wojownik
Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
- Messages
- 2,086
It's one thing to go around in circles about those "liberals" who hold far left positions. They are incorrigible, and as incorrigible as those "conservatives" on the extreme right. They polarize
I'm getting the disturbing feeling that some who abhor the term "liberal" or "progressive" may be lumping in moderates with liberals as well. This is important, as some moderates - who do support 2a, but also want to see a more progressive social agenda - will self-identify as "liberal" even if they really are not.
I had the opportunity to have a lunch in DC yesterday with a dozen or so folks from a cross the political spectrum. While socially debating a number of hot topics - and 2a was one - the discussion really brought home this political spectrum. Folks that self identified as "liberal" ranged from hard-core to really quite moderate. And there appeared to be a gender factor as well - females in the group tended to identify as "liberal" more than their male counterparts with pretty much the exact same positions. (except for the single "liberal" males that were trying to ... um ... self-identify with female "liberals." You know how that goes...).
So tossing around "liberal" as an epithet only serves to further alienate those on the center-left that may not be slavishly beholden to party lines. If folks on the center-left never crossed party lines, then Republican Rudy Giuliani would not have become mayor in NYC (arguably good), nor Bloomberg (decidedly not good). (yes, 2a was not an factor in those elections, but hey, its NYC).
Moderates represent the swing vote. Moderates are the political battleground. Moderates - including those who self-identify as "liberal" - can and will do some very interesting things come election time.
The NRA ad plays right into that - it pulls the discussion to the right - alienating moderates as well as liberals. It makes no sense to drum up the support of 5 voters that know you already have, while alienating 7 more. Politics is a numbers game.
Also, there is no longer any such thing as a "local ad". They may intend to play the ad in the hills of Pennsyltucky, but are surely aware that any ads of this sort are going to get national play in the media. And if the PR folks at the NRA are not aware of that fact of modern media, then it perhaps is time for the NRA to do some staff re-evaluations.
I'm getting the disturbing feeling that some who abhor the term "liberal" or "progressive" may be lumping in moderates with liberals as well. This is important, as some moderates - who do support 2a, but also want to see a more progressive social agenda - will self-identify as "liberal" even if they really are not.
I had the opportunity to have a lunch in DC yesterday with a dozen or so folks from a cross the political spectrum. While socially debating a number of hot topics - and 2a was one - the discussion really brought home this political spectrum. Folks that self identified as "liberal" ranged from hard-core to really quite moderate. And there appeared to be a gender factor as well - females in the group tended to identify as "liberal" more than their male counterparts with pretty much the exact same positions. (except for the single "liberal" males that were trying to ... um ... self-identify with female "liberals." You know how that goes...).
So tossing around "liberal" as an epithet only serves to further alienate those on the center-left that may not be slavishly beholden to party lines. If folks on the center-left never crossed party lines, then Republican Rudy Giuliani would not have become mayor in NYC (arguably good), nor Bloomberg (decidedly not good). (yes, 2a was not an factor in those elections, but hey, its NYC).
Moderates represent the swing vote. Moderates are the political battleground. Moderates - including those who self-identify as "liberal" - can and will do some very interesting things come election time.
The NRA ad plays right into that - it pulls the discussion to the right - alienating moderates as well as liberals. It makes no sense to drum up the support of 5 voters that know you already have, while alienating 7 more. Politics is a numbers game.
Also, there is no longer any such thing as a "local ad". They may intend to play the ad in the hills of Pennsyltucky, but are surely aware that any ads of this sort are going to get national play in the media. And if the PR folks at the NRA are not aware of that fact of modern media, then it perhaps is time for the NRA to do some staff re-evaluations.