Mark Maynard | 2004 | November

culture war in uglihoma, or how i lost my bid for senate

By Mark | November 16, 2004

It requires registration, but there’s a good diary entry at the New Republic site by Brad Carson, Congressman for the Second District of Oklahoma, on why he thinks he lost his bid for Senate. (Carson is one of two enrolled Native American tribal members in the United States House of Representatives.) Here’s a good chunk of it:

I don’t remember when I first realized that my campaign for United States Senate was in trouble. But one moment stands out. I was in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, home of the annual Grapes of Wrath Festival, in which locals celebrate John Steinbeck’s fictional Joad family and their mythical journey from eastern Oklahoma to California. It was a Sunday morning, one week before the third anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and I had been invited by the pastor of a local Baptist church to discuss the topic: “How Would Jesus Vote?” Both my opponent in the Senate race, Tom Coburn, and I had been invited to what was more or less an interview before the pastor’s congregation. I would go first, then Coburn would speak the following Sunday, and a right-wing talk-radio host–no friend of mine, to be sure–would conclude the three-week inquiry into how Jesus would want us to cast our ballots.

Now, I must confess: My own view is that Jesus would probably not vote at all, given the organized corruption that passes for modern American politics. But the idea that Christ Himself might sit out the 2004 election was apparently not under consideration, so I accepted the invitation–much to the pastor’s avowed surprise. As an active Baptist who grew up in the Baptist church, I had no illusions that most of my co-religionists were ardent Democrats, but I rarely turned down any chance to make the case for my own candidacy and that of my fellow party members. After all, wasn’t Daniel blessed for braving the lion’s den?

As I arrived at the church, my wife and I were given the church bulletin, which outlined the weekly selection of hymns and Bible readings. On the back of the bulletin, atop the blank space reserved for copious note-taking during the sermon, was the heading: “wwjv? pro-life or pro-death?” (I favored the partial-birth abortion ban but opposed overturning Roe v. Wade.) In the sanctuary, a 20-by-20-foot depiction of a fetus looked down upon the assembled throng from a projection screen. Superimposed upon the unsettling image–which morphed to show the fetus in various stages of gestation–was fact after fact about abortions in America.

After the morning rituals, the pastor called me to the stage, and we engaged in a lengthy discussion about abortion, homosexuality, “liberal judges,” and other controversial matters. After leaving the stage, I rejoined the congregation, and the pastor launched into an attack on the “pro-choice terrorists,” who were, to his mind, far more dangerous than Al Qaeda. Yes, he acknowledged, thousands had died on September 11, but abortion was killing millions and millions. This was a holocaust, he continued, and we must all vote righteously. Vote righteously! In 13 months of campaigning across the vast state of Oklahoma, I must have seen or heard this phrase a thousand times, often on the marquees of churches, where, outside of election season, one finds only clever and uplifting biblical bromides. But it was not until that September Sunday in Sallisaw, one of the most Democratic towns in Oklahoma, that I first understood that the seemingly innocuous phrase “vote righteously” was the slogan not of a few politicized churches, but the cri de coeur of millions–millions who fervently believe that their most deeply held values are under assault and who further see this assault as at least tolerated by the Democratic Party, if not actually led by it.

As a defeated Senate candidate in the most red of red states, many people have asked me for insights into the Democratic Party’s failure to connect with culturally conservative voters. Much has already been written on this topic, and scholars will add more. But I do know this: The culture war is real, and it is a conflict not merely about some particular policy or legislative item, but about modernity itself….

For the vast majority of Oklahomans–and, I would suspect, voters in other red states–these transcendent cultural concerns are more important than universal health care or raising the minimum wage or preserving farm subsidies. Pace Thomas Frank, the voters aren’t deluded or uneducated. They simply reject the notion that material concerns are more real than spiritual or cultural ones. The political left has always had a hard time understanding this, preferring to believe that the masses are enthralled by a “false consciousness” or Fox News or whatever today’s excuse might be. But the truth is quite simple: Most voters in a state like Oklahoma–and I venture to say most other Southern and Midwestern states–reject the general direction of American culture and celebrate the political party that promises to reform or revise it.

