Shooting Ourselves in the Foot

David Griffen has suggested that the democrat position on gun control is killing the party, and that it change its position. Griffen is to be commended for thinking creatively. However, giving away votes on the gun control issue is not what is killing Democrats. What is killing democrats are three things. First, not being able to cohesively and effectively communicate a message with MAINSTREAM AMERICANS.

Second, not recognizing the importance of using the misrepresentations and mischaracterizations of the other side, to show America how they misrepresent and mischaracterize. This includes, most importantly, using the far right wings' own language to make the case for democrats; this is the most fundamentally effective way to SHOW people the case that needs to be made, rather than simply telling them what to think, or repeating conclusionary statements that are obvious to hard core democrats but not to MAINSTREAM AMERICANS.

Last, is this elitist notion, that what we may refer to as propaganda by the far right, is of marginal importance simply because it relies upon such distorted logic and misconstrued facts. To the contrary, it is precisely because it often relies upon distorted logic and misconstrued facts, yet is currently dominant or close to it (read the National Review Online, as one example, or go to any number of prominent far right wing web sites or think tank sites...examine the current makeup of Congress, etc.) that it is so important. This case has to be effectively shown and made. Not assumed that it is obvious to MAINSTREAM AMERICANS. If it was obvious, Congress would not currently be dominated not only by republicans, but by a republican party which is therein dominated by its own right wing. This also, by the way, includes the far right wings' tendency to incorrectly paint the media as being "left wing --" where any objective fact that does not support their contentions is immediately and incorrectly labeled as evidence of "bias."

As for Griffin's creative and practical point - I would thoroughly disagree. Democrats need to focus on effectively communicating their message, focus on effectively showing how the other side has misconstrued the issues, and focus on getting the media to communicate relevant and objective facts (and stop cow towing to the far right wing). They do not need to take a position that is designed to "get votes," unless they believe that to be the right position. Take the right position, and effectively communicate to MAINSTREAM AMERICANS - not other hard core democrats - why it is the right position. More importantly, show why and how the other side -- possibly being led by belief in front of objective reason -- has misled itself on many of the facts, and has misled America.

Griffen is right when he says democrats can't be weak. But taking up a position that one does not agree with, in order to get votes, is in fact, being weak. Democrats are being weak when they let the far right wing repeatedly manipulate facts (or think that it is being addressed by simple analyses in intellectually elite circles); when they let the far right wing brow beat the media; when they let the media -- which the belief led far right can not view objectively -- engage in "he said she said" or "critique all sides" reporting rather than address the relevant underlying facts. Democrats are being weak when they continually allow the mainstream media to continually parrot sound bit misconstructions, as they did almost all last year regarding John Kerry. Democrats are being weak when they allow their opponent (let alone the far right wing) to dominate the debate, and define not only their candidate, but ours as well. Etc. Being weak is all of these things, and more. It is not, however, legitimately held (whether right or wrong) disagreement on the issues.