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Rev. Jeremiah Wright isn't the problem
The hysteria over Obama's former pastor's attacks on America shows we're still in thrall to knee-jerk patriotism.
By Gary Kamiya [2008-03-25]

  • @ independent_thinker

    "What I (and a very few others) say is this: you can wish all you want for people to elect Obama based on his logical arguements, BUT THEY WILL NOT! One of my relatives, a completely sane, educated, Democratically-minded voter, will not vote for Obama. Why??? Because she's convinced he'll let Muslims into the country and they will overtake us!! Unfortunately, MILLIONS of Americans feel like her. So, here's the crossroads: Obama, to get their votes, MUST convince people that he IS a patriotic American (I have no doubt that he is), OR, he can talk all the logic he wants, and McCain will be the next President. Period, end of statement. It's times like this when theory needs to be tempered by reality, and all the philosophical BS in the world doesn't amount to a hill of beans, especially when that's all we'll be eating when McCain is elected."

    I get it, but again, I ask, are there not potential consequences as well to the pandering you suggest?

    Might not that pandering itself be largely responsible for the lemming-like obedience shown to the current president?

    In other words, I believe that our deepest problem is not the Bush administration, but the fact that so many signed off on its misadventures.

    You're talking short term (winning this election) and I'm talking long-term (challenging the mindset that got us into the war).

    We are indeed at a tough spot, and there are costs and benefits both to pandering and not pandering.

    I, for one, believe that winning under false pretenses (i.e., by pandering) is not winning at all, because there will be no clear mandate as to what the victory means and because it leaves in place the structures by which the right, in the the next election cycle can simply outpander the left, as it's been doing for decades now.

    For me, I see the Clinton years as part of the long-term, structural problem.

    I do not believe a return to that sort of politics will be worth a hill of beans in the long run.

    Do you at least take my point, because rest assured, I take yours.

    -- weeping for brunnhilde
    [Read weeping for brunnhilde's other letters]
    Tuesday, March 25, 2008 01:10 PM
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