are you a sheep or are you a torchbearer?

[Nadienne]

Wake Up Torchbearers

by Stephen Dinan
[e-mail]

I often speak in softer tones in my articles, but today I write to you with fire.

Now is the time to awaken from playing victim, whining about the media, and scurrying about in a vain search for a sufficiently popular Democratic candidate. The voices for true progress are NEVER popular until the changes they carry forward are finished. History then looks back at them as heroes. Torchbearers who behave like sheep are not torchbearers. Torchbearers call a country forward with the sheer intensity of their will, the vastness of their heart, and the clarity of their vision.

When you succumb to discussions of electability, you are putting down your torch. You are wimping out on the larger mission. You are shrinking yourself to fit a socially conditioned box and you will not accomplish what you dream possible. You are effectively saying, "I can't do it, it's too hard."

The behavior of most Democrats these last months has been that of sheep, scurrying around and baaing about electability while chasing one candidate and then the next in an attempt to find out who is popular enough to beat Bush. But popularity is a function of which way the scared herd runs next, so it's an ever-shifting target. The main tool to motivate this herd has become endless rhetoric about winning, until most of the candidates sound more like football quarterbacks before a game than presidents. We are capable of more than this. We should demand more than this.

What most of those behaving like sheep do not seem to realize is that the wolf is strengthened by sheep behavior. Our insecurity is what will defeat us. Our power comes in finding our boldest, most authentic truth and standing passionately for that in the world.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[TexasSissy]

1. What does this have to do with the Dem. nomination primaries?

[Nadienne]

4. I suppose supporting being a sheep

by supporting a candidate for reasons of electability has nothing to do with the primaries...

[blm]

9. supporting a candidate with the best LIBERAL record that matches his

rhetoric makes me a TORCHBEARER for John Kerry.

Supporting someone whose corporatist, centrist record doesn't match hiis campaign year rhetoric makes someone..........??????

[corporatewhore]

11. Kerry touts his environmental record yet he voted for freetrade

You cant be for both

[waldenx]

6. its simple

do you follow the trends or do you have courage.

[DarkPhenyx]

2. I'm the guy with the torch...

...using it to roast a sheep. Mmm, mutton.

[IrateCitizen]

3. Well, I'm either a torchbearer or wandering the wilderness...

... considering that I'm a determined Kucinich supporter. :D

[AntiCoup2K4]

5. Proud torchbearer here

and wool makes me itch.

[corporatewhore]

7. I am bearing a torch for DK!!!

[windansea]

8. Clark torchbearer

[cindyw]

10. Torchbearer/Kerry supporter. I have supported him when

most people here were making fun of him for polling lower than Sharpton. Way before that too.

[poskonig]

12. I'm not a fanatic.

I want a candidate that can 1) win 2) do a good job in office and 3) is near to me on policy. I'm faced with choices that have real-world consequences.

[Nadienne]

17. "faced with choices that have real-world consequences"

So am I.

[rucky]

13. I'm on the Kucinich bandwagon!

All the cool kids are doing it

;)

[AntiCoup2K4]

18. Weren't you on the Clark bandwagon yesterday?

Could have sworn you had one of those little blue tags by your name.

[xcentrik]

14. Bahhhhhhhhhhh!

If it means that Bush won't have 4 more years, I will cheerfully go on all fours, eat grass and sprout wool.

[redqueen]

15. I see there is some confusion about the author's intent

Perhaps a link to some of his other works will add some clarity:

Strategic Compromises and Burning Flames

Dancing with Dean, Coming Home to Kucinich

Two Waves of Change; Dean AND Kucinich

A Story to Light the World


Hope that clears up any misunderstandings about torch bearers. :)

[Nadienne]

16. I originally posted the whole e-mail

without the disclaimer that the author intended for it to be forwarded freely... I asked about it and learned that I would need the permission from the e-mail group that I got this from. But that's okay. The longer version implies that to support a candidate other than Kucinich (if Kucinich is your ideal, that is) is to not be a torchbearer... Of course, there are supporters of other candidates who truly do feel that their candidate is their ideal.

Edited to add: thank you for the links! :-)

[KFC]

19. Very original. A sheep metaphor.

Haven't heard that one for about 5 minutes.

[Nadienne]

20. Ah, but it's also a torchbearer metaphor

When's the last time you heard that?

[Terwilliger]

21. I'm a torchiere

Got Light?