Playing to the Base--George Wooddell--BUZZFLASH

[Demeter]

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/12/con05499.html

December 27, 2005

Playing to the Base

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by George Wooddell

The political right and the political left both play to their base on occasion. Throw out a little red meat. For the Republicans the base is certain business interests, xenophobes and the religious right. For the democrats it is certain business interests, minorities, workers, environmentalists and advocates for equality and justice....

The political right and the political left both play to their base. But there is a vast difference in the nature of their base. Democrats do not appeal to groups that promote hatred. Democrats do not believe the church should run the state.

Don’t get me wrong. There are left-wing wackos too - people who want to burn down SUV dealerships and the like. It’s just that such people are ignored by democratic candidates. No one ever makes a speech before them or gets campaign money from them or makes a statement in support of their wacko ideas. Wackos are not the base of the Democratic Party. The Republicans do make appeals to the wackos. Wackos are the base of the Republican Party. Or am I just not seeing something here?

And if that is the case, then the best political strategy for Democrats is to play to the base: minorities, workers, environmentalists and advocates for equality and justice, and let America clearly see the difference. Why should we be ashamed of our base? It's the Republicans who have to hide their base - not us. Hillary and the rest of the pink tutus need to seize the momentum that is building in this country, not pretend to be Republicans.

George Wooddell