People concerned with 'values' and 'morality' vote Republican

[Tactical Progressive]

I must have heard this from the media one-thousand times over the past couple of years.

This is only true if you define values as selfishness and bigotry.
It is only true if you define morality as unmitigated greed and racism.

Inotherwords, the media meme that has been unendingly pounded into the American psyche is the exact opposite of the truth, of decency and of humanity. Utterly amazing.

Why doesn't the media speak of 'right-wing values' or 'Conservative morality' instead of using the unqualified words as synonyms for Republicanism?

[spooky3]

1. Haven't you learned? Morality refers only to sexual behavior.

sarcasm off

[Jade Fox]

6. Beat me to it....

That's what they're really talking about. Prudery, and the enforcing of it

[FreakinDJ]

2. It is the best propaganda money can buy

I have heard some very intelligent discussions concerning these "Values"

People like Rush tend to define them in ways that appeal to the very folks it hurts the most all the while blaming it all on the Democrats.

Effective...very effective

We need to define our party as truth speakers. We need to reply with well documented facts and stop all the emotionally charged hateful attacks

We lost credibility and they capitalized on that

[AnnInLa]

3. You are right, of course, but the "language"

of "morals" and "values" was highjacked by the RW....we will also now have to define our issues in the same language. We must redefine the issues....in terms that can be understood and appreciated by the koolaid drinkers. We know that Dems are much more representative of Christian ideals, but we have been embarrassed to say so loudly and clearly.

[Randypiper]

4. I remember Regan and "Family Values"

At the time his children weren't talking to him.

[Hamlette]

5. yes, I am profoundly moral and morals are very important to me

like you don't start unjust wars and borrow the country into oblivian.

[Citizen Plain]

7. A precis of Bush morality...

http://homepage.mac.com/njenson/movies/timryanlow.html

Citizen Plain

[uppityperson]

8. I found out today from a NPR radio caller

that I am a rich liberal with low moral values because I voted for the one who would uphold the law, and not for the one who invades countries (Even though my family makes $12,000/yr, and I am legally married to a person of the opposite sex). I am proud of this.

[FreshAir]

9. Values

We need to articulate our positions on these (Christian) values more clearly.

1 - Abortion. This pro-life/pro-choice nonsense has gone on for far too long. The choice movement has been, I'm sad too say, portrayed as being pro-abortion.

It's time to take ownership of this issue, and articulate our opposition to abortions, but ALSO our opposition to government bans thereon.

2 - Gay marriage. This issue may have cost us the election, as Bush's support of the Constitutional Amendment painted Kerry as being pro-marriage.

We should start framing the issue as a matter of civil rights, and sadly, stop emphasizing the word "homosexual" or "same-sex". Yes, I wish we could talk about homosexuality clearly and without disguise - but we need to build a national consensus about this, and that means bringing in the rural voters.

Regarding the "Sanctity of Marriage": Highlight that the corruption of marriage began long before this issue came up (Marriage is hardly "sacred" anymore).

--

More importantly, we need to become the party that embodies "morality".

Embrace the so-called "culture of life". Seriously. But extend it to those already living, the born. (Read: death penalty / US military policy)

Frame economic issues as moral responsibilities - especially the crushing poverty found in our cities.

Ask whether it is Christian to allow your fellow brother to freeze too death on a street corner because the shelters are full. Ask if it it moral for women to be systematically paid less for the same work than a man. Ask if God would want corporations to steal millions during wartime - putting profit over the welfare of our soldiers. Ask if Jesus wanted us to be developing new nuclear weapons, to be using land mines, to be torturing prisoners.

It's time to take ownership of America's values.

[GoldenOldie]

10. Hubby's day after experience

Spouse scheduled to take a chemical stress test at 7:00 AM this morning at his heart doctor's office. Our eldest daughter who is presently finishing her last year in Nursing college and Wednesday happened to be her only day off wanted to accompany her dad not only to do the driving and offer moral support but she wanted to watch and learn as much as she could about this procedure because she is training in cardiac care this semester.

There were eight patients waiting to take this same test and many of them had come from a 100-miles away. The nurse that signed them in and was preparing them for the test and for the physician that eventually gave them the test was short tempered and very gruff with patients who had nothing to eat for 12-hours, drove many miles and were very nervous about having this test. Apparently there is a room they call the quiet room and the test requires patients try to place themselves in a relaxed mode. During this time my daughter said this bitch of a nurse marched into the room to loudly state what she thought of "Skerry Kerry" and how blessed we all were to have George W. Bush as President. My spouse who had actively supported John Kerry and was extremely upset as we all were this morning, maintained his relaxation mode.....only because they told him that if he did not they would have to do the test over again....continued to lie flat on the gurney. My spouse also has a short fuse and our daughter was waiting for the explosion. My daughter also noted this nurse's attitude was not contained to one patient but spread it onto each and every patient. She wondered why this woman would do this when she did not know the politics of the patients she was caring for and when they were under stress.

The moment that hubby's prescribed time for rest and relaxation ended the nurse returned to inform everyone that "Skerry Kerry" had given his speech and started on a rant of Kerry. My spouse went into immediate attack mode and told her his thoughts on Bush and of her. She stuttered and slowly backed out of the room. My daughter said she thought the other patients were trying to give him a standing ovation but couldn't leave their relaxed mode. My daughter said to the other patients before leaving with her dad in tow, said that as a nursing student she has been spending much time in local hospitals the VA Hospital and 3-local hospitals and that she has started to make a list of "Bitch Nurse's" and this one was going to the top of her list.