We’ve discussed here in the past how the Republicans have been extremely effective over the past few decades at creating, popularizing and owning phrases like “liberal media” and “family values.” Today, in his analysis of yesterday’s defeat, Kos, connects the two. It’s his opinion that we lost on the perception of “values.” (Not real values, mind you, but the perception of values.) Here’s a clip:
It wasn’t the war or the economy that killed us. It was the notion of “values”.
Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate in the nation, yet Kerry was bad because he had “Massachusetts values” or other such nonesense.
We need to retake the language. We need to reframe the notion of “value”.
That’s why Obama’s speech is so brilliant. He speaks of God in a way that not just fails to offend this atheist, but inspires me. It’s faith used for the purpose of living a good life, rather than faith wielded as a weapon against a whole class of people.
The wedges: gays, abortion, and guns.
Democrats have abandoned guns as an issue, and over the next three or four cycles it will prove an increasingly ineffective wedge. The NRA won. Good for them.
That leaves the two “faith based” wedges — gays and abortion. And with great skill, the Republicans have equated those two issues with the word “value”.
That’s going to have to change.
3 Comments
from galiel:
When analysis of local races around the nation becomes available, it will become clear that theocrats have advanced everywhere, gaining control of even more school boards, gaining even more representation in city councils, winning even more seats in state legislatures.
Make no mistake, this election was the keystone of the theocrat coup. All that is left now is carrying out the agenda and changing the laws of this nation irrevocably to gut the Bill of Rights and establish a Dominionist government in America.
IN the coming days, Reinquist and others will resign, including half of the exhausted courageous liberals and moderates who held the line longer than anyone expected, and Bush will appoint a solid theocrat majority to the Supreme Court, and the Dems will not be able to stop it, fillibuster or not. The Dominionists have enough stealth candidates to push through like they pushed through Thomas, and the public pressure will be irressistible. In the next four years, theocrats will fill life-time appointments in the judiciary all over the nation, and essentially open the gates for the coming theocratic legislative agenda.
I want to plan protests at Ground Zero. Those of us directly effected by 9/11 and at most risk for future terrorism all live in blue states. So why did the red states vote secondarily on an anti-terrorism platform? I do not want any of those fat motherfuckers in their bullshit FDNY/NYPD hats mooning at Ground Zero. They are guests in our city, goddamnit. If they cannot see to protect us with policy promoting votes, than they cannot be here. It as if there is some kind of bizzare guilt induced stockholm syndrome. Just like these weirdos who dodged the draft who want to boost their draft dodging machismo by supporting this war and roaming about red in tooth and claw. Thank you Mark and Linette for getting us Michigan, it will help me sleep tonight. I went to sleep last night knowing that if a I woken by an early morning roar we would have won. The roar never came.
In my reading today, I did see several mentions of the fact that the states most likely to be subjected to a terrorist attack all voted for Kerry. I have not, however, seen mention of that fact in the more established press. I wonder if it’ll get much attention… Linette and I just watched the 2-hour Frontline on Bush and Kerry and the paths they’ve taken to get to where they are. The differences between the two men are staggering at every level, and now, more than even last night, I am saddened by the fact that Kerry will not be our president…