Face the Nation asked a dem politician a question that made my jaw drop

[lebkuchen]

A commentator asked some dem. politician at the convention: Kerry's a liberal from Massechusetts. How can he overcome that??

That's when I realized that the US is one election away from a one party government system, USSR-style.

The US right-wing mentality has nurtured an intolerant atmosphere in America that has not been seen in European parts since Adolph Hitler. Just mention the word "liberal" and all thinking stops. In Germany there are many parties: The Christian Democrats, Liberals, Greens, Party of Democratic Socialists...where a multitude of views are welcomed, not shunned and labled (mislabled, in Kerry's case), as with a pink triangle or yellow star.

Cross reference the US political party system, or lack thereof, with its handful of media corporations that own every aspect of information, from billboards to cable, and one realizes that the USSR was about five media corporations short of being what the US is today.

Frightening times we live in.

[SoCalDem]

1. The proper response would have been...

"...Well, we have a CONNECTICUT rightwing reactionary, PRETENDING to be a TEXAS COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE, and we CANNOT overcome the damage he has caused, without a change in focus"...

[theivoryqueen]

2. the last time any country had this strict a form of "party disciple"

such as what the Republicans are now practicing - Nazi Germany.

[Gin]

3. He needs to say.....YES....if liberal means good schools....affordable

health care...safe communities...good jobs.........etc.....................

Yes I am a liberal and I'm proud of it!

Why run from the liberal label...it stands for good things.

[lebkuchen]

4. I agree

Yet the dems do run from it, and in doing so, smudge the lines between their differences, which is a mistake.

[mememe]

5. didn't see it, you did - but it's not an unreasonable question

I didn't see Face the Nation so I don't have the context; however it's not an unreasonable question given the track record over the past few decades of New England liberal candidates. Ted Kennedy never could catch enough fire to even win the nomination and Mike Dukakis fizzled pretty badly against Bush the Elder. Again I don't know if the question was asked in a snide manner or not but I don't think the question is out of bounds. At any rate, it gave the responder an open-ended opportunity to make the best case possible.

[lebkuchen]

7. I didn't see it either....was on Armed Forces Radio

However, throughout the conversation, the word "liberal" was mentioned a few times in an apparent attempt to condense Kerry's policies under a label rather than to educate the public as to the policies themselves. To what end as far as "Face the Nation" was concerned? To provide the democratic politicians an opportunity to back away from the label as if it were anathema to their cause? They pretty much nearly did so, explaining that Kerry was actually quite moderate (which is true, let's face it), not liberal. Why not do away with the labels and get to the meat of his platform?

Governments in Europe, whether they are constitutional democracies or constitutional hereditary monarchies, are much more tolerant of each party's point of view, and so are able to accomodate the differences of opinions by catering to a wide range of political platforms, from christian democrat, to socialist, liberal, Green, and communist. The GOP is not only out to win the election, but exterminate the other party, in ways that are quite vicious and frightening.

Coulter's piece is testament to that. She's not an anomally.

[onecitizen]

14. uh-huh............

being liberal is not something that needs to be overcome like a struggle with cancer.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wuushew]

9. The clock is titled to the right

The pendulum has been falling more to the right than the left since 1980. Democratic representation certainly has taken a beating in Congress and our only successful Presidential candidate was pure DLC.

[lebkuchen]

12. The democratic side of the Senate was anthraxed

and the GOP Justice Dept. couldn't care less.

[JHB]

17. It isn't a pendulum that swings, it's a marker that has to be pushed...

...and the right has spent the last 30 years doing a more organized, disciplined, and sustained job of pushing than the left has.

And frankly, I think one of the problems (a small part, but part nonetheless) has been this view of politics as a pendulum, and thus a faith that things would eventually swing our way again of their own accord. Comforted by that faith, too many people have let the Right get away with pushing things even further, without doing the hard, messy work of fighting back.

