From NYT Letters...Liberals down but not out.....First letter a MUST read

[ikojo]

John Kerry and all who say we must go center should read the first letter to the editor on the NYT Letters to the Editor page...

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/23/opinion/L23CONS.html

snip

Back in the 50's, Joe McCarthy silenced the left-wing movement in America. Since then, with no organized base, and no leadership, anyone to the left of the Bush crowd has been labeled "unpatriotic."

snip

Until the liberals and lefties themselves aren't afraid of their own truly American agenda, aren't intimidated by the right-wingers, aren't afraid of the finger-pointing and name-calling, we will not have a meaningful liberal party in this country. Centrists fail because you can't have it both ways — only a strong, honest liberal and organized party will stop the scary dictatorship of the conservative right.


WAY TO GO HILA COLEMAN!!!! Now if only POLITICIANS were as eloquent!

[NMDemDist2]

1. kick n/t

[checks-n-balances]

2. Thanks for posting - you beat me to it! Here's more...

Some gems from a few of the other letters...

"The authors of "For Conservatives, Mission Accomplished" strongly argued a case for packaging, not necessarily substance. Perhaps what they are referring to is the rise of right-wing extremism through savvy marketing. Part of that campaign is to repeat over and over again the myth that "liberals have nothing new to say."

"Perhaps that would be because so-called "liberal" ideas like social programs, environmental controls and internationalism have worked well in the past, whereas "conservative" retreads like trickle-down economics, deregulation and unilateralism haven't..."

""For Conservatives, Mission Accomplished" claims that conservatives have been better at "producing agenda-setting ideas" than liberals. Scrimping on relief for the poor, imposing draconian penalties on low-level crime and conducting imperialist wars, all in the name of a higher morality, are not new ideas but old ones.

"The mistake of small and large "d" democrats was to think that society had gotten past them, and to stop fighting vigorously for such equally durable counter-ideas as fairness, justice, equality and reason. The battle never ends, and liberalism's major mistake (among others) was to lay down its arms too soon."

Excellent point! How many of us have heard our ideas characterized as "old" and "outdated"? They never accept our NEW ideas a long time ago; they've just trotted out & unjust stuff to new generations. And it's time they were challenged out loud.

[Nlighten1]

3. No no no...

We must stay in the middle because it has been such a winning formula so far!

[ikojo]

5. Yeah, look at the winning campaigns of 2000 and 2002....

Centrism brought the Dems control of all three branches of the government...


I must really stay away from the blue pill...

[Nlighten1]

7. That is my point...there are loonies here that believe...

that appealing to the middle is a winning strategy...yet when you look at the results of that strategy (Republicans now control the ENTIRE government) you have to wonder about the mental state of the people making these comments.

Milque Toast does NOT win elections.

[KoKo]

4. Good for her! Tippy toe'ing around so we don't get in front of "Train

Wreck" is a poor philosophy to have if we really want to clean out Washington and root out what's become an infestation of Joe McCarthy's ghosts riding herd over the Media/Congress and the Presidency.

[Ardee]

6. Just you wait until the neocons awaken!

and find this thread.....the false mantras and memes will simply pour forth burying your valid points amidst the appeals to patriotism and the status quo.

Step one is fighting back, step two is decided for whom should a real liberal or progressive vote, which political party supports and abets the liberal best.....keep looking.