Letters to the Editor
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American values? hahahahahahahahahaha...
And that's the proper response. For far too long, the Democrats I know have been serious and thoughtful, and while I tend to value that, what the party really needs, and fast, are (a) a sense of humor, and (b) a mean streak.
You read it right, folks. Ridicule, open, loud, and long. That's the proper response to this and much of the Republican "plan". Get mean, laugh at them in public. Embarrass them however, whenever, and wherever possible. And brutalize them to the extent possible in every other imaginable way. Use whatever "dirt" comes our way. Make every sordid little detail about them not only public, but something they have to take the time to defend publicly.
Serious and thoughtful don't win elections. They do make for good governance afterwards, so don't let those folks drift too far off towards the sidelines, just stop bringing knives to gunfights.
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IT'S ABOUT MARKETING, STUPID !!
The weekly flyer for a regional grocery chain arrived with the morning paper today. Many, if not most, of the items will not be on our grocery list this weekend. Some are overpriced, some we never buy, some are cheaper than the competition, some are repeated from last week.
There are several points that connect the grocery flyer to the American Values agenda. Both are about marketing...that flyer will be on the kitchen table all week long; that agenda will be publicized until November. The grocery chain surely does not expect we'll buy all they are selling; neither does the GOP. You don't have to believe that $3.69 is a fair price for a pound of potato salad, or that "under God" belongs in the Pledge, to try to sell either one..all that's needed is to get your potential customers to notice the full range of offerings. Anything on the list might bring them in your door instead of the competition's.
Let's assume that the Republican "agenda" is no more of a surprise to the Democrats than that grocery flyer is to the other chain in town. That's probably why there will be a competing grocery ad in tomorrow's paper.
Questions: Where are the Democrats?? Why weren't they first with a package of short, punchy, easily remembered ad items? Why aren't they all selling the same items, like all the stores in these chains? Does the Democratic party not realize that, in the world we inhabit, a potential customer's attention span is short and shallow, and their willingness to purchase may not equate to heartfelt belief?
The stores, and the Republicans, just want to get you in the door; you'll buy something, and that's something the other guy won't sell you.
Sell it to us first, let us grow to love you later!
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What a Disappointment
That the GOP plans on selling this to voters as the things they know most Americans care the most about would almost be laughable if it weren't so pathetic. It'll be so nice to not have to worry about Federal funds being used to confiscate my AK-47 in the event of an emergency and I surely am looking forward to the day when I can finally put those 400 little plastic flags-on-a-stick that I bought at WalMart all over my front yard, but c'mon, where's that rollback of evolution that we were hoping for? And enough with FDR already ... how much longer are we going to have to wait before they finally put Baby Jesus on the dime?
I know, I know ... I shouldn't complain. At least they didn't include any liberal-left elitist trivialities like withdrawing from Iraq or health care coverage in their agenda. That would have really pissed me off.
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Here's what I recommend
Piles of guns, bibles and dead babies atop flaming bales of flags while gay couples dance in a circle around the pyre. My America is Satan's inverted colon, so why the hell not?
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Enough hypocrisy...
I'm sick and tired of the hypocrisy of so many of these stances (in practice, at least). Internet gambling is such a perfect example. The GOP isn't against internet gambling because it's detrimental to society; they're against it because their localities can't tax it. Hastert has villified internet gambling at the top of his lungs while having no problem with casino licensing here in Illinois (which is, at best, run by a pseudo-mafia, and has well-researched social consequences).
I can respect people with serious moral and religious stances, even those that fly in the face of my own views. I have no respect for people who play the morality or religion card for their own personal gain, and that unfortunately describes the majority of our leadership right now.
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Have We Learned Nothing from Dumb and Dumber?
Remember the scene in the film where Jim Carey sells the blind kid a dead canary?
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What the Right Wing Values
Rove: Being able to stick thumbs in ears and shout at Democrats, "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!"
Bush: Swaggering. Clearing brush.
Cheney: Torture. Unchecked power. Saying Fuck You to America at large.
Rumsfeld: Torture. Unchecked power. Kicking military brass in the balls.
Tom Delay: Beaver. Shaved beaver.
Rush Limbaugh: Being able to go to countries where the sex trade with underage children is rampant. Viagra. Oh, and blowjobs. Remember when Al Gore was starting his network and Rush got all hot and bothered about it? ---and I quote:
"When does he start up this stupid little network? August? Yip yip yip yahoo. You know what Gore said about this? It's going to be liberal. It's going to reflect the point of view of young people.
What the hell is that, Al? What the hell is the point of view of young people? Blow jobs, that's what they're doing out there. They're out there getting oral sex all day long, that's what they're talking about. (...)
Al made sure that's become the number one sport in high school today. So, I guess you're going to have a BJ network out there, Al, is that what you're going to do? You're going to call your network the oral sex channel out there, start competing with MTV?"
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Can't beat something with nothing
Will we NEVER learn?? It's absolutely pointless to tell each other over and over how hypocritical the Repugs are; they know how to sell! This new American Values Agenda will be embedded in millions of minds by ceaseless repetition in the media, and will help the GOP win the House yet again, as we Dems continue not to get it, and continue to think just having the best ideas and the most meaningful policies will somehow win us something with no effort. The simple phrase "cut and run" has already worked its magic and will continue to do so; it alone has possibly decided the Senate race. What's the name of our "program" this year? I've already forgotten and so have you. We're the worst salesmen and politicians in the past hundred years. This thuggish gang that runs everything will continue to do so unless real leaders with real rhetorical skills start stepping up and saying something that will "take" with the American people.