Posted in Politics | 4 Comments

election fraud, the questions persist

By Mark | November 14, 2004

For those of you who didn’t look at the Wikepedia entry on the 2004 election irregularities that I linked to last week, you really should… If you won’t read that, however, at least do me a favor and go to this site and download the new analysis of the exit polls done by University of Pennsylvania professor Steven Freeman. Here, for those of you who won’t follow the link, in spite of my polite request, is a short quote:

As much as we can say in social science that something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states [Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania] of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error… The likelihood of any two of these statistical anomalies occurring together is on the order of one-in-a-million. The odds against all three occurring together are 250 million to one.

And, before you write in to me and suggest that I go and get fitted for a tinfoil hat, at least download the document and look it over. The guy’s a Ph.D. from MIT and he makes a pretty persuasive case (which I’ve yet to see discounted anywhere).

Also, while we’re on this subject, you should know that the folks at Black Box Voting have just launched a fraud audit in Florida.

And, here, for those of you who are still with me, is a link that will take you to a directory of complaints filed by election officials across the US.

So, like I’ve said on a few occasions already, I don’t know that there was intentional fraud. And, even if there were intentional fraud, I don’t know that it would necessarily have been enough to change the outcome of the election. What I do know, however, is that we need to understand what went wrong in this election (with the electronic voting machines, voter supression efforts, etc) so that it never happens again. This nation of ours is built upon the sanctity of the individual vote, and we need to ensure that people are confident that when they do cast their vote, that it will be counted… One last thing, if you think that John Kerry should come out and comment on this rising tide of doubt, send him an email and tell him that we need for him to see this through to its end, even if it might make him look like a sore loser. We need to put this issue to rest once and for all, and reestablish trust in this electoral system of ours. We need to fight the Republicans on this, and make election reform a central plank of the Democratic platform.

Posted in Politics | 8 Comments

“bastard, old dirty bastard”

By Mark | November 14, 2004

Yesterday, the rumors began circulating that the CIA, under the new leadership of Porter Goss, would begin purging itself of officers “disloyal” to Bush. Now, today, we hear that international man of mystery ODB (Old Dirty Bastard) is dead. Am I the only one that thinks that maybe, just maybe….

On a more serious note, wasn’t it recently suggested by the 911 Commission that CIA “group think” was at least in part responsible for the intelligence failures that allowed for the September 11 attacks to happen? With that in mind, one has to wonder if it’s really the best course of action to purge individuals with opposing viewpoints… And I’m not saying this as a partisan, but as someone who doesn’t want to see this country attacked again.

On a less serious note, although I haven’t seen a James Bond film in the theater since I was about fifteen, I would have gone in a second had I heard that ODB would be playing the lead… If only I’d had this idea while he was still alive.

Posted in Pop Culture | 1 Comment

the founding fathers vs. the mother fuckers

By Mark | November 13, 2004

I have a comic due for the Ann Arbor Paper on Monday and I’m thinking that I’d like to do something on the threat of theocracy in the United States. I’ve got a rough idea in my head, but, to make it good, I’d like to ask for your help. I’m thinking of juxtaposing quotes from our founding fathers concerning the separation of Church and State, with recent statements made by leaders on the right, like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Bob Jones. So, I’d like to ask that if you have access to good quotes, either from the founding fathers or from one of our radical American clerics, please leave a comment… I’m thinking that this would also make a nice t-shirt project. I personally would love a shirt with a quote from Ben Franklin on one side and Jerry Falwell on the other, and I suspect that I’m not alone. (On this subject, I should tell you that I’ve got a lot of t-shirt ideas and my hope is to have some merchandise out before the holidays. So, start saving your allowance.)

Posted in Church and State | 9 Comments

ok, so what now?

By Mark | November 11, 2004

The following comment was left by Anna in the comments section today, and, as it was on the subject of tonight’s post anyway, I thought that I’d move it up here to the front page to set the tone.

So Mark, what the hell should we do?

I started (writing) a book the day after the day after the election — a lot of it is about psychology (charisma and personality variables, physical attractiveness and perceptions of competence, the psychology of persuasion, decision-making and heuristics, the social psychology of anti-intellectualism), but I also wanted to include a chapter or two about policy.

