someone at Salon agress with me ;-)

[winterbadger]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/11/04/religion/

[Edit]The following text is a quote from the article to be found at the link above. My point in citing the article and quoting from it is to observe that I am not alone in suggesting that one of the advantages that Bush had over Kerry in the election, and which Republicans have over Democrats in general, is their ability to speak to the religious element in American culture. This is not a secular country, nor is it a theocracy. It is a country that, for better or worse, was founded by and has been governed by Christians (with some Jews in supporting roles) for most of its history and remains deeply Christian in identity, more so than any other western democracy IMO. To ignore this fact and its political implications is disatrous.[end edit]

The white evangelical core of the Bush/Cheney electoral coalition has no problems with identity politics and has both a deep and rich religious and political language with which to narrate its own problems and aspirations. Whatever one may think of this feeling-laden ideology, Bush knows how to connect to this base precisely because he eschews a secular and rationalistic rhetoric in favor of a language rich with moralistic, eschatological, and even apocalyptic themes.

In a country where upward of 75 percent of the population believes in God and an afterlife (in its decidedly Christian registers), only fools do not avail themselves of such a diverse and vibrant rhetoric for communicating concerns around a whole host of issues concerning justice and what possible ethical and social meanings can be attached to our sojourns here on earth.

Well, the Democratic Party leadership is such a collection of secular and rational fools. There are obvious exceptions in the black churches and the mainline Protestant denominations, but the religious rhetorics of these communities have rarely taken center stage in the last decade or so. In short, the Democratic Party needs to stop pretending it lives in a secular country. Until French citizens are allowed to vote in U.S. elections (as an old-time Socialist, how I would welcome the advent of that political impossibility), the Democratic leadership will have to fashion its messages for the deeply religious country it presumes to lead one day.

Comments

[selki.livejournal.com]

I agree with much of what you said, but

Forty-nine percent of the country is voting Democrat

49% of those who voted, out of those who were registered to vote.

Yes, the total number of voters was higher than the numbers since 1968, but that's still a lot of folks who didn't vote. How do we reach them?

[beckon.livejournal.com]

Ah activism.

Honestly? Start up democratic based youth groups, social gatherings, etc.

Throw a party just for your democratic friends. Discuss politics in an atmosphere which is self promoting. Co-ordinate with the local democratic party to have local politicians show up occasionally and discuss whats going on. Give out prizes at the socials to people who bring the most new people in the fold. Develop a sense of identity.

Look at religions and others that are based on group based dynamics.

When people go the gatherings ask for small (I mean small - 2 to 5 dollar) donations. People who give money to a cause are more likely to stay faithful to a cause.

Likewise people who devote their time instead of their money will feel the same way.

Grass roots activism.. its the way to go.