And, btw, there's no way most evangelical Christianity is economically progressive. It's hyper-individualistic, and it promotes the idea that proper faith brings personal wealth, for which it has nothing but praise. Saying "be nice to the poor" isn't exactly socialism.
The Democratic Party will never be able to appeal to anybody about ethics unless and until it sweeps aside the DLC pricks who run it and returns to the New Deal. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
> On Behalf Of Nathan Newman
> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 2:17 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Al From Beats Tambourine
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Dawson" <MDawson at pdx.edu>
>
>
> > So what's wrong with getting sympathetic clergy and laypeople to
> highlight
> > these principles and engage religious voters on these principles?
> >
> > Nathan Newman
>
> -Because those principles clash with your party's policies! People aren't
> as
> -stupid as you probably think they are. Republicans really do oppose gay
> -rights, which gives them evange-cred.
>
> The GOP also opposes aid to the poor and most civil rights laws, which
> puts
> them in opposition to many evangelical beliefs.
>
> 72% of the Florida population supported an increase in the minimum wage,
> including no doubt large numbers of evangelical voters. The GOP is dead
> set against the minimum wage, so there are obvious areas to appeal to
> evangelicals on economic justice issues.
>
> If you only build coalitions with people who agree with you 100%, you'll
> never win on any issue. It's better to appeal to folks on the issues
> where
> they agree with you, then write them off completely if they disagree on
> anything.
>
> Nathan Newman
>
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