Bill Maher's Advice for the Democrats

[JackD76]

Last week, bill maher said something interesting that the democrats need to do to off set the republicans. He said that, while the republicans try to act as the defenders of the bible, the democrats need to act as the defenders of the constitution. Good advice, do you think they will ever do it?

[Frances]

1. Then you would have to concede the Midwest and the

South including West Virginia to the Republicans.

The majority of the people in those areas would choose the Bible over the Constitution if they thought they had to choose.

[cidliz2004]

7. The Midwest????? The Midwest is primarily blue, I know by slim

margins but blue none the less. Besides which, the polls were fixed and the counting was skewed, so I think that the Midwest is Bluer than was shown in the elections.

[Frances]

21. Which midwest state is blue?

nt

[bvar22]

23. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois.....

Shoulda had Iowa.

[Frances]

24. Thanks

I did not think of IL, MN, or Wisconsin as mid-west. I was thinking Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.

Illinois was great for us, but I read today that Minnesota is considered a purple state because the margins are so close. I also read that Wisconsin went for Kerry by less than 1%.

Personally, I think it's better to argue the economy rather than social issues. I think Edwards, as much as I like him, tried to do that, but he sounded as though he was talking about truly poor people rather than middle class people.

[cidliz2004]

29. Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michicgan

[Selatius]

8. You shouldn't concede the Constitution in the Midwest and South or anywher

You fight everywhere. Or you fight nowhere.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Exactly

Not everybody believes in the Bible. The Constitution is what laws our land is based on. If these Bible thumping fundies can't deal with it tell them to get the hell out and move to Iran or something! Maher is right. We have to do everything we can to defend the Constiution or you can kiss America goodbye!

[tabasco]

28. Attempt to defend everything ...

and you defend nothing.

Sun Tzu

[RobinA]

31. Well...

I'd like to see the Dems defend SOMETHING for a change.

[Bouncy Ball]

14. That's an insulting assumption on your part.

I'm in Texas and myself and MANY people I know would not choose the Bible over the Constitution when it comes to running the government.

[Tweed]

16. Study a map pal, then take your Coast elitism and cram it

The Great Lakes states are generally blue. You must be referring to the Great Plains states. Those states do seem to be more into the Bible than the constitution. However, I would say its mainly Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and parts of Missouri and Texas are into that. You'll notice that 3 out of 4 of the Senators from Dakota are Democrats and 100% of the Reps.

[Pushed To The Left]

18. Another good reason

to end the electoral college!

[Montauk6]

34. Solid point but...

Let's say one of the Dominionists who manage to get elected refused to swear the oath to uphold the Constitution on the grounds that swearing upon the word of JU-HEEEZUS GAWD is sufficient. While some jeezoids would holla back an AMEN, even some parishioners might feel a bit uneasy.

[ikojo]

35. I live in St Louis which happens to be in Missouri

I would DEFINITELY choose the CONSTITUTION over the bible anyday.

I think that once people get over the notion that everything Christian equals good then they too would choose the constitution over the bible. The trouble is that people don't know their history, therefore they don't know what happens when Christian clerics (a la the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages and the Puritans) rule according to their interpretation of the bible.

[RetroLounge]

37. Dems should Concede NOTHING.

or get the fuck out of the way...

RL

[salinen]

2. No, I don't think the republicans

will ever defend the bible.

[cidliz2004]

3. I heard that to, and I also though that it was a good idea.

It is worth remembering and repeating. Funny, I hadn't thought of it until you just reminded me.

[LostInAnomie]

4. Best line of that show was...

... "Bush put his hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution, not the other way around."

That being said I don't think it will ever work. People in general have absolutely no idea what is in the Constitution, and will believe whatever they are told is in the Bible. Which one do you think will win out?

[Discord]

5. Right now, the Bible is beating the crap out of the constitution.

[JackD76]

6. A lot of people Aren't Bible Nuts

I think you are assuming that most people are stupid and most people are neo-Christians. I believe that a majority of people would rather uphold the Constitution then the bible.

