Why this whole RIck Warren thing is positive
So Obama is planning to make Rick Warren Dean of Religious festivities at his Inauguration. A lot of progressives are up in arms because they're fanatics just like the ProLifers who wish to give no ground and throw a fit if any pragmatism is engaged in.
I find it swell for two reasons. One....it shows Obama is wiling to reach out to individuals Democrats didn't use to and it is good politically.
Two...Rick Warren is pretty big in the Religious circles. He is doing a PR offensive to make him appear more moderate, like going to a gay thrift shop (seen the pic? I couldn't tell who was the gay guy!), and scrubbing anti-gay phrasing on his website. This is obviously just for good press, but do you understand what the ramifications are? Instead of every progressive having to run to the right to get accepted, Rick Warren is running to the left. HES RUNNING TO THE LEFT. This is a landmark. Maybe there isn't anything really substantive and tangible yet (Saddleback won't be Boystown anytime soon), but instead of Evangelicals having hate for the left, over time this sort of thing cuts into that hate a little bit and moderates it