Democrats have been stupid for so long that its not even funny. These "morality crusades" for the last 30 years have always been about diverting attention away from the failures of politicians. Anytime I see another resumption of the "flag burning amendment" debate, I know they're avoiding something. And goddamn...I wanted to smack Hillary Clinton for falling for it recently.
I know exactly what the Democrats are thinking: they regret ever having supported the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. Sure, now it's a good thing to support since it's already 40 years too late, but they remember all the Southern Democrats who defected to the Republican Party as a result of it and all the elections they've lost since because of it. While I would have said, "Good riddance to you, Strom Thurmond," the Democrats have since been reluctant to support minority rights. But you know what they don't get through their thick skulls? The morality zealots are never going to vote Democratic. If they ever vote Democratic, it will be because they have an actual economic platform. The bigot vote will always vote Republican, and trying to appeal to that base will always end in defeat. When you're talking about people who believe that Hillary Clinton is a lesbian, despite being married to a man, you know you're not dealing with rational thinkers here. However, by trying to hug the center by being what I'd call "quasi-bigots," all they do is effectively make a lot of more liberal people not want to vote at all.
I will grudgingly vote in future elections, if only to continue my right to bitch, but I know a lot of people won't be as principled as I. All the fancy rhetoric in the world will be meaningless if you don't have the principles to back it up. And Kaine and Warner are fools if they think otherwise.
Melon