“It’s precisely the pursuit of ideological purity, the rigid orthodoxy and sheer predictability of our current political debate, that keeps us from finding new ways to meet the challenges we face as a country” –Barack Obama
From time to time I like to reevaluate myself, and rethink my positions and reflect on my beliefs. What I have come to realize lately that I am much more of a liberal than I ever realized, and that I am also a liberal first and a Democrat second. Although I support the Democratic Party and its candidates I also endeavor to look at politics through both an idealistic and realistic lens.
As I have watched the political landscape and the blogosphere for the last two months, I have noticed that my fellow bloggers tend to hold politicians up to a very ideologically pure light. While much of my beliefs and political views are uncompromising, I have found myself much more willing to allow my representatives flexibility. I have found myself much more willing to come to compromise without believing that it comprises my beliefs.
However, I do believe that liberals in the blogosphere and the media should hold politicians up to that uncompromising light, because it is that light that can prevent politicians from becoming complacent. In many ways the voices of dissent should be the loudest, and they should rise about the conventional wisdom and speak to our principles and ideals.
At the same time we must also be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and do all we can not to become what we disapprove of the most about those that oppose us. We must be cautious of embracing the politics that have divided us for so long. As much as anyone I have felt the visceral reaction those that have held the majority the current administration, but this should not be about Republicans this should be about Americans.
During this reflection there have been voices in the blogosphere speaking up in frustration about the mainstream media’s coverage of the Texas Senate campaign.
The problem is that the Democratic Representative Noriega is running a campaign in a state in which a Democrat has not won a state wide office in over a decade which is going to make the media reluctant to take Democratic candidate seriously, even when running and against a Senator who has become a caricature of himself. Senator John Cornyn is running television adds like the infamous “Big John” and as ridiculous as it might have been there was no mention of Representative Noriega when Jon Stewart mocked the add on the Daily Show. The truth is that Senator Cornyn represents the very worst of political partisanship, and we should not.
The most important thing that the campaign needs is fundraising. With money comes credibility, and with that comes press coverage. During a period of time when most of the public does not have a significant interest in anything other than the presidential campaign the press is only going to cover the candidates that make good copy. What we need to do as Representative Noriega supports is focus our efforts on fundraising. We need to stop focusing on whether or not we are getting fair coverage in the media, because with the money will come the press coverage.
We need to organize and focus. We need to organize and focus on one day. One day of donations. If we can raise enough money in one day, then the media and everyone else has no choice but to notice.
Let’s repay Rick Noriega for his service to our country. This veteran wants someone representing Texas that is more than just related to a veteran, but someone that can relate to veterans because he is one.
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