Reply #24: This is going to make me unpopular. [View All]

Even with the well-founded concerns about Nader, I still do believe that the more liberal members of Democrat Nation have to do for Kerry what the religious right did in 2000 to help * get (s)elected.

Keep quiet until November.

This election IS about the 5-10% of undecided, independent, moderate voters in the middle. The more we can help Kerry claim the middle ground and cast Bush as the right-wing extremist he really is, the better it is for ALL OF US.

Honestly- I'm not asking people to change their belief systems, or embrace every little shred of Kerry's platform as if it were gospel. But if your goal is to help progressive policy get enacted at the Federal level, the best thing to do is hold your fire, help Kerry get elected, and THEN PRESS HIM ONCE HE'S IN OFFICE.

The rabid right-wingers didn't learn from their mistakes in '92 or '96, and Clinton captured the moderate vote both times. In 2000, they finally wizened up. By taking a back seat and allowing Bush to run on a theme of "compassionate conservatism," they have now gotten practically everything they'd ever hoped for: stem-cell research bans, curtailed abortion rights, bills to loosen penalties for politicking, and maybe even Federal funding for "faith-based" services. Most of all, they got themselves a true-believer in the White House by shutting up and letting Karl Rove work his magic.

In 2004, I think the Bushies may have overplayed their hand with the religious right. The highly-visible connections between the President and fundamentalist Christianity are likely making the moderate voter uncomfortable, giving Kerry a huge opportunity to fill the void in the middle.

It's time for us to play smart and be pragmatic. A small investment now could pay huge dividends later.

-MR