[LostInAnomie]

10. I'm not assuming that most people are stupid...

... just that most people are ignorant. If you asked the average man on the street to name any 5 out of the 10 amendments in of the Bill of Rights most of them wouldn't be able to name three. The same goes with the Ten Commandments. If asked point blank to name them most Americans wouldn't even come close.

Being ignorant is easy, but being knowledgeable takes effort. The people who exploit ignorance of the Bible know that people are too lazy to read it on their own. For us to use the constitution we would have to get people to want to become knowledgeable about it. That makes our job 100 times more difficult.

[FreedomAngel82]

11. It's not people in general who have to be fought

it's the fundies and the neocons who have to be fought. The neocons are using the Bible to get what they want and they're using the Bible and the fundies to get their support. That's who we have to fight against. Not normal people who don't hold the Bible up as an idol or something. Bush just wants to get his judges and take away the last checks and balances we have in this country so he can do whatever he wants and that can't happen and he'll use the Bible, people's emotions and Christianity to get his judges. We've already seen that's their plan through the Schavio ordeal.

[BillZBubb]

20. I always assume most people are stupid.

That assumption has never failed me to date.

Remember, a big majority of people have average or below average intelligence. Even a good number with above average intelligence are stupid because they've wasted/ignored their brains on nonsense like fundamentalism, "objectivism", and conservatism.

[Frances]

12. If we want to win then I think

the Dems need to make the election about social security

[autorank]

13. Sen. Byrd is the avatar of Constitutional Defense...We're a step up!

[shindig]

15. The constitution and the bible are not at odds

The "establishment clause" just means that the "government" can't shove the bible down anyone's throat. But the "free exercise clause" in the constitution guarantees that the "government" can't take anyone's bible away from them either.

In other words, the christian fundies bible is protected by the constitution. (Just as everyone else's right to practice, or not to practice their own religion in their own way is protected as well).

It would be nice to remind the fundies that they should embrace the constitution, because so long as it remains intact, it is the guarantee that their bibles can't be taken from them by government, no matter what political party or persuasion happens to be in power at any given time.

[autorank]

26. Good point, and I hope the DEM strategists are listening...

...better yet, the speechwriters. This is the VITAL link and it's both true and persuasive, great combo.

Excellent point shindig :yourock:

[clem_c_rock]

17. except they can always use the fact that he was an active KKK member

So you really wonder which part of the constition he was really about.

[autorank]

27. Screw 'em. Who hasn't made a mistake 60 years ago!

Enough of this. I'm not even sixty and I can think back to my 20 something period and there are any number of things that I would have done COMPLETELY differently. The man's positions stand on their own.

[clem_c_rock]

38. I agree - I'm only saying that his past would be quite the target

for GOP'rs. I don't think we could have any argument about that.

[autorank]

39. Agreed

:toast:

[ikojo]

36. So, the honorable Senator Byrd's past from 60 years ago

is fair play but when people asked BUSH about his drug use 30 years ago, he said that it was in the past and thus not fair game?

[orpupilofnature57]

19. As long as " progress" isn't the agenda, Do you think they give a hoot..

About the bible, excuse me, I mean the elected ones.

[Al-CIAda]

22. Exactly. Defend the Constitution! -eom

[Democat]

25. Democrats need to stand for something - anything

What do they stand for now? Getting their asses kicked?

[Itsthetruth]

30. Democrats Defend The Constitution? Are You Kidding?

Not when they vote to undermine the Constitution by giving up their power to declare war (The Iraq Invasion Resolution which granted Bush the sole power to wage war) and voted for the Patriot Act.

[orpupilofnature57]

32. They were in the act of being " Progressive " not Democrat's

[OldLeftieLawyer]

40. Boy, did you nail it there.

And let's not forget that it was Bill Clinton who signed the "Defense Of Marriage Act," a total travesty.

[Bluebear]

33. What is your party, out of curiousity?

You say 'Good advice, do you think they (the Democrats) will ever do it?' and in another post you advise that "you all" should let the Republicans have their filibuster-killer. Just wondering what party you are coming from?