i know you’re trying to be a good, impartial anthropologist, but bush IS evil, and it’s precisely the democrats’ inability or unwillingness to articulate that strongly and unflinchingly (using plenty of help from facts and figures, the objective kind ) that got us in this mess in the first place. i can’t think of a more beatable running mate than bush. it’s like running against the fucking creature from the black lagoon. everything he has ever touched has turned to shit for the average american and there are many, many ways to prove it statistically, without being a raving partisan lunatic. the grassroots really needs the balls and the means to combat the barrage of bullshit and communicate to the whole country what’s really happening in a way that is not threatening or reactionary but matter of fact and confident. liberals aren’t sitting around congratulating themselves on their virtue, they’re spinning off in morose, defeatist analysis of what it all MEANS (present company excluded of course). facts, if disseminated, could go a long way. not with the born-agains, who would vote for jack the ripper if he said he loved jesus. but with the millions of regular folk who simply believed the hype.
besides, some dude at the central voting computer just hit backspace a couple of times in all the right places. to me the real anthropological study would be finding a time in american history when resignation and cynicism reigned as supremely as they do now.

I think it is important to separate out the left outside of electoral politics and that within it (as well as all the shades of gray) because we need to adopt different strategies. A frequent mistake I’ve made is not to appreciate this and asked for rabidly anti-rightwing politians (instead of, say, a charismatic progressive who understands how to communicate with White working class people, among others). Other people make similar mistakes in endorsing advocacy or organizing efforts that are too accommodationist in nature.

I think there’s a lack of recognition that we have to play offense and defense simultaneously and both effectively, and to figure out how to make sure the balance is effective. In my opinion, in order to develop a real “left” movement in the U.S. (which is only at the beginning stages), we need to focus more on building power among people directly affected by issues and organizing them while running politicians that can minimize the damage until we have enough power to take back the political debate.