] There is a grain of truth in the backlash stereotype of
] liberalism. Certain kinds of leftists really do vacation
] in Europe and drive Volvos and drink lattes. (Hell,
] almost everyone drinks lattes now.) And there is a small
] but very vocal part of the left that has nothing but
] contempt for the working class. Should you ever attend a
] meeting of a local animal rights organisation, or wander
] through the campus of an elite university, you will
] notice that certain kinds of left politics are indeed
] activities reserved for members of the educated upper-
] middle-class, for people who regard politics more as a
] personal therapeutic exercise than an effort to build a
] movement. For them, the left is a form of mildly soothing
] spirituality, a way of getting in touch with the deep
] authenticity of the downtrodden and of showing you care.
] Buttons and stickers desperately announce the liberal’s
] goodness to the world, as do his or her choice in
] consumer products. Leftist magazines treat protesting as
] a glamour activity, running photos of last month’s demo
] the way society magazines print pictures from the charity
] ball. There is even a brand of cologne called Activist.

[ This is a really good look at some major failings among the liberal left... the more i read and see, the more obvious it is to me just how much the left has fallen down on the job in this country. It's like we'd prefer to be martyrs, the righteous paragons of Truth, tormented by the variform demons of our movement -- the uneducated blue collar, the vicious and sneaky republican, the unjust and unethical Media. We'd prefer to beat our breasts and make a show than to modify our tactics, tone down the righteousness, and convince people to see things our way. Clearly the rebpublicans are good at this -- as this article indicates, they've managed to make the richest, most priviledged people on earth *appear* to be populist, the friendly guy-next-door who has your interests at heart, Mr and Mrs MiddleAmerica. As many liberal commentators have noted recently, it's time to steal that page of the republican book, as much as it may offend our sense of self-righteousness, and begin to reverse course. I don't have the answer, but i'm damn sure gonna keep looking. -k]

The America will vote for Bush