Eating our own.
Thu Jul 03, 2008 at 02:56:54 PM PDT
Here we go again. It is not sufficient that the Enviro-types sabotaged Gore in Florida because on one single issue (something to do with an air-strip) he fudged a bit. Now the so-called liberal blogosphere must brand and tag Obama with the same right-wing talking points that the corporate media is gleefully using against him, because he weighs things differently on one single piece of legislation. All because a couple of telecom companies might get away with cooperating with the heavy hand of the Government, at a time when even otherwise intrepid journalists such as Dan Rather confess to feeling overcome by both a misplaced sense of patriotism and fear.
Will we ever learn? Do the purity hounds on the left actually care about the people we are supposed to be looking out for? (Helpful hint: people whose wages have not risen in decades and people who do not even have that luxury of non-increasing wages.)
Look, I get that the FISA bill might be near and dear to the hearts of DFHs (me included). The way to get pols who generally have our type of inclinations (Dems) is to put up a petition site, get the signatures and deliver it to them electronically or in person. And, may be a couple of diaries analyzing the good and bad of the legislation, with comments showing support or dissent for the legislation. May be a couple more on who is supporting what and their reasons.
I am by no means saying we roll over and play dead and not criticize Dem candidates. But a sense of proportion, a sense of keeping communication lines open with our own candidate, a sense of when to fight and when to fold has to constrain the instincts for making every issue an issue that is going to make us sit on the sidelines.
There is a way to offer up constructive, inclusive criticism to people on our side, to get them to do the right thing. But this orgy of diaries and comments and TPM-style headlines about Sen. Obama as flip-flopper? This is just drama for the sake of venting and may be vestiges of resentment from supporting other, losing candidates in the primary? Whichever it is, this can only mean one thing: we do not want to win.
And therein lies the perniciousness of this self-indulgent blogswarm on FISA and Obama. Democrats winning is completely crucial to people who are most certainly NOT a part of this indulgence, because they are out there trying to make a decent living. By constantly pushing a destructive narrative of our own nominee, we are destroying the only hope that may be 150 million people, not to talk of the 6 billion outside, in these United States are depending on.
I will close with a link to Sen. Obama's own diary here, to make these points so much better. If you do yourself and your cause one favor this whole year, read this diary and take it to heart. Then go out this weekend and read his two books. Think about what is at stake. No single piece of legislation, except that authorizing war, can be a make or break issue. Else no(thing in) life is sacred.
Sen. Obama's diary from a few years ago, when he was still interested in us, before we lost it to drama...
P.S. I am not one of those who needs a Democratic President. I am well set in life, and too, I can afford to uproot myself and go anywhere in the world if I get too upset with the workings of this country. HOWEVER, my heart just aches when I think of the luxury you folks seem to think you have in trashing good candidates who would be life-lines to people who desperately depend on good policies. Our injunction ("you have a responsible position: act responsibly") to the corporate media irresponsibles should be medicine we ourselves take....
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