Blogging Against the Politics of Fear, Racism, and Republican, Right-Wing Authoritarian Personalities. "You can't not know. You can't not care."
The difference between progressives and Republican voters, is that the Republicans must have a religious belief in the infallibility of whomever they are adoring at the time, whether it be George W. Bush or Sarah Palin or Joe the Plumber.
Criticizing George W. Bush during his Presidency was considered un-American by Republicans who believed their leader could do no wrong. A dissenting voice among conservatives was never heard. When Ron Paul represented one lone voice speaking truth and promoting adherence to the Constitution, he was excluded from some Presidential debates and ridiculed.
Progressives are different. When our leader gets something wrong, we tell him. We don’t vote in lock-step with someone like George Bush, supporting him not matter what crazy idea he whimsically tries to promote. It may surprise many conservatives, but the “cult of personality” has no sway with us. Were Barack Obama staying at my home, he would get an earful from me. These are just men, after all, not gods.
Rahm Emanuel has become the Left’s Karl Rove. He is unprincipled, lawless, and definitely not a Progressive. Barack Obama is just as culpable, because he selected Rahm to be his Chief-of-Staff. This year, every Progressive cause has been left in the dust, all to court the immense financial reserves of corporate America and their lobbying campaign donations.
Lobbying is inherently, and intensely, un-Democratic. There actually is no cure for this disease, as money can sway anyone promoting campaign finance reform. The need for campaign dollars is a natural chink in the armor of anyone in politics that wants to be re-elected, and it is easily exploitable. Consciences are assuaged with the mantra, “Everyone else is doing it”, while constituents’ needs are thrown under the bus in favor of what the corporate board room has decreed.
Just witness how differently the Presidential candidate Obama differs from the words of President Obama. It’s so sad, yet so common. As long as men love money and power, it will be this way, until there is no middle class left to exploit.
