Many people here are vegetarians. Good for them. Really. Eating meat is bad for the planet and bad for your body.
Some people here have given up their cars. Good for them. I've never had a car, I don't know how to drive.
Many people here are radical in their hopes for change. Good for us. I'm one of those who wants radical change in this country.
But I'm not vegetarian. And attempts to make people vegetarian often backfire, as will attempts to make people radical.
But we can embrace change, and eating less meat is better than eating more --- even if it's not as good as being a vegetarian. Driving less is better than driving more. And some change is better than no change (at least if it's the right change)
Now, I could tie this in to the recent FISA fiasco, but enough has been written on that (and, after enough was written, plenty more was written.... and after that, even more). And it's more general than that.
Instead, I'll go with more and better Democrats. OK. There are some Democrats who aren't my favorite people. My list is probably similar to yours. (Are you listening Joe? Are your ears burning?). Well, Joe's a special case. There are other Democrats who impress me quietly (my rep., Jerrold Nadler, impresses me on everything but impeachment). And there are some Democrats who fire me up and give me hope and make me wanna yell!
This last class of Democrats is easy. We love them. They love us.
The second class will disappoint us sometimes (as Nadler did on impeachment).
But the first group is puzzling. How about Bob Casey? Well, he's for sure in that first group --- but he replaced.... Rick Santorum!
How about Bud Cramer (D-AL05)? He's about as conservative a Democrat as there is in the House. His ratings from National Journal are all in the 50's, putting him at the center of the House (but the right wing of the Democratic party). Well.... AL05 is R +6, and Cramer gets re-elected easily. Would you rather have Robert Aderholt from the neighboring 4th?
Another candidate for "most conservative Democrat in the House" is Jim Marshall (GA-08). Would you rather have Jack Kingston?
There are many other examples. These are "less meat" Democrats. It's better than chowing down on beef three meals a day.
Well, then, how can we do better?
If you want better representatives, you need better voters. Obama's got a great idea in registering a lot more people. But you also need to educate them.
Did you ever have a teacher who yelled at you and insulted you? I know I have. Did you enjoy it? Did you learn? If people hadn't forced you, would you have gone back to that class? Hmmmmm.
If we yell at them, they will go away. And they won't learn. And they'll go on, driving their SUVs to McDonalds with Rush Limbaugh on the radio.
But we can talk to them.
We can avoid insisting that they eat sprouts, ride a bike, vote for Barbara Lee, and listen to Rachel Maddow, and start asking them to add some grains and greens to their diets, drive a hybrid, vote for moderates and listen to us.
We can. Less meat is better than more meat. And moderates are better than wing nuts.