(on edit: meant to reply to #6)

[lebkuchen]

10. The New Deal, Civil Rights Movement, Women's Movement,

and anti-war movements were not about the politics of personal destruction as is the GOP. Those liberal movements were about providing jobs and job protection, medical care, a decent standard of living, voting rights, the right to an equal education and the right to live in peace.

They were not about this (read below) and again, this is standard GOP fare. It's jack-booted GOP thuggery.

"My pretty-girl allies stick out like a sore thumb amongst the corn-fed, no make-up, natural fiber, no-bra needing, sandal-wearing, hirsute, somewhat fragrant hippie-chick pie wagons they call 'women' at the Democratic National Convention."

Here's how Coulter opened the column: "Here at the Spawn of Satan convention in Boston, conservatives are deploying a series of covert signals to identify one another, much like gay men do. My allies are the ones wearing crosses or American flags. The people sporting shirts emblazoned with the 'F-word' are my opponents."


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/26/politics/main631949.shtml

[GiovanniC]

8. Bush Is a Mentally-Retarded, War-Hungry, Psychologically Unstable

Faux-Fundamentalist, Right-Wing Deranged Whack-Job AWOL Coward from New England.

How can he overcome that?

[Karenina]

18. $$$$POPPY$$$$

and HE $$$$CONNEXIONS$$$$$. They seized the airwaves and now think they "OWN"'em. Hell, they seized the gub'mint and think they "own" that too!
:shrug:

[kwolf68]

11. Take back the word

I now openly tell people I am Liberal even though some of my views are more to the center.

Once we show we are proud of being Liberal and not afraid of it, then people will accept (or reject) the ideology based on truth and perspective instead of soundbytes and cliches'. That's really the best we can hope for.

Kerry has brilliantly dealt with this question and I expect he will be up to the challenge when it is presented to him again.

LOOK...People...WE are winning here. Bill Clinton was called Liberal, Al Gore was an environmetalist whacko Liberal and now John Kerry is the "Senates Most Liberal" member...Which should all lead to blow away victories for the Republicans right?

WRONG. "Liberals" Bill Clinton won two elections, Al Gore gained more votes and only a suspect SCOTUS decision kept him from taking the White House and now "Liberal" John Kerry is running (at worst) slightly ahead in the polls.

We know Bill Clinton isn't a "Liberal" per se, but he was lampooned as one for 8 years and what did America do? ELECTED AND RE-ELECTED HIM.

Think about this. Even with the word being used as a new form of profanity, even with the mainstream media becomming ever more subservient to the corporate oligarchs and even with venemous right wing radio spreading their filth...THEY STILL CAN'T PULL AHEAD.

They are being rejected folks...They are being rejected. Under Nazi Germany, the propagandists seduced Germany to elect Hitler...that isn't happening here.

I'll say it here and now GOD BLESS AMERICA. We will win.

[lebkuchen]

15. Well said. Thank you for that.

When I hear our second (no, first) in command telling a democratic senator to "fuck off," when I watch FOX News aggressively regurgitating its fermented vomit all over Armed Forces Network, topped off with today's mean-spirited invective coming from the likes of Coulter, I have to tell you that I am very concerned about what the GOP has done to this country.

[kwolf68]

19. thanks

Thanks for the comments first of all.

It pains me to deal with the media. I watched the convention post-JC (after getting home) on CSPAN.

Once it was over, I shut off the TV and that was it. I didn’t once surf to ANY other News Channel. I “had a feeling.”

Sure enough I log onto DU to see what my brothers and sisters are talking about and some of our fellow-Democrats were about ready to self-destruct because what they had witnessed on various “news” channels; an obvious bias toward our Party.

Well, I wanted none of that. I don’t get paid to drive myself crazy listening to these shills on the networks and more power to those who do (WE DO NEED people monitoring the crap that is disseminated) , but I am not going there this week.

