Alphecca

They Just Don't Get It!

Warning: Another long, boring, rambling post...

Most Democrats are nice, thoughtful people who simply disagree with most Republicans about A FEW issues. And I'm sure that many Democratic strategists are reexamining the election results to see how they can bring their message, or shape it, more towards the moderate range of political discourse in order to attract more voters and win in 2006 and 2008. But the far left? ...Ahhh..., the far left will never grow up to act like adults and unfortunately, they are the ones who comprise much of MSM and Hollywood and the large urban areas of the country.

Via InstaPundit I was drawn to an excellent photo essay by Zombie Time of a post-election protest in San Francisco. You should really check-out his whole post and all the photos but here's one:

The areas where Kerry did well -- I call them the "near water" states -- are filled with people who are convinced that anyone (such as myself) who doesn't agree with what they say are stupid, homophobic, gun-nut, bible-thumping morons. No we're not. We're just hard-working folks trying to survive from day-to-day, raise our children to be decent, law-abiding citizens. We are far more tolerant of folks who disagree with us than the leftists are.

I live in Vermont but I am a mid-westerner at heart (I was born in Chicago) and frankly, I rather prefer those middle-American values. I'll tell you what I don't like: Having the coastal-elitists constantly shove their leftist-agenda down my throat via music, TV, and Hollywood, not to mention via leftist publications such as the New York Times.

Good people often disagree about various issues but it is the left that springs-up with violent protests, obscene web sites and calls for violence.

I happen to be "pro-life". Does that make me a bad person? Yet I cannot think of a single instance where Hollywood has portrayed a pro-life position or even just a person who is deeply religious with anything other than scorn and derision. Not one single sit-com, not one movie (except for a handful made by independent filmmakers) and not one touring play. Can you?

The young punk in the photo is telling the no longer silent majority that we don't matter and he could care less about our opinions on anything. As far as he is concerned, there will never be hope of compromise on any issue. That is why the Democrats lost the presidency and several senate and house seats.

There are also some on the far right who are guilty of a no-compromise position, too, but they don't control the media or stage violent protests (or rarely, anyway) and this post is about the Democrats trying to enlarge their tent because they are the ones who lost the election.

Several states have just passed bans on "gay marriage". A long time ago I had said that if the "gay lobby" as it were, were to take small steps -- start with simple equal rights, win over the hearts of their opponents by showing that they are just normal hardworking people, they would get them. Then another step towards "domestic partnerships" or civil-unions or what-have-you. They would get them: Two-thirds of Americans -- including many who oppose gay "marriage" -- support the legal rights (wills, visitations, taxes) of gays and lesbians. Exit polls suggest that they WOULD go for something "not called marriage". If they had followed that strategy, I'd be willing to bet good money that within twenty years they would actually have gay marriage in name.

But activists wanted it all at once and whenever you introduce such a sudden social change, especially via the courts, well, "every action causes an opposite and equal reaction". Or something like that. It doesn't help when hundreds of thousands of gays march in parades every June dressed in nothing but thongs, or S&M paraphernalia, or as giant condoms, and then wonder in amazement that "middle America" doesn't rush to embrace them. I get embarrassed over such antics and I'm gay.

Nor does it help when the left decides that all cultures are equal in deserving respect -- that the Taliban should have been allowed to continue because "that's just their culture" and we should value that. Sorry, but a culture of death is NOT equal to American or European culture. Frankly, I see few instances of Islamic "culture" fostering moderation, civilization, innovation, legal commerce, human rights, justice, the arts, eliminating suffering, or any other legitimate category we might use to measure a "culture".

The left also demands that everyone should have equal amounts of money, land, possessions, boats, cars, etc. That's a nice fantasy but in the real world, humans need that carrot as an inducement to create or invent or just to work hard. The redistribution of wealth is the cornerstone of socialists and it doesn't work. It's never worked. It never will work. And folks who live under socialism have no incentive to WORK.

A pharmaceutical company has no reason (or for that matter resources) to discover new medicines and cures for the diseases and conditions if they can't make money from it.

A software programmer isn't going to bother creating the next great computer operating system or game or program if he can't enjoy a profit from his labors.

Why should Donald Trump build a new resort or hotel (which will provide untold jobs for architects, contruction workers, casino workers, housemaids, etc., etc.) if he doesn't receive a "return" on his investment?

I might also point out that most -- not all -- funding for many charitable organizations and even PBS comes from the wealthy of this country. Under the left's idea of socialism, that would stop. So I don't mind seeing tax-breaks for the wealthy; I don't mind seeing tax-breaks for anyone.

The left says we shouldn't be fighting a war on "terror". They say we should just sit back, relax, it's all just a nuisance and besides, we brought it on ourselves. Let's just defend our shores and not actively try to root-out the mutants who took down the World Trade Center. It's interesting that on a more local level, they don't also say that Americans should just worry about their own safety and allow them then to own and carry guns for that purpose. But that's a discussion for another day.

The left, Left, "left", whatever you want to call them, just don't speak to me. I can't hear them for all their hysterical shouting. And the odd thing, as I've said before, is that there are some issues where I might agree with them, at least partially. But their more reasonable messages aren't getting through the rest of the "noise".

The Republicans, and especially George Bush, leave a lot to be desired. I've said that here before. But the punk in that photo above sums up what I think the left thinks and it is why I voted for Bush. For moderate folks like me, the Republicans didn't win the election so much as the Democrats lost it. That punk is the reason why.

Update: One reader emailed me and said:

John Kerry is not part of the "left" as you call them. Most of his positions were rather moderate compared to the extremist ones of Bush.

Actually, he said a lot more, and in much more colorful language but I cleaned it up here.

First, on some things Kerry is "moderate" but after 20 years in the Senate, he has a voting record that clearly shows he leans way to far left on most issues. But go back to my post last week where I lay out many (not all) of the reasons why I had decided on President Bush. I called it The Company You Keep and I pointed out that it isn't just the candidate but is also the people who support that candidate.

When the Swift Boat Veterans came out with their anti-Kerry book, all Democrats were crying for it to be suppressed and DEMANDING that Bush disavow the group. You will remember that Kerry and company had no problem though when Michael Moore released his movie of lies titled Fahrenheit 911. Indeed, they gave him a place of honor months later at their convention. And Kerry never tried to distance himself from all the foul-mouthed Hollywood celebrities at a fund-raising event in NY. Think Whoopy Goldberg. And he had no problem allowing himself to be alligned to someone that in my personal opinion is just plain crazy, Max Cleland. Once again, it really is the company you keep. Kerry chose badly.