Or - who ultimately decides elections and how does Daily Kos fit in…
Sometimes I think my life is a game of Twister, I seem to have feet in a number of different worlds. One of the expressions I have heard, a number of times over the years, from the uneducated, fundamentalist right, is that "education makes you stupid." This doesn't even have to be explained beyond the issue of evolution, but it goes much further. Recently I have begun to see a core of truth in the statement.
All punditry aside, and especially all polls aside, I have been talking with and observing a goodly number of people who either barely voted for McCain last election or barely voted for Obama, wondering what marked these people as a demographic who actually made that decision for all of us.
Of course my observations would not apply to all, but I have become convinced that I am onto something. Most of these individuals see themselves as caring about policy, but when pressed were so vague on the issues that I realized that this was secondary. What was it that united them into a voting bloc - the swing group that ultimately decides elections? How do we approach them, these people whose eyes glaze over the minute you spout facts or statistics?
Slowly I began to realize that, ultimately, beneath it all, due possibly to their not really trusting their own judgement, they are feeling around for a voting group, bloc to identify with. After I got over my exasperation and disappointment, I began looking for more clues. What I observed in this area almost makes me lose all hope – on two levels.
One: so many of these people, looking for reinforcement, perhaps more importantly afraid to find themselves being disapproved of are little influenced by policies these friends and neighbors support. The need to belong to something they DO NOT HAVE TO DEFEND is too strong. This alone seems to introduce a willingness to hold one's breath and cross one's fingers on a plethera of issues. In the end, it more like: which group is less likely to cause me grief for identifying with. While this sorely disappoints me in my fellow man, or woman, the second issue is the killer.
Two: the Republicans, wack jobs or not, seem to, for the most part, realize this. They play to it. Sure, Reagan was not as conservative as this bunch is today – or for that matter were then. He paved the way, opened doors. The hell with the fact that they didn't get all of what they wanted right away. They worship and idolize him anyway – or at least seem to which is much more important. This team spirit impresses people, GETS VOTES from those looking to belong to something.
Few Democrats have ever seen this. Obama, as a new candidate, did provide a narrative to get behind. But his base, those who are responsible for creating this atmosphere, constituting a bloc someone would not feel uncomfortable joining, a bloc they would have to defend, hasn't a clue. You cannot argue policy out there, even expose the obvious, to people who more uncomfortable with you as a group than the other guy, no matter what the policies are.
Obama, if we let him, is the Ronald Reagan of the left. He will be as liberal as he can get away with - Reagan was as conservative as he could get away with before him. He is the model. Obama can pave the way, set the tone for a generation. But the liberals have not learned from the Reagan example. They still whine, cry, call names, question motives, attack personally, cry their disappointments to the mountain.
Here on Daily Kos it really shows, and it's ugly – if reality is uncomfortable, just argue around it. But reality will not go away. Obama, WE, are in a position - tempered only by our own nature - to win big, carrying the House and possible even holding the Senate. Our very intellectual nature, combined with an arrogant inability to cater to the reality of who really decides these elections is in the way.
Politics is not all that different from a football game or even a battle. No matter what the underlying truths are, the game itslef comes apart without unity. Bash each other over policy, call names, who the hell cares. I find it humorous that some of the same people who call Obama names get upset at calling one another names here. Huh? Hey, that's ass-backwards. Names won't hurt me – but they will hurt Obama and our cause.
So, if we want to make progress, elect a President, carry congress, we need to do something I believe we are incapable of. First, let Obama lead on policy - policy can be argued here without pulling the rug out from under the President. Leaders have to be shown deference if not respect to be effective. We need more to, at least on a level beyond arguing policy, come across as a TEAM, united in a cause. This is these voters are looking for in us and not finding.
So, how does all this relate to the title? Easy - it seems that education and reason do tend to make us stupid. It blinds us as a group to the reality that being right is totally meaningless in and of itself in the real world. Even the ultimate wacko Rush realizes that - Ditto. Sure, he acts like he doesn't like that word, but he loves it and subtly encourages it. It's team spirit. "Educated" people are scared shitless of some of the very things that would help us get our way. Stupid pride so often gets in our way. A little dittoism would go a long way.
I repeat, Obama, wisely, will be as liberal as he can get away with. WE, in our level of support, help set the bar. In, yes I will say it, our group's whining, wailing, bitching, moaning, calling names, withholding support, etc. have been actually holding him back. That's group stupid. Nobody I know right now among those who will decide the next round of elections wants to identify with us. That scares me.
Oh well, we can always cross our fingers and hope the other guys look worse than us. I give up beyond reiterating that I think it is backwards to worry so much about calling one another names while tolerating calling OUR president names. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Make my day, call me a name.