Valueless
I'm glad to see that Campaign Desk is as annoyed by this as I am. That is, the exit polling data that "showed" that 175% of all Bush supporters voted for the smirking frat boy because of "moral values." Gasp. Not terror. Not the deficit. Not Iraq. "Moral values."
Unfortunately, that's pretty meaningless. Why, because the media never asked the obvious follow-up questions in a race where 11 swing states had ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. That is, "did you vote for Bush because you believe he agrees with you that queers should not be allowed to be recognized by the govmint?" Or, "Do you believe that the preznit should turn the White House into a 'faith-based' corporation?" Or, "Do you believe abortion should be illegal in all cases, even in those like the time Uncle Buddy-Joe was over at Cousin Mabel-Jean's trailer..." well, we won't go there.
So lets be careful before we start taking to the wearing of ashes and burlap bags, snake wrangling, or speaking in tongues. That we need to understand the 'values' of those who voted for Bush in order to recapture the "heartland." Appealing to those voters' worst nature is not a wise direction to take for the Democratic Party. I assure you, the Republican Party has that one sewn up.
In fact, Kerry talked a lot about values throughout the campaign. They just weren't the kind of values that moved those voters who have had their world-view, such as it is, shakenn by crazed Muslims blowing up our (blue state) buildings, gay and lesbian couples wanting to codify their relationships, or secularists who don't want our courthouses and schools to be satellite offices for exurban mega-churches.
Unfortunately, that's pretty meaningless. Why, because the media never asked the obvious follow-up questions in a race where 11 swing states had ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. That is, "did you vote for Bush because you believe he agrees with you that queers should not be allowed to be recognized by the govmint?" Or, "Do you believe that the preznit should turn the White House into a 'faith-based' corporation?" Or, "Do you believe abortion should be illegal in all cases, even in those like the time Uncle Buddy-Joe was over at Cousin Mabel-Jean's trailer..." well, we won't go there.
Campaign Desk thinks it's problematic that in mainstream-mediaworld -- second only to Hollywood in its population of heathens -- "moral values" has become a euphemism for "conservative Christian morality." That choice of code words casts other moral systems as runners-up to righteousness. If, for example, you think it's immoral to prevent gay couples from marrying, and that was your main reason for casting a Kerry vote, your convictions are reduced to statistical gibberish.
So sorry, secular humanists and liberal Catholics! Sorry, Wiccans, nihilists, and Muslims! The press has reported, and the people have spoken.
So lets be careful before we start taking to the wearing of ashes and burlap bags, snake wrangling, or speaking in tongues. That we need to understand the 'values' of those who voted for Bush in order to recapture the "heartland." Appealing to those voters' worst nature is not a wise direction to take for the Democratic Party. I assure you, the Republican Party has that one sewn up.
In fact, Kerry talked a lot about values throughout the campaign. They just weren't the kind of values that moved those voters who have had their world-view, such as it is, shakenn by crazed Muslims blowing up our (blue state) buildings, gay and lesbian couples wanting to codify their relationships, or secularists who don't want our courthouses and schools to be satellite offices for exurban mega-churches.
posted by John at 1:33 PM
2 Comments:
Please include Hawaii in the USC. Hawaiians believe in the spirit of Aloha and not the Jesusland values of fear/hatred/greed. thanks.
-dk
Hmm, yes, Hawaii seems to have fallen off of both USofC and Jland. Maybe it had something to do with Cheney visiting there over the weekend. What was that about, anyway?
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