It happened not long after John Edwards (the only major candidate coming even close to talking about serious issues) was defeated in the Democratic Primary. A movement was afoot, it was not based upon facts, it was not based upon a record of accomplishment, instead it was based upon one man. A man who was to the right of his constituents in a very liberal Chicago district, a man who came out of the Daley machine, a man who defeated the vigorous opponent Alan Keyes to reach his U.S. Senate seat, a man who made his name amongst the netroots for his opposition to the war in Iraq, a man who achieved celebrity status, via a speech at a Democratic convention and two books of memoirs. His followers clung to him, like dittoheads to their AM radios, and although they didn’t know what his positions were they defended his message of hope, change, and platitudinous sweet nothings.
Some of his devoted, believed in such good things as peace, social justice, and a holistic safety net, while others were just getting behind a wonderful and glorious new fad. But his ‘fan club’ was ready to scale tall buildings for him, all the while not checking who’s advising him, nor sifting through his political record. A record that includes, immunizing corporations, voting present on legislation dealing with abortion, voting against the bedrock principles of the Constitution, supporting the death penalty, increasing the military budget, and supporting the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. But, “Hey man, don’t you know he just did this stuff to get elected?” Well sorry, cutting your nose off to spite your face, is not a winning political strategy, in my humble and modest opinion.
