at activists on either side of the fence who think they know better than you. Of course, I agree with just about everything Eric Sheie writes in this post. It'll never happen, but as a society,... [Read More] Tracked on January 28, 2004 05:31 AM
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The base of both parties is extremely base. Those despicable attacks on homosexuals give the lie to their claim that they don't hate gays and they only hate "the sin, not the sinner". I admire old-fashioned "square" conservative Republicans like Arnold Schwartzenegger, Arlen Specter, Steve May, Olympia Snowe, Janet Nopolianto, Alan Simpson, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and the late great Barry Goldwater (AuH2O -- in my heart I know he was right), and I despise radical CommuNazis like Rick Santorum, Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed, Jerry Falwell, Vernon Robinson, Gary Bauer, Sandy Rios, Donald Wildmon, D. James Kennedy, and all the rest of their ilk. The real division isn't Republicans vs. Democrats or conservatives vs. liberals but individualists vs. collectivists. By the way, Rittenhouse Review did a similar thing a couple years or so ago with regard to Charles Johnson's Little Green Footballs, threatening to de-link anyone who linked to Mr. Johnson on the ground that LGF is "anti-Muslim". Well, I'm proud to be anti-Muslim or anti-IslamoNazi for the same reason I'm anti-Communist, anti-Nazi, and anti-ChristiaNazi. And I'd known of Little Green Footballs for quite some time as a source of information on Islam and the Near East when I read of that de-linking -- while that was the _first_ time I'd ever heard of Rittenhouse Review. So, Little Green Footballs is proudly on my blogroll. Steven Malcolm Anderson · January 28, 2004 01:39 PM I think Janet is a Democrat. That's probably the reason she survived the anti-gay smear tactics and May didn't. Democrat voters don't seem to see the gay issue as make-or-break (and I should point out that she is not, as far as I know, gay, but usually that's the first attack used on strong female leaders) like Republicans do. James · January 28, 2004 10:28 PM Thank you James and Steven! The gay smear only works when the attackers smell blood -- or sense shame. (The old deer-caught-in-the-headlights syndrome.) Guys like Pim Fortuyn are immune to such cowardly attacks. I think it would be fun for heterosexual politicians to announce they're gay just to confound the smear machine. No harm would be done to anyone except the shamers, who'd go nuts, because they're so fragile. What kind of "real man" would spend his time worrying where another man puts his penis, anyway? It's such a crock. Eric Scheie · January 29, 2004 12:58 AM Eric, that's one thing I would like to see. I would like to see more openly gay politicians on both sides of the ticket. Unfortunately, the gay culture tends to be far too involved in isolation/self-hating/partying to care (go into a gay bar and ask people who they're going to vote for...they'd probably say Jeff Stryker), and those who are involved tend to be Democrats. But that's why giving time or money to organizations like Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is so important. Given the hostile climate in the South or Midwest, it's remarkable that states like Georgia, Utah or Virginia have openly gay legislators. Keeping them in office, finding roles in other fundamenalist states, it opens eyes and has to truly test the anti-gay rhetoric when these politicians are spending day after day with one of the "deviants". We can't let the Republicans there do what they did in Texas, which was to wipe out any gay politicians on either side of the fence. I think the Rittenhouse Review site has merit, but I don't care for some of the attacks on groups like Log Cabin Republicans. Due to constant liberal snobbery and bashing, they are as wary of Democrats as mainstream gays are wary of Republicans. But judging by their terse press releases, they have never been so close to jumping ship from the current smug administration. We could use those votes (we could use ANY votes), especially in states like California where Bush is pretty popular. I wish the gay community, if there is such a thing, would welcome LCR, because their new leadership seems far more willing for an open dialogue than Rich Tafel's era ever was. You guys should pass this interview with Witchypoo Sandi Rios along to any who are taking the "it will never pass" FMA meme for granted. She is biding her time until she has enough anti-gay senators to do what she wants. It is our duty to support any present or future senators who are on record as opposing this piece of trash. James · January 29, 2004 09:05 AM Thanks for remembering Mikhail Suslov--the bio link was good, too, as I had been unaware that ole Mike had had tuberculosis. Chris Arabia · January 29, 2004 12:18 PM |
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The Moonie piece came across more like scare tactics than a true goal. They want Bush to cave into the fundie base even more than he already has. The move to unseat Specter is genuine, but that is due to wanting him out so that he would be unable to stop the Federal Marriage Amendment if it gets to the Senate Judiciary Committee (he's up for that in 2005). So any of you who want to someday have the right to have legal benefits with your partner -- tell those you know in Pennsylvania to vote for Specter in April and again in November.
As for what to do about this ideological split in both parties, my decision has been to give up on the Republican party and vote for the Democrat in 2004. Regardless of that party's many flaws, at least I can say that they are not giving government money to ex-gay programs (as Bush's faith-based plan will...look at www.planetout.com articles from last Friday for more on that), and they do not ally with people who want to either quarantine me or kill me. The people now in control of the GOP are dangerous, a menace to all our freedoms and values. Time for everyone to get off the fence or say "both parties are horrible". Don't just wring the hands and wait for the far-right to destroy your life. Get everyone you know to vote, get Republicans you know who are sick of the fundie crap to either not vote or vote for the Democrat. Take a stand. This might be our last chance at any freedoms in this country, and at a Supreme Court which does not resemble the Salem Witch Trials.
By the way, Steve May, who was the man fired from cowardly Club for Growth (they also attacked Olympia Snowe, one of our few Republican allies in Congress, for being a "Franco-Republican", whatever the hell that is), lost his seat in the Arizona state legislature in 2002 because of bigots who refused to have a gay man serving in the Republican party. They put "gay" signs by his name on his posters and signs. They also did this with Janet Nopolianto during her gubernatorial campaign. She perservered, but he lost.