The indomitable Arianna Huffington writes about the "moral values" meme in a way that will hopefully put all this nonsense to a rest.
But only if folks read it.
And Now For Something Completely Different: Real Moral Values
The problem with this tidal wave of values converts is twofold. First, it's based on a media-generated myth about what voters cared most about this election -- a myth based on a poorly worded exit poll question that tried to turn "moral values" into a concrete issue like health care or the war in Iraq, which they clearly are not.
More excerpts below the fold...
Even Karl Rove, the "architect" of the president's evangelical strategy, says that security was this year's most galvanizing issue.
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Let's crunch some numbers. In the 11 states with gay-marriage ballot initiatives, Bush's share of the popular vote increased 2.6 percent from his 2000 totals. In states with no gay-marriage initiative, he went up 2.9 percent. And as for Republicans ruling rural America, exit polls found that Bush was up 13 percent in big cities, while Kerry was down 11 percent from Al Gore's totals. On the other hand, in towns with populations between 10,000 and 50,000, Bush went down 9 percent, while Kerry gained 10 percent over Gore. So Kerry's problem wasn't small-town America seeing Red over gay marriage.
Indeed, the second problem with this newly congealed conventional wisdom is the assumption that "moral values" is code for gay marriage, partial-birth abortion and Janet Jackson's right boob (a gland whose exposure William Safire this week called "the social, political event of the past year").
But, ironically, however erroneously we got to it, the moral-values debate is precisely the one Democrats need to be having right now. Because if they don't capture the moral high ground back from the Republicans, they'll never be able to capture the hearts and votes of Red America.
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...although it hardly got any ink compared to the passage of the gay-marriage initiatives, voters in Florida and Nevada -- Red states both -- approved initiatives calling for big hikes in the minimum wage. This was incontrovertibly a moral-values initiative because it's a moral disgrace that low-wage workers who work full time are not paid enough to lift their families out of poverty. Real "values voters" know this, and there are enough of them out there that you don't have to sell your soul to get elected.
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The Democrats need to realize that the values debate is not about triangulating on gay marriage -- it's about passion and principles. And that's what distinguishes an inspiring political vision from a laundry list of policies and four-point plans.
Take Bobby Kennedy's passionate devotion to finding solutions to the problems of "the excluded." In 1963, when he was attorney general, he called the entire Cabinet into his office at the Justice Department, locked the door and made them stay there for four hours discussing how to best address the crisis of poverty in America. And during his run for the White House, he embarked on a tour of this country's most impoverished areas. The resulting television pictures of hungry children in his arms shocked the conscience of the nation.
When was the last time a politician shocked us for reasons other than being caught with his pants down or his hand in the public cookie jar?
By bringing soul into American politics, Kennedy was able to galvanize voters in Kansas no less than in California. He didn't retreat from a values-based campaign; he seized it.
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...it is only with such real "moral values," from which spring clear political priorities, that you can counter Bush's divisive religiosity -- and win back America's value voters.
Lot's more good stuff. Recommended reading.