I'll never forget going to a debate hosted by The Nation following the publication of Alterman's "What Liberal Media?" Ok, I have to admit that the reason it was unforgettable was my lengthy conversation with Janeane Garafalo (meow!), but there was other stuff. I think. Mmmm...Janeane Garafalo....
No wait, I lost track of my point. I'll never forget what pearls of wisdom Grover Norquist dropped that day. He said that liberals are perpetually screwed because they fall right into the trap conservatives fell into after Goldwater. He said they would rather maintain their purity and lose rather than be patient and win.
He spoke of the unlikely confluence of the God-fearing and the Mammon-loving (my phrase) streams of conservatism. He said it really shouldn't work out, but that each is willing to wait for their day. A Republican may do or say something that is offensive to one to pander to the other, but that each knows that they are going to get their day like all dogs do.
Ralph Reed and Bill Buckley may not be each other's biggest fans, but they know the political worth involved. Today it may be tax cuts, but tomorrow it'll be partial-birth abortion. It's a pretty sick symbiosis, but it's political effectiveness has been undeniable.
Which brings me to Spaceballs. A wise man once said, "Evil will always triumph over good, because good is dumb." Words to ponder, certainly.
Now, personally I think Kerry is the bee's knees. I disagreed with his Iraq vote, but I think the man is a policy genius, a saavy politician, and basically a decent guy. Others may not share my appraisal. But they are going to have to do some soul-searching in the next few months. Do they want to take a principaled loss, or push the spectrum sharply to the left of Bush? They are going to have to ask themselves what is more important - protesting the Iraq vote, or preventing global escalation?
In fact, while I see many who disagreed bitterly with his Senate vote, I see few who would disagree with Kerry's own positions regarding foreign policy. Kerry is a committed mulitlateralist that will transform the "war" on terrorism into an international police and intelligence gathering operation, while actively working to heal the wounds inflicted upon the community of nations. He's also been working for more than a decade on securing loose nuclear materials and making deep cuts into our nuclear stockpile.
And that's not too shabby.
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PS - I did ask Grover afterwards as he was leaving the place if shilling for corporations paid well. He said "Yes" with a smile and walked on.