aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Sunday, February 20, 2005

That’s liberal?

I got an email addressed “Dear Supporter” from Democracy Radio alerting me to the Newsweek article on the rise of Ed Shultz. I wonder, did they find me and designate me a “supporter” from my last post on Shultz titled ”We’ll take what we can get?” In it I was hardly enthused. Here’s why:

Ideologically, Schultz is all Democrat-he likes universal health care and labor unions, hates Wal-Mart and corporate crooks-but he also delights in hacking away at his party’s more sensitive side. When a gay listener recently called to complain about homophobia, Schultz cut him off. He believes Democrats shouldn’t talk up gay rights, just like they shouldn’t bash God and guns. Schultz says liberals had better get used to his brand of tough love if they want to win in the heartland. “The party thinks there aren’t any Democrats between Texas and North Dakota,” Schultz told NEWSWEEK, “so why bother talking to people out here?”

Huh? Dean’s first trip as the new DNC Chair is to the south and he wouldn’t have won the position without winning over southern delegates!

My pick is Al Franken’s Air America which has seen it’s own cause for celebration, without abandoning gays.

The media just loves this story line, the anomalous Red State liberal with “values” defined by the Republicans. The story-line goes that for Democrats to win they need the south and to win the south they must be more like Republicans. As I’ve said before, not so:

We’re in a tie, Democrats and Republicans nationwide, and the way to break the tie is not to become more like the other side. We’ve got to convince some of them, not all, just some, that our ides are better. Democrats must be Democrats, true to their values and responsive to their invigorated grassroots, to win.