Selfish Hedonist

I have to say that after looking through all 144 personals ads on Sean Hannity's dating site Hannidate2005, I finally ended up falling in love with all of them. It is true that riducule and laughter through my tears were my initial responses. But there's something so endearing about all of them as a group - particularly when their photos are thumbnail sized - and it's just too easy to mock someone who has an associates degree in Office Science Technology. After all, she works as an administrative assistant; I work as an administrative assistant. She likes hot GOP dudes; I like hot GOP dudes. She wants what's best for the world; I want what's best for the world. She believes that Jesus Christ is her lord and savior; I believe that Jesus Christ would shop at Lord & Taylor. No, I don't.

As someone pointed out in the comments section of Think Progress, this particular group of individuals is probably the very folk the Democrats need to target in future elections (or at least not be afraid of). This means engagement, heavy investment in local progressive leadership, and contesting every battle. However, it's also clear that the born again movement and its rightward tilt (one of the Hannidate2005 singles has been born again since the age of 5!) provides some level of non-penetration. So to speak. I mean, most of us find solace in ideological safe zones, whether Sean Hannity or salon.com. But I honestly feel there's a serious disconnect among the religious right, for whom any sort of cognitive dissonance or questioning of beliefs makes them run that much farther to the right, to Rush, to James Dobson, to the Bible. Ultimately the discussions might have to move out of the realm of the political and economic, and into the theological and eschatological.

But not yet. I'm still confident that a Howard Dean approach can stave off that moment - populism, contesting every race, standing up for your principles.