By RJ Schinner, 10/30/06
An article on the front page of today’s New York Times captures much about why this coming election is not providing an avenue to fundamentally challenge, let alone stop, the Bush agenda: “In Key House Races, Democrats Run to the Right”.
In the face of a regime in power that is quickly
implementing fascistic and theocratic social changes, along with a
global war for empire, the Democrats have largely opted for a strategy
of finding “common ground” and even adopting the positions of the
Republicans. Running anti-choice, anti-gay, Christian fundamentalist,
and pro-war candidates is being enshrined by Democratic Party leaders
as the way to “take back Congress”. What kind of a Congress they will
take back by becoming Republicans is of course something they don’t
answer.
The NY Times article describes how in races in more
conservative areas, the Democrats have picked candidates whose
positions match up with Bush more so than they do the base of the
Democratic Party. One striking example is Heath Shuler, running for
Congress in North Carolina. The NY Times describes Schuler as an
evangelical Christian who shares the same stands on social and cultural
issues as the far right-wing, and who was asked to run as a Republican
fives years ago. The following passage from the article spells out just where this election strategy is headed:
Asked
if he could envision a Democratic Party with, say, an anti-abortion
platform, Mr. Shuler did not hesitate. “I’m pro-life and I’m part of
the Democratic Party, so I hope it’s part of the platform,” he said.
“Someone needs to lead.”
The Times article describes other races in which the same strategy is being applied:
In Indiana, for example, Brad Ellsworth, a Democrat running to
unseat Representative John Hostettler, brags about the “A” rating he
has received from the National Rifle Association. In Kentucky, Mike
Weaver, a Democrat who opposes abortion rights, is running against
Representative Ron Lewis, a Republican. Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat
running for an open House seat in Arizona, is presenting herself as a
fiscal conservative, saying she would oppose Congressional pay
increases until the federal budget is balanced.
What makes all this worse is the fact that these candidates are
being put forward as models by the Democratic Party leadership, which
is throwing its support, financially and otherwise, behind them.
Moreover, these same Democratic Party leaders are telling us to swallow
the suicide pill of giving up the right to abortion, basic legal rights
for gays, and not living under a theocracy in order to get a Democratic
majority in Congress.
Hillary Clinton calls abortion a “sad, even tragic choice”, and urges “common ground” with anti-choice advocates.
Howard Dean argues, “I have long believed that we ought to make a home for pro-life Democrats.”
When
asked about gay marriage on 60 Minutes Oct. 22, Nancy Pelosi said,
“Well, that’s an issue that is not an issue that we’re fighting about
here.”
It is true that this country is deeply divided over
issues that go to the heart of whether women will be equal participants
in society, whether gays will be able to live outside the closet and
not in fear of legal discrimination and violent attacks, and whether
secularism, science, and critical thinking are allowed to exist or are
replaced by an insistance on blind obedience to theocratic rule, with
all the horror of “traditional values” imposed as law. The Bush regime
does in fact have the support of a large base of Christian
fundamentalists whom it is right now mobilizing to vote on Nov. 7 by
attacking the right of gay couples to marry.
But in order to
defeat this, including winning over some of its unthinking followers,
we have to challenge it head on. The Democratic Party’s strategy of
conciliating to the theocratic onslaught at each step and even
recruiting its proponents to run on its ticket will only keep ceding
ground until there is none left to stand on. That which you will not
resist and mobilize to stop, you will learn – or be forced – to accept.
The
Times article ends by quoting a candidate for clerk of court in
Buncombe County, North Carolina, who recently switched from Democrat to
Republican because he opposes the right to abortion, as saying: “I
expect to see Hillary Clinton quoting Scripture before it’s over
with.” And given the current direction of society, Yelton’s
prediction is unfortunately most likely true. Unless of course, we
decide to stop confining ourselves to the “choices” being offered by
the Democratic Party, and act to stop this whole direction.
[graphic available as a jpg or pdf poster]