While cleaning my bathroom Saturday morning (yes, the excitement truly never ends here) a sort of revelation dawned upon me.
1. With indefatigable research and considered navel gazing I have reached the same conclusion as Markos and Jerome in their seminal tome, "Crashing the Gates" - there is NO `mythical middle' that Democratic politicians need pander to.
2. Democratic leaders are losing elections not just by failing to provide `any' semblance of a comprehensive message, but by failing to keep Republicans at home on election day as well.
3. A certain, and far too large, percentage of the American population are mouth breathing troglodytes, and always will be.
These are not my revelations - though it has been a source of considerable consternation that regardless of reality, regardless of the facts presented, there remains a committed minority in this country that unflinchingly supports `Dear Leader', his imperialistic foreign horror-show, and his failed domestic policies.
Try to stay with me `cause this ain't gonna be pretty.
Assuming that Markos and Jerome are correct, that this country is so polarized that there really are NO votes to be won in the `mythical middle' of the country, then this conclusion must lead to the logical hypothesis that political pandering only serves to enrage your base, to solidify the oppositions disdain, and leaves nothing to show for your efforts. Not a strategy to WIN elections by. The only flaw to this well laid out argument is that, while it might hold true for Democrats, pandering to supporters of the GOP works.
What has been the main determining factor in the last three election cycles (no CT's please)? I would argue - fear. Fear that `they' were going to blow us up, fear that `they' were going to get married. Fear works, fear motivates, fear galvanizes. This election cycle the GOP will add a new fear to the mix. `They' are invading.
While strongly agreeing with Markos and Jerome that there is NOT a `mythical middle', and that pandering to this non-entity only succeeds in pissing off Democrats, pandering obviously does work with Republicans, but how can we possibly use that knowledge to our advantage?
I am in no way suggesting that Democratic politicians should continue there pandering, whether to the `mythical middle' or Republicans, in fact I propose quite the opposite. If our Democratic leaders can stop the pandering, stereotyping, and political rhetoric, switch up to a substantive message driven by foreign policy and fiscal responsibility, I am convinced that it would energize our base while convincing millions of `old school' Buckley/Goldwater conservatives to stay at home.
I am suggesting that it just might be time for we, the politically active yet disenfranchised by our own party, to take a lesson from the Rovian `dirty tricks' playbook.
Wait! Before you turn away in disgust at even the suggestion, which should be your first natural instinct, ask yourself. Just how important are these elections to the future of America? Yeah, I agree. So what are you willing to do about it?
Still here? Excellent, because the time for the moral `high ground' has long since passed, I no longer have any concerns for the health of my political soul, all my concern is concentrated on winning the elections this November and winning back the soul of our country.
But don't worry I'm not going to be suggesting anything even remotely illegal, or even that morally distasteful, considering the enormity of what's at stake, but first we must dive into the paranoid and delusional mind of the `modern' Republican. Got your dry suits on?
Perhaps it was the fumes from the caustic cleaners causing a lack of oxygen to my brain. Perhaps it was a `flashback' from my `experimenting' days that led me into the circular and self-delusional illogic of `Bush World'. As a result of this sudden, and not all too unpleasant, light-headedness it finally dawned on me - WELFARE!
I've already suggested that IMHO fear was a major motivator for `modern' Republicans, particularly in the last three election cycles. After thinking about it I could find no productive way to use this fear, and the hatred it generates, to benefit my stated goal of winning the elections this November. So what else is a major rational for `modern' Republicans?
Greed. Personal greed certainly plays a substantive role in their paranoid delusional world, and it is almost as powerful a rational as fear/hate. `I've got mine, screw everyone else' is something of a mantra to `modern' Republicans. Whether it's the poor, immigrants, education, the minimum wage, children in poverty, the homeless, healthcare, these all remain non-issues to the `modern' Republican, until, you attempt to do something about these social ills.
Whether you call it WIC, PELL grants, school lunches, a living minimum wage, universal healthcare, subsidized housing - the only word that resonates in the echo chamber of the `modern' Republicans mind is - WELFARE! In fact there is no good definition of social welfare in the `modern' Republicans lexicon. Their dogma of the `soft bigotry of low expectations' remains a wobbly cornerstone in their hate filled ideology.
There are approximately 26,000,000 million people in Iraq. To date the U.S. has spent approximately $320,000,000,000.00 billion dollars on the Iraqi occupation. That translates to a check in the amount of approximately $12,300.00 dollars to each and every Iraqi citizen, and it's growing every single day.
More importantly, 132,400,000 million individuals filed U.S. federal income tax forms in 2004 (the latest year I could find info on) - that translates to a tax burden of $2,400.00 dollars to every individual taxpayer in the U.S. to support the Iraqi occupation, and growing every single day.
Can you dig it? I knew that you could.
By using their own myopic ideology of the `soft bigotry of low expectations' - in which `modern' Republicans dogmatically believe that by offering any assistance, at anytime, to anyone, actually causes the recipient of aid to underachieve - can be directly applied to Iraq.
Armed with this info I printed up two hundred half-page flyers, got in my 4 cylinder high MPG vehicle, and drove down to Marilyn Musgrave's (blechhhh!) district, my own is safely Democratic, and the parking lot of the first Southern Baptist Church I could find. Then on to 200 windshield wiper blades, particularly those vehicles sporting a 'W' sticker, almost always a HUGE SUV or truck. The flyer was IMHO tastefully done, and I hoped non-confrontational to the `modern' Republicans brain, such as it is. The title read - "The Real Cost Of The War In Iraq" - followed by the information above, along with a newly created and anonymous g-mail account at the bottom of the page.
This morning I woke to 30 e-mails, and more are coming in every hour. Not ONE, that I've read so far, has been completely negative. A few questioned that I never mentioned the sacrifice of the troops (bless their little GOP TP hearts), but they then went on to complain as to how much they needed, nay deserved, that $2,400 dollars back.
This is a language that `modern' Republicans can apparently absorb. 2,500 American troops dead - just a number, 40,000-120,000 Iraqi's dead - an even less impressive number, no exit strategy in sight, no WMD's - who cares? But the shock, the outrage, that they have individually paid $2,400 dollars to the Iraqi occupation with little, or no, or even backwards results - sacrilege!
All of this, with the exception of this diary, took me less then three hours in time and a couple, maybe $7 including gas, of bucks in materials. Next weekend I think I'll directly raise the `soft bigotry of low expectations' and discuss the `welfare Nation' we are creating in Iraq.
The week after that I think I'll talk about fiscal responsibility, that should get the Buckley/Goldwater conservatives panties all in a bunch. The week after that...
I know what you're thinking - rudgrls lost it, this isn't about who they are, it should be about who we are - I don't give a flying monkeys butt what I have to do to save this country (O.K. not true - kinky sex with a Republican preacher involving a flying monkeys butt is definitely out).
If there is NO `mythical middle' to win over in this polarized country any longer we can win elections in only two ways:
1. Get more Democrats to the polls.
2. Keep as many Republicans as possible away from the polls.
That's it, the entire ball of wax, the whole enchilada, the BIG Lebowski - I've already volunteered to pick up non-mobile Democrats in the 4th district, I work the phone banks from time to time in Paccione's GOTV campaign (the getting `more Democrats to the polls' part of the equation). This leaflet campaign is the least I can do to hopefully keep as many Republicans as possible at home on election day.
As to the morally reprehensible part - I slept like a baby last night, and my effort is just a tad more intellectual, hopefully more effective, and certainly more tasteful, then dumping dog poop on Musgrave's porch.