I read nyeve's recent diary (okay, so I in fact read pretty much all of her stuff. OMG, it is she, isn't it?), and while I think her heart is in the right place, I think we all need to get a little perspective before we jump into a meta war just weeks before the big fight. Believe it or not, sometimes those short, narcissistic diaries can actually, even those annoying ones about that governor from Alaska, serve our cause and sway crucial votes in critical swing states. How you ask? Join me beneath the jump and I'll give you actual proof.
Last week was a frustrating time for me and many of us who hang out at Dkos. I don't know what was more bothersome, reading the blurbs from the AP stories about how awesomely competent the McCain campaign is, or seeing all those stories devoted to Sarah Palin.I mean, what else did we need to know about this woman? Better to talk about Obama's energy plan, or Biden's immigration ideas, or something meaty, right? I mean, who really cared about this Palin woman?
I guess I was part of the problem, though. I couldn't stop reading or commenting on said stories. It was like clicking on the Brittany Spears stories on CNN (and really, it was). The more I clicked, the more I was contributing to the problem and not getting to the issues that 'matter', right?
Then I got a call from my sister, talking about some friends of hers in Florida who are traditionally Dems and orthodox Jews. They really wanted to vote Obama, they said, but they just couldn't get past the middle name thing and the fact that his father was Muslim. Was it possible that deep down, despite everything he said, Obama would be hostile to Israel?
Ugh. I know. And these are not low-info voters but highly educated individuals who have contributed money to the Dems in the past. And still the right-wing smears were hitting home. So I thought back to one of those disposable Palin diaries and dashed off the following to my big sis:
-----Original Message-----
> From: Figsinzen
> Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 10:59 AM
> To: Figsinzen's Sister
> Subject: McCain Good for the Jews?
>
> you mentioned yesterday that you know of some jewish people who are
> suspicious of Obama. No need to be suspicious of McCain/Palin:
>
> Via The Politico, we learn that Sarah Palin was in church for this sermon
> very recently:
>
> An illustration of that gap came just two weeks ago, when Palin's church,
> the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep
> hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the founder of Jews
> for Jesus.
>
> Palin's pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a
> transcript of the sermon on the church's website.
>
> "He's a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge
> in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism," Kroon said.
>
> Brickner then explained that Jesus and his disciples were themselves Jewish.
>
> "The Jewish community, in particular, has a difficult time understanding
> this reality," he said.
>
> Brickner's mission has drawn wide criticism from the organized Jewish
> community, and the Anti-Defamation League accused them in a report of
> "targeting Jews for conversion with subterfuge and deception."
>
> Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of
> unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.
>
> In my experience, many if not most mainstream Jews are deeply suspicious of
> Jews for Jesus - indeed, the group has been denounced by all four branches
> of Judaism - and it's easy to see why. Brickner sounds like a stalking horse
> for anti-Semites like John Hagee, the kind of people who enjoy blaming Jews
> for the misfortunes history has rained down upon us - when they aren't busy
> trying to convert us to save our souls from eternal damnation.
>
> And note, too, that Palin's pastor, Kroon, endorsed Brickner's mission. In
> fact, he took up a collection (.doc) specially for Jews for Jesus:
>
> He'll also be presenting his mission, to an extent, so we're familiar with
> it; and it's just gonna be a great time together with him. We'll be taking
> a special offering at the end of our time to support that ministry. I
> encourage your engagement in that.
>
> I wonder if Sarah Palin chipped in? Combined with her support for at least
> two of anti-Semite Pat Buchanan's presidential campaigns (1996 & 2000), I'd
> say American Jews have plenty of reasons to mistrust the McCain-Palin
> ticket.
>
> Permalink :: Discuss (66 comments)
> #####
>
> Anyway, good talking to you. Hope all is well.
>
> -D.
>
That was it. I really didn't think much would come of it, but it felt good to push back with the truth. And what happened? The next day, I get this message back:
Hey, good news! You indirectly helped two Florida voters change their vote to Obama!! :) I was talking to X yesterday, and she said she's changed her vote and going with Obama...let's hope that trend holds for other independent/swing voters.
So there you have it. Thanks to that Palin diary (I forgot who wrote it. You deserve the big credit here.), a few minds were changed, at least for now. I plan to scan as many diaries as I can, and when the info looks legit, I will copy them on to folks I know who are on the fence or under the sway of the big lie machine. If we all do this, think what we can accomplish.
I know nyeve and CTDem were probably referring to diaries that were even shorter, or contained less real news. Fair enough. But I guess my point is that you never know what new argument , what new perspective or even just which repetition of the truth will be the one that cuts through the noise for some people and sways their minds. And that's why they're still valuable.
I'd love for our political to have 10% of the intelligence, information and elegance that nyeve and CTdem manage to put in their diaries each and every time. They and others like them are a big part of what makes DKos work. But to suggest the rest of us our bogging down the big orange machine is a bit overwrought, in MHO.
So I agree with nyeve on this - keep fighting, spend everyday doing something that helps get our guys to victory, 'cause the stakes couldn't be higher. But starting a meta war here won't help. AndLike I said, you never know