Tread lightly on the things of earth

© VoteProgressive

Renee reminds me of my own upwelling hope in our U.S. political system during Howard Dean’s 2003 presidential primary campaign. He provided the spark that got me goin’. As Renee says:

After watching all of the other Democrats rolling over in submissive deference to Bush and his “war president” popularity, I heard this unknown from Vermont speak. I heard him speak against the war — not because he is a “pacifist” but because he could see no justification for it. I heard him speak about how the American people deserved health care just like people in other industrialized nations. I had no idea who this man was, but, YESSSSS!

I’m pretty keen on people who think well and care deeply. If they do that, they’ve earned my respect for the long haul. When what they say usually turns out to be correct, that’s bonus. [Later: It’s more than bonus; it’s the predictable on-average outcome of thinking well and caring deeply.]

Will I ever forget the hope Dr. Dean offered, and offers?

Nope.

Does Howard Dean speak for me?

Damn straight.

Next day: This doesn’t mean I agree on every single point, of course; I surrender my own thinking and deciding to no one. “Speak for me” means I recognize and acknowledge a light-emitting combination of thinking, caring, and integrity I endorse 100% — we need the illumination, so why would I complain about the occasional shadow?

A bit later: Dean’s remark about the GOP as “pretty much a white, Christian party” is not one of those shadows, BTW. It’s an almost completely accurate observation in my locale/from my perspective. The only thing I’d change is I’d say “GOP as pretty much a well-to-do white Christian_ist_ party,” as I see no overlap between Jesus and Republican leaders’ behavior at all. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

I am in no mood to worry much about offending people with a self-evident observation. It’s the devotion of likely offendees to ignoring reality that’s gotten us into the messes we’re in in the first place. Facing reality is Step 1 toward engaging and improving it. People offended by Dean’s observation aren’t into facing reality, seems to me, and so have removed themselves from any meaningful solution anyway.

I’m pretty much a white, Christian person who [ … internal survey says …] will never, ever vote Republican again as a result of this horrific discrepancy between GOP leaders’ words and deeds. I almost never say never, but I figure I’ve only got 40 years left, tops, and that ain’t nearly long enough to heal these wounds.

I thought yesterday as I read about the administration’s plummeting approval ratings: Hubris and fscktardedness are not virtues. These poll numbers suggest a critical mass of us are finally in agreement on this.

SensibleShoes provides a funny analogy:

“Dean Says Republicans Mostly White, Christian” turned out to be about as earth-shaking a headline as “Dean Says Florida Mostly Hot, Humid” or “Dean Says Boiled Turnips Mostly Bland, Okay with Salt”.

2005-06-13 update:
William Rivers Pitt provides a meaty one-paragraph assessment:

Of course, there are ethnic and religious minorities within the rank and file of the GOP, but every demographic analysis of the party’s makeup clearly shows the vast majority of Republicans fit exactly into the description offered by Mr. Dean. His point, by the way, was not that white Christians are bad people. His point was that, in this pluralist society made up of so much diversity, the Republican Party does not represent the true face of this country. He was also pointing out that the GOP has been taken over by that small, radical minority of white Christians who believe separation of church and state is evil, and who believe Biblical law is a better tool of governance than that pesky Constitution.