Last November, I published a children's book called
Why Mommy is a Democrat. As described on my website, the book "brings to life the core values of the Democratic party in ways that young children will easily understand," such as the Democratic principles of fairness, tolerance, peace, and concern for the well-being of others. It also contains a few satirical jabs at the Republican party and the Bush Administration, which are intended to be too subtle for young children to notice or understand.
This is a genuine grassroots effort. Why Mommy is a Democrat is self-published and 100% self-funded, and no political organization played any role in its creation. Its primary goal is to encourage Democratic parents to discuss their political beliefs with their children in an open, honest, and positive way. It also serves to remind adult Democrats what it means to be a Democrat, i.e., what our party truly stands for. Finally, the book is a fundraising tool, with at least 5% of the profits going to Democratic candidates and party organizations.
Not surprisingly, conservative bloggers have been lampooning the book since the day it was published. I've been called every name imaginable, my personal life has been scrutinized, and numerous derisive parodies are currently available on-line. I don't mind being criticized by the Right (what self-respecting Democrat would?), but I've been somewhat surprised by the relative lack of response from the Left. I realize that blogging on both ends of the political spectrum consists primarily of complaining about the opposition, and I certainly applaud efforts to shed light on Republicans' numerous failures and flaws, but it's also important that Democratic bloggers promote the
good things Democrats do. One of the Republicans' talking points for the past couple years, and sure to be one of their main campaign themes in 2006 and 2008, is that Democrats don't stand for anything other than hating Republicans. It's practically become their mantra to accuse Democrats of not having any core values. Utter nonsense, of course, but Democrats clearly need to do a better job of communicating what our values actually are. My book is one way to help us achieve that goal.
Why Mommy is a Democrat certainly isn't for everyone - reasonable people will disagree about whether it's appropriate to discuss a political party with young children - but the book is at least worthy of serious public discussion and debate. Am I hoping to sell more copies by getting Democratic bloggers to discuss it? Obviously I am. But I'm also trying to promote our party, which is something we should all be working together to accomplish.