It will be JUST ME, MY FELLOW Democrats, MY vision, MY Party, and MY (hopefully) President without any unnecessary trimmings. I went to bed content, happy and proud of our party last night because –while they are keeping the edges soft (smart tactical move even if we would like the gloves to come off more)- the vision and hope is there.

For this week I will stay on the path in promoting WHAT IS GOOD about our Party, instead of deflecting this cliché’ driven ideological bullshit that is so prevalent in our nation.

Still, stay vigilant … somehow, they aren’t winning. Other than Liberal publications/news sites, a few actors and actresses and various punk rock bands, NO ONE is paying a modicum of respect toward our party and our vision.

A free people always… ALWAYS resist the tyranny of corporate oppression. We will do the same. In the meantime, I have made a vow to not watch ONE SINGLE news channel this week. It’s C-SPAN and then I turn the boob box off and go read a book.

[lebkuchen]

22. I watched FOX for the first time while visiting SHAPE headquarters on Sat.

in Belgium. I had stepped out of my Walter Cronkite's NBC world (where I still try to live via the BBC) into the Twilight Zone. I was shocked at the level of bias that parades itself as a legitimate news source on US channels. I'm still reeling from the experience. Add Cheney's "fuck you," the number of soldiers that have been killed in the 6 weeks that I've been traveling, as well as all the Middle Easterners that they have killed...I'm sick of it. America has lived under this dark cloud long enough.

Then the horrible news coverage of a political convention that I had looked forward to celebrating, especially since I'd personally experienced it in San Francisco in 1984, an experience that thrilled me tremendously and made me feel grateful for America's open and tolerant political system...today I see the democrats at the convention struggling to keep it propped up. Vigilance is all we have left.

Letters, financial contributions and galvanizing family and friends are what I have to offer.

I appreciate your pep-talk.

[progressivebydesign]

13. Being LIBERAL is NOT an AFFLICTION!!

"how can he overcome that?".. What's to overcome?? That's just unbelievable that they are continually attacking us for a label that should be proudly worn. It means open-minded, and with an open heart. Screw them.. I'm so sick of the media GORING Kerry!!

[CrispyQ]

16. This is one of the best article on liberal . . .

We should all read it again & send it to everyone we know.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/11/23_liberal.html

[lebkuchen]

20. This paragraph (in italics) is a standout. Thanks for posting it.

It underscores the liberal nature of all European democracies, no matter the name of the individual party. The EU will become all the stronger for it.

True liberalism tolerates all viewpoints. True liberalism tries to understand all viewpoints. Liberals do not threaten and/or maim people of differing views. Liberals do not bomb abortion clinics. Liberals do not shoot abortion doctors. Liberals do not send Anthrax threats to abortion clinic doctors and their staffs. Liberals do not blow up mosques, synagogues, churches, or Federal Buildings. Liberals do not kill Sikhs because they look like Afghan terrorists. Liberals do not mail anthrax to liberal U.S. Senators.

Meanwhile, the US chooses to deteriorate into its own dark history, taking pleasure in name calling propaganda devices like "liberal," "nigger," and so forth meant to distract. Place the label on the messenger and who cares what he/she has to say?

[CBHagman]

21. Are you going to write FTN?

Seriously, unless we call the media outlets on this nonsense, nothing is going to get done. If we emphasize that they (the media) are squelching debate and assuming that all their listeners/viewers fall into the right-wing camp, we might be able to influence them a bit.

Send them the dictionary definition of "liberal" and ask them what's wrong with being for personal liberties, etc. Call these suckers on their on-screen buffoonery.

[lebkuchen]

23. The True Majority has a letter writing campaign going

on "Fair and Balanced", and I write to CNNI frequently because of their bias. I used to call them and get on-air, but they don't allow on-air calls anymore. It proved to be too undermining of Bushy policies.

If I lived in the US, it would be very difficult for me to watch the news.

On edit: FTN's e-mail is [email protected] fyi. I wrote to them.