What do you think the Dems should do? Go more moderate? Less moderate? Do a better job of articulating ‘our’ values, playing the GOP as a party of big government (e.g. the party wants to get into your bedroom), it wants to take away your rights just because someone thinks you ‘might’ be a terrorist? Do you think we need to go more toward Nader (a friend of mine does; I disagree)? What?

I think that the campaign for the next election needs to start now, and clearly, the Dems need some new ideas.

The short answer is, I don’t know what to do next. I’ve been sitting here for a week now, trying to wrap my mind around it, but nothing ever comes of it. The problems just seem insurmountable. I know that’s not the case, but when you look at the machine that the Republicans have created over the past few decades (e.g. fundamentalist universities, conservative think tanks, talk radio, etc), and how it’s capable of spinning absolutely anything to its advantage (making heroes into cowards, and cowards into heroes), it just looks unstoppable.

First off, I don’t know that I’m a Democrat, or at least I wouldn’t have claimed to have been one until this last election. I probably would have referred to myself, up until 2000, as an Independent, even though I voted for both Gore and Clinton. The reason I stared working for the Democrats in the last campaign was primarily because I wanted to get Bush out of office and they seemed like the best bet. And, like it or not, it looks as though the Dems will continue to be the best viable bet we have, at least through the next several electoral cycles. (Unless we look to form a third party that would draw more votes away from the Republicans than it would the Democrats, as Perot did against Bush the Elder. If there were, for instance, a move to have John McCain, or another fairly moderate Republican run as an independent, I might be convinced to join that cause (if not for the fact that I now dislike John McCain greatly). The most important thing for me going forward is that we lessen the amount of power wielded by right-wing religious fundamentalists in our government, and I will support whoever I feel has the best chance of getting us to that goal.

So, I’ve spent the last few days wondering what I should do. Like many people, I’m considering where I can add the most value, given my talents, the time I have available, and the network of people that I have around me. I’m asking myself that every day… One of the things I’ve decided is that there has to be a non-local component to whatever I do. As much as I enjoyed my work with MoveOn, and believe that we really did have a significant local impact, I want to do something bigger, something that can somehow be replicated, or at least used, outside of the immediate local area. And I also want to be a part of something that can grow with the input of others across the country. That’s one thing. The other is that there has to be some sort of arts/entertainment component… OK, let me step back for a moment. (I know this post is a bit jumpy, but I’m thinking that I’d rather just let everything rush out than take the time to structure everything at this point.)

First off, there are a lot of people discussing the problems with the Democratic party. Some of them are dealing just with the immediate practical matters, and others are dealing with the bigger “message” issues. So, on one side you have people saying, “We need a southern Governor as our next candidate, someone without a long legislative track record, who can carry a few red states.” On the other, you have people arguing, perhaps rightly so, that the Democrats don’t have a compelling story, that they don’t have a narrative that compels Americans.

The Republicans, as I mentioned before, have a 20-year headstart when it comes to crafting and marketing these kinds of messages. For instance, they’ve carefully cultivated so-called “family values,” to the point where they now own it. It’s theirs… They have brilliant marketing people who are able to dig down deep into the reptilian brain of man and discover where the hot buttons are… fear of impotence, fear of those not like you, etc. (If you haven’t seen the new Frontline, The Persuaders, you should check it out. They spend quite a bit of time on Republican pollsters and how they, for instance, came to make the decision, after several focus groups, to refer to the “inheritance tax” as the “death tax” in order to sell Americans on reform. It’s insightful.) And, on top of that, the Republicans have so beaten up the American press that they’re too scared to do their jobs (see the early coverage of the War in Iraq). (You might also want to read this new article on the Columbia Journalism Review site if you have a chance. The author does a great job of articulating how, in the quest of being “balanced,” media outlets are often put in the position of legitimizing fringe believes. The example they give in the story is the belief held by some in the anti-choice movement that women who have abortions are more likely to develop breast cancer. While there is absolutely no scientific evidence of this, and while all indications are that they’re just suggesting it as a way of decreasing the number of abortions, the press feels pressured to treat it as though it’s a legitimate possibility.)

So, where were we?

First off (again), I don’t have any advice for the Democratic party. Personally, I’d like to see them take more of a stand against corporate power, but I understand the realities of the situation and I see how that might be difficult. At the very least, I’d like to see them stand up against offshore tax shelters and promise more rigorous oversight. And, certainly, I wouldn’t pander to the religious right by trying to come across as having “better” values than the Republicans, even though it may be the case. (Yes, I think Jesus would like us better, but I don’t want to be in that fight.) I’d like to think that there’s a better way. Personally, I think better education is in the long-range best interest of the Democrats. I think that Clinton was absolutely right when he said, “When people are afraid, they vote for Republicans. When they think, they vote for us.” We need to get beyond fear and appeal to the rational intellect of people. Of course, that’s difficult to do when attention spans are short and when the message machine you’re up against is so loud and unrelenting.

One of the ideas that I was playing around with was working to establish education programs for young southerners, or college scholarships. (Of course, if you believe the exit polls, college grads were evenly split, and Kerry only got the advantage as people started to acquire post-graduate degrees.)

My first idea, which was admittedly too reactionary, was to call for a tourism boycott of the red states. In the end, however, I didn’t think that would get us anything but increased animosity. (I do, however, like the idea of using economic carrots and sticks to red the red states to embrace modernity.)

Maybe, at the end of the day, the best thing for us to do would be to cultivate and sponsor a progressive NASCAR driver.

So, what to do… Locally, I plan to stay involved in MoveOn (who just announced today that they’ve decided to help in the fight to have all the ballots counted in Ohio and Florida (follow the link and sign the petition)). I’ve also discussed the possibility of working with a local professor friend to get a progressive book club/discussion group off the ground. I haven’t followed up on the lead yet, but there’s also the possibility that I might be able to assist in an effort at a local high school to teach kids how to use new media, like blogs, to organize politically and disseminate information. (And, if this works, there’s also the possibility of streaming content to other schools in other parts of the country/world as well.) There’s also the possibility of working with a team of people in Ann Arbor to foster closer ties to the international community through live, on-line exchanges and cultural programs. (This is just getting off the ground. I’ll tell you more when I can.)

I’ve also been talking to a number of people about trying to create a series of non-partisan animated programs dealing with subjects like the Bill of Rights and the separation of church and state. These primarily would be for young adults, but, hopefully, there would be enough humor/substance in them to make them of interest to older folks as well. And, while I haven’t yet discussed it with my friend James, the screen-printer, I also think there may be an opportunity to start churning out some viral marketing clothing pieces. This might actually be one of the more successful ideas of the bunch, if I can pull it off the way I have it envisioned. (I’ve even got a little germ of a business plan started.)

So, Anna, the truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing. Right now I’m just throwing it all in a pot and seeing what comes to the top.

On one level, there absolutely needs to be local, grass root activism. People need to knock on doors, meet their neighbors, and share information. Clearly, that’s where a majority of the work needs to be done. (Only 26% of voters polled said that they’d been visited by a representative of the Kerry campaign (and I assume that would include MoveOn, ACT, and others.) In addition, there needs to be a local social component. We can’t fight this long fight unless we have the support networks to sustain us. Whether it’s a progressive salon, or a knitting group, we all need access to like-minded people to share information with. (I’m considering a monthly Think Tank approach.) There also has to be an educational component. We need to think of the long-term and getting these ideas into people’s minds. The Democrats need to own inspiration and optimism like the Republicans own fear. (I like that. You can quote me.)

Gay marriage? I have no idea what to tell you. If it’s going to cost us an election, the practical side of me says that we need to find a way out of it, even if we know it’s the right thing. I’ve heard it suggested by Juan Cole that we take it out of the government’s hands and give it over to religious institutions (with the government doing civil unions). That sounds like a good idea to me, and it gets the subject off the table.

So, with that out of the way, here’s my platform: Universal Healthcare for Kids, Higher Minimum Wage, Alternative Energy/Energy Independence, Pro-Choice, Tolerance and Inclusion, Separation of Church and State, Nuclear Proliferation, Election Reform, Deficit Reduction, and, obviously, National Security… I must be leaving lots of things out, but that’s a pretty good start.

What we need, in a nutshell, is Bobby Kennedy to come back and lead us. We need someone that challenges us to be the Americans we have it within ourselves to be.

OK, I’m sorry this post was all over the place, but I can’t stay awake to edit. If you have ideas as to what we can all do next, leave a comment.

Posted in Mark's Life | 19 Comments