That Confusing Morality Thing 2
Curious, I visited a blog called The Rebirth of Political Common Sense. It's no such thing, although it did present some of the current clueless attempts to understand the morals factor in the last election, including:
I think one of the problems the Democrats have in commanding the political debate in this country is that many of the causes they champion are not easily reduced to a short sound-bite. To expand on the issue of stem cell research ... Republicans are against stem cell research for one reason: “it is a life.” Due to the complex and numerous benefits of stem cell research, it is difficult for Democrats to summarize their position in four paragraphs, let alone four words. The one issue where we have managed to reduce our position to a short sound-bite is abortion: “a woman’s right to choose.” One could argue that it is because Democrats have simplified their message in regard to abortion; they have the support of the majority of the country on this issue.
One could also argue that they don't have the support of the majority of the country on the abortion issue, and that their pro-abortion sound bite doesn't begin to justify partial birth abortion. One could also argue that the reason they can't present a justification for stem cell research in a sound bite is that their radical position just is not justifiable.
But there's something bigger here: The left can't understand the morals vote so they shorthand it.
As this blogger puts it, "They have a religious belief that they are going to Heaven and Democrats and liberals are going to Hell. " Political party and viewpoint have nothing to do with salvation. Many liberal Democrats accept Christ and vote Democratic because they think that party's social policies (welfare more than abortion) emulate Christ's call. And I didn't dislike Kerry because I thought he was going to Hell; I disliked him because he had bad policy on moral and non-moral issues alike and would have made a dangerous and untrustworthy president. They continue to oversimplify our positions because admitting we are capable of complex analysis jeopardizes their secular/agnostic worldview.
As I've said before regarding gay marriage, "moral" issues do indeed have a strong moral core, but are about much more than morals, which makes the road ahead particularly difficult for Dems.
Take abortion. It is inherently a moral issue, of course. But the issue is also about Planned Parenthood working to keep abstinence programs out of schools, Democrats' opposition to parental notification, judges imposing uncontitutional limits on free speech, ongoing bias for abortion in the MSM, and many other interwoven issues. It's policy and morality, and the Dems just can't see the complexity with which we view the issue. To them, it's just they're going to Hell and we're going to Heaven, and that's it.
Their blindness will lead them to continued alienationation of the electorate. Fortunately, their prejudices against us run deep, and I doubt if they will come to fully accept our intelligence any time soon. If you doubt, read Dowd.
I think one of the problems the Democrats have in commanding the political debate in this country is that many of the causes they champion are not easily reduced to a short sound-bite. To expand on the issue of stem cell research ... Republicans are against stem cell research for one reason: “it is a life.” Due to the complex and numerous benefits of stem cell research, it is difficult for Democrats to summarize their position in four paragraphs, let alone four words. The one issue where we have managed to reduce our position to a short sound-bite is abortion: “a woman’s right to choose.” One could argue that it is because Democrats have simplified their message in regard to abortion; they have the support of the majority of the country on this issue.
One could also argue that they don't have the support of the majority of the country on the abortion issue, and that their pro-abortion sound bite doesn't begin to justify partial birth abortion. One could also argue that the reason they can't present a justification for stem cell research in a sound bite is that their radical position just is not justifiable.
But there's something bigger here: The left can't understand the morals vote so they shorthand it.
As this blogger puts it, "They have a religious belief that they are going to Heaven and Democrats and liberals are going to Hell. " Political party and viewpoint have nothing to do with salvation. Many liberal Democrats accept Christ and vote Democratic because they think that party's social policies (welfare more than abortion) emulate Christ's call. And I didn't dislike Kerry because I thought he was going to Hell; I disliked him because he had bad policy on moral and non-moral issues alike and would have made a dangerous and untrustworthy president. They continue to oversimplify our positions because admitting we are capable of complex analysis jeopardizes their secular/agnostic worldview.
As I've said before regarding gay marriage, "moral" issues do indeed have a strong moral core, but are about much more than morals, which makes the road ahead particularly difficult for Dems.
Take abortion. It is inherently a moral issue, of course. But the issue is also about Planned Parenthood working to keep abstinence programs out of schools, Democrats' opposition to parental notification, judges imposing uncontitutional limits on free speech, ongoing bias for abortion in the MSM, and many other interwoven issues. It's policy and morality, and the Dems just can't see the complexity with which we view the issue. To them, it's just they're going to Hell and we're going to Heaven, and that's it.
Their blindness will lead them to continued alienationation of the electorate. Fortunately, their prejudices against us run deep, and I doubt if they will come to fully accept our intelligence any time soon. If you doubt, read Dowd.
posted by Laer at 7:08